NBA=
Starting May 15, NBA players will have 25 percent of their
paychecks taken out, after a decision was finalized during a board
of governors meeting, done in concert with the players’
association. Players will still be paid in full on May 1, but if
none of the 259 outstanding regular-season games are played, the
players would lose roughly $800 million in gross salary.
Another highly regarded recruit will forego college and jump
straight to the NBA’s G League, as forward Isaiah Todd has
decommitted from the University of Michigan to sign with the
developmental league. The news comes one day after Jalen Green,
considered the top recruit of the 2020 class, announced he will
play in the G League next season to prepare for the 2021 draft.
Under the NBA’s new player development program, players just out of
high school are eligible to sign and train with G League teams but
cannot take part in any games that will count in the standings.
NFL=
The NFL will conduct a practice run of its first-ever fully remote
draft on Monday, three days before the event is scheduled to begin.
The rehearsal is intended to acclimate team executives to what will
be an altered format of the draft due to the coronavirus outbreak,
which forced the league to cancel its plans to hold the event in
Las Vegas, as well as to help prevent any issues that may arise
when the first round starts on Thursday. Team decision makers will
be working exclusively from their homes as they communicate player
selections with the league office.
DeAndre Hopkins was not surprised by his trade to the Arizona
Cardinals last month, saying that he had heard rumors about a trade
from people he trusted dating back to last season. He’s also
looking forward to sharing the field with Arizona’s current
receiving corps. “I see myself fitting in very well,” Hopkins said
on Friday. “I know what I bring to the table, those guys know what
they bring to the table, and I feel like we’re going to push each
other to make the team better.” He’s had at least 1,000 receiving
yards in five of the past six seasons, and has played in 110 out of
112 regular-season games in his career.
The Bears released tight end Trey Burton, who went on season-ending
injured reserve in November after making 14 catches for 84 yards in
eight games. Burton signed a four-year, $32 million contract in
March 2018, but the addition of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham last
month put his future with the team in question. He set career highs
with 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns in his first
season with the Bears, but has struggled to stay healthy since
missing Chicago’s playoff loss to Philadelphia with groin tightness
at the end of the 2018 season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL=
North Carolina point guard Cole Anthony announced he will leave the
Tar Heels after one season and enter the NBA draft. Anthony, the
son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, entered his lone college
season as a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick but had his
freshman year limited to 22 games by a knee injury that required
surgery. He still averaged a team-high 18.5 points and four assists
per game for a UNC team that finished a disappointing 14-19.
Consensus All-American and Mountain West Player of the Year Malachi
Flynn will forgo his senior season at San Diego State and enter the
NBA draft. Flynn transferred from Washington State and sat out a
year before his lone season with the Aztecs. He wanted to join a
winning program, but never got a chance to play in the NCAA
Tournament. Flynn failed to score in double figures in just one
game this season, averaging 17.6 points and leading San Diego State
to a 30-2 record.
NHL=
The Jets and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien have mutually parted ways,
ending a standoff between the team and the four-time All-Star that
had gone on since September. The agreement allows Byfuglien to
become a free agent while forfeiting the remaining two years and
$14 million on his contract. The 35-year-old was suspended by the
Jets prior to the season for not reporting to training camp, then
underwent ankle surgery in October and filed a grievance claiming
he should be paid while rehabbing an injury. Byfuglien has 177
goals and 348 assists over 14 NHL seasons and won a Stanley Cup
with the Blackhawks in 2010.
WNBA=
The New York Liberty selected Oregon Star Sabrina Ionescu with the
No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, which was announced by Commissioner
Cathy Engelbert from her home in New Jersey due to the coronavirus
pandemic. Ionescu set the NCAA record for triple-doubles and was
the first college player to have over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds
and 1,000 assists in her career. Ducks teammate Satou Sabally went
second to Dallas and Indiana picked Baylor’s Lauren Cox third.
SOCCER=
The English Premier League is targeting a return date of June 8,
with teams having up to nine games remaining in the season. Fans
are not expected to be allowed into stadiums when games do resume.
Clubs in the three professional leagues below the Premier League
have been told by the English Football League that May 16 is the
earliest training sessions are recommended to start. “Today’s
shareholders’ meeting provided an opportunity to discuss possible
scheduling models,” the league said in a statement. “It remains our
objective to complete the 2019-20 season but at this stage all
dates are tentative while the impact of COVID-19 develops.”
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