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NBA free agency shake-up: Klay Thompson joins Mavricks, Paul George heads to 76ers | The Express Tribune

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Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to join the Dallas Mavericks, several reports said Monday, closing the historic championship chapter of his career with the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson is signing a three-year, $50 million contract to join the Mavericks and team with All-Star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, ESPN reported. Dallas lost in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics last month. As part of the three-team trade, the Mavericks confirmed they are trading Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.

ESPN and The Athletic reported the Warriors will receive a financial trade exception and two second-round picks.

Thompson, 34, teamed with Steph Curry for four NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Warriors but turned down a contract extension offer last season.

A career 41.3 percent 3-point shooter, Thompson averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in Golden State. He scored 17.9 points per game last season, his first season under a 20-point average since 2013-14 (18.4 points per game), not counting the two full seasons he missed with injuries.

LA Clippers forward Paul George reacts after scoring during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. PHOTO: REUTERS

Star forward Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract, ESPN reported early Monday morning.

ESPN reported that George’s new deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 campaign, the final season of the contract.

The oft-injured George played at least 60 games for Los Angeles for the first time in 2023-24, appearing in 74 contests, all starts. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from 3-point range.

In 14 NBA seasons with the Pacers (2010-17), the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-19) and the Clippers, George has career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 boards, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals across 867 games (819 starts).

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris dunks against the New York Knicks. PHOTO: REUTERS

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris dunks against the New York Knicks. PHOTO: REUTERS

The Detroit Pistons are signing former 76ers forward Tobias Harris to a two-year, $52 million contract, ESPN reported.

Harris, who turns 32 later this month, averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 70 games (all starts) with Philadelphia in 2023-24. The Sixers are moving on from Harris after landing George in free agency.

Harris previously played for the Pistons for parts of three seasons from 2016-18. He has career averages of 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 897 games (777 starts) with five teams. Harris has knocked down 1,218 career 3-pointers at a 36.8-percent clip.

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton brings the ball up court. PHOTO: REUTERS

Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton brings the ball up court. PHOTO: REUTERS

After the reported Thompson sign-and-trade, Golden State signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton to the midlevel exception of one year and $12.8 million, several reports said.

Melton, 26, started 91 of the 115 games he played for the 76ers the past two seasons while fighting a back injury. This past season, he averaged a career-high 11.1 points per game to go with 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals but played just 38 games (33 starts).

In 350 career games (146 starts) for the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies and Sixers since entering the league in 2018, Melton has averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic. PHOTO: REUTERS

Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic. PHOTO: REUTERS

Veteran forward Nicolas Batum agreed to return to the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $9.6 million free agent deal, ESPN reported.

Batum, 35, was traded from the Clippers to the 76ers in November as part of the three-team deal that brought James Harden to Los Angeles.

In 57 games (38 starts) with the 76ers last season, Batum averaged 5.5 points with 4.2 rebounds and shot 39.9 percent from 3-point range.

In 207 games with the Clippers, going back to the 2020-21 season, Batum averaged 7.3 points with 4.2 rebounds, while shooting 39.9 percent from distance. In 16 NBA seasons, the first seven of which were with the Portland Trail Blazers, Batum has averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds.

New York Knicks centre Isaiah Hartenstein. PHOTO: AFP

New York Knicks centre Isaiah Hartenstein. PHOTO: AFP

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed free agent centre Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million contract, The Athletic and ESPN reported.

Hartenstein, 26, emerged as a prominent piece of the New York Knicks’ postseason run but the franchise prioritised other moves to start the offseason, including a trade for Mikal Bridges and re-signing forward OG Anunoby. He averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 75 games (49 starts) last season.

The Thunder also re-signed guards Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe on Monday. Wiggins, after declining a team option, cashed in with a new five-year, $47 million contract and Joe agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract on Monday, according to The Athletic and ESPN.

Wiggins, 25, played an average of 15.7 minutes in 78 games (four starts) last season and shot 49.2 percent from 3-point range. In 198 career games, he averaged 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Joe, who turns 25 on Tuesday, is a deadly 3-point shooter, connecting on better than 41 percent of his treys last season. He averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 78 games (one start) for OKC in 2023-24.

Read: Celtics reward Jayson Tatum with historic five-Year, $314m extension

The Milwaukee Bucks signed veteran guard Delon Wright to a one-year, $3.3 million deal, ESPN reported.

Wright, 32, will join his ninth career team after splitting the 2023-24 season between the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. In 508 career games, coming off the bench in all but 85, Wright has averaged 7.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

Read also: Cavs lock in Donovan Mitchell with 3-Year, $150.3m contract

The Chicago Bulls signed free agent centre Jalen Smith to a three-year, $27 million contract, ESPN reported.

Smith featured in 61 games (starting 14) this past season and averaged 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. In four NBA campaigns split between Phoenix and Indiana, he has averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 boards.

Orlando Magic centre Goga Bitadze. PHOTO: AFP

Orlando Magic centre Goga Bitadze. PHOTO: AFP

The Orlando Magic re-signed centre Goga Bitadze to a three-year, $25 million contract and guard Gary Harris to a two-year, $14 million deal, according to ESPN.

Bitadze, 24, started 33 of his 62 games for Orlando in 2023-24 and averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. He’s put up 4.9 points and 3.4 boards per game in 249 career contests with Indiana and Orlando.

Harris, 29, started 27 of his 54 games last season and averaged 6.9 points per game one year after averaging 8.3 points and shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range in 2022-23. He has career averages of 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 37 percent shooting from deep in 10 NBA seasons split between Denver and Orlando.

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2nd Women’s T20 International: Pakistan beat South Africa by 13 runs

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Multan: Pakistan defeated South Africa by 13 runs in the second Women’s T20 International.

Pakistan Women posted their highest score of 181 in the history of T20 Internationals and defeated South Africa Women by 13 runs in the second match of the T20 series.

Earlier, Pakistan’s highest score in a Women’s T20 International was 177 for five against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in June 2018.

With this win, Pakistan also leveled the three-match series, the third and deciding match of the series will be played on Friday.

In the second match played at the Multan Cricket Stadium, South Africa won the toss and allowed Pakistan to bat first, scoring 181 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs.

The South African team could only score 168 runs for four wickets in reply.

Muniba Ali and Gul Feroza gave Pakistan a 25-run start. Gul Feroza got out for 10 runs with the help of four fours. Muniba Ali batted positively and aggressively but Derrickson ended her brilliant innings of 45 off 34 balls which included six fours and two sixes.

Sidra Amin scored 28 runs with the help of three fours and a six and was bowled by Soane Lease. Nida Dar and captain Fatima Sana managed to add 60 valuable runs in the fourth wicket partnership, Dar scored 29 runs of which four fours were included.

Fatima Sana scored 37 runs with the help of three fours and two sixes while Alia Riaz scored 17 runs with the help of a six and two fours while facing seven balls and remained not out.

In South Africa’s innings, Soane Lees was the top scorer with 53 runs not out with the help of six fours and a six, Chloe Troun scored 30 runs and she also remained not out. Captain Laura Woolwart played an innings of 36 runs.

Sadia Iqbal and Nashera Sindhu took two wickets each.

Fast bowler Tasmiya Rabab replaced skipper Fatima Sana as a connection player.

It is pertinent to note that Fatima Sana was hit in the face by a ball while fielding, Muniba Ali took the lead in her absence.

Muniba Ali also won the player of the match award.

Pakistani team

Muniba Ali, Gul Feroza, Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Fatima Sana, Alia Riaz, Sadaf Shams, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Tobiah and Tooba Hassan Shama.

South Africa

Laura Wollward, Zamin Burts, Anneke Bosch, Nadine De Clerk, Sun Luce, Sinaloa Jafta, Henri Derrickson, Sessions Naidoo, Tami Sukhone, Ayanda Halbi.

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Kings revive iconic look with 2024-25 Classic Edition uniform

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The Sacramento Kings unveiled their Classic Edition jerseys on Monday in celebration of their 40th year in California.

The uniform is a return to their popular purple jersey worn from 2002 to 2008, one of the more successful eras in franchise history. Sacramento had four playoff appearances and three 50-win seasons during that span.

The uniform marked the first time “Sacramento” ran across the chest. It also included the secondary “SK” logo, which was introduced in 1994, but that didn’t feature on a uniform until appearing on the right side of the shorts on this design in 2002.

The Kings had former stars Doug Christie — who is an assistant on coach Mike Brown’s staff — and Mike Bibby help with the unveiling, which came on 916 Day, a nod to Sacramento’s area code. Christie and Bibby appeared in the video posted on social media doing a mock photoshoot and hooping around outside while wearing the uniform set.

“This 2024-25 Classic Edition is more than just a jersey — it’s a tribute to our city and the game we love,” the Kings said in a news release. “It represents our proud history and the unforgettable moments shared on the court.”

Sacramento will wear the uniform eight times at home next season. It will debut against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 24.

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Sources: 49ers RB McCaffrey on IR; out 4 games

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MINNEAPOLIS — The San Francisco 49ers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve with calf soreness and Achilles tendinitis, the team announced Saturday.

McCaffrey must miss at least the next four games — including Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings — and is eligible to return for an Oct. 10 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football,” though that’s not a guarantee.

On Friday, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged for the first time since initially announcing McCaffrey’s injury on Aug. 6 that injured reserve was a real possibility. That came after McCaffrey’s Achilles did not respond well to limited participation in practice Thursday.

“Yesterday was his worst day,” Shanahan said. “It’s on and off, but with yesterday having the most pain. It’s something we’re going to be discussing together in the next 24 hours.”

Those discussions ultimately led to Saturday’s decision to shut McCaffrey down in hopes that the continued flare-ups in the Achilles will settle down. Shanahan has said the hardest part of McCaffrey’s injury has been its unpredictability, with the running back feeling good and practicing some days and then feeling pain on others.

Landing on injured reserve is undoubtedly a disappointment for McCaffrey, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year. As recently as Wednesday, he said he planned to play against the Vikings, explaining that his mindset every week is that he is going to be ready to go even if he is dealing with an injury.

“I hate not playing,” McCaffrey said Wednesday. “But I look at it as a chess move and something that hopefully you can benefit from the rest of the season.”

This IR stint is McCaffrey’s first since joining the 49ers via trade in October 2022. Including the postseason, McCaffrey had missed only one of 33 possible games over the previous two seasons, with the lone miss being a meaningless Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams in which McCaffrey was dealing with a calf injury but both teams were resting starters anyway.

Before arriving in San Francisco, McCaffrey had struggled with injuries as a member of the Carolina Panthers. In 2020 and 2021, McCaffrey played in a combined 10 games, missing games because of a high right ankle sprain, an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, a strained glute and hamstring, and a left ankle sprain.

With McCaffrey out, Jordan Mason will handle the primary running back duties after making the first start of his career last week against the New York Jets. Mason finished with 28 carries for 147 yards, both career highs, and scored a touchdown. It was the most carries in a regular-season game by a Niners player since Shanahan took over in 2017 and the most in a 49ers season opener in franchise history.

Against the Jets, the Niners used wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. as Mason’s main backup. He had eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. Other running back options for the 49ers include rookie Isaac Guerendo and fourth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster and fifth-year veteran Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the practice squad.

The 49ers have yet to replace McCaffrey’s spot on the 53-man roster.

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Dvalishvili wrestles away O’Malley’s title in rout

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LAS VEGAS — Merab Dvalishvili put an emphatic end to “The Suga Show” with a smothering unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley to claim the UFC bantamweight title Saturday night in the main event of Noche UFC at Sphere.

Dvalishvili used constant movement, six takedowns and just over 10 minutes of control time to befuddle and prevent O’Malley from uncorking one of his fight-ending punches. It was a dominant performance that lacked the fireworks fans expected after witnessing a highly produced spectacle of an event.

“I know he was good, but I made him look normal,” said Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC). “I am the best bantamweight in the UFC.”

O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) was making the second defense of his 135-pound title but struggled to find any momentum outside of a few front kicks to the body in the closing minutes. Despite scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47, Dvalishvili was in control for nearly every minute.

Known for his relentless takedowns and unlimited energy, Dvalishvili went to work almost immediately and secured his first takedown three minutes into the fight and tested O’Malley’s resilience. To his credit, O’Malley worked his way back to his feet but was dragged back down to the mat shortly after and found himself trapped in a guillotine.

It was a position O’Malley, 29, hadn’t been in during his UFC tenure. The rangy fighter from Montana was used to dictating fights and has used his devastating knockout power and pinpoint accuracy to snipe the opposition. But Dvalishvili was a constantly moving target O’Malley couldn’t pick up on.

A beautiful duck-under takedown kicked off the second round for Dvalishvili, and he spent much of the round working over the champion with ground and pound. In a surprising moment, Dvalishvili inexplicably released a guillotine choke and walked away with a few seconds left in the round. O’Malley pounced on the opportunity to fire a few punches, but that was all the opportunity he would have.

It was rinse and repeat in Rounds 3 and 4, with O’Malley starting to pick up on the timing but not enough to stop the energetic Georgian from collecting a few more takedowns.

The only real drama came in the final moments when an O’Malley front kick to the midsection appeared to hurt Dvalishvili. With a largely pro-O’Malley crowd urging him on, the colorful combatant sought a fight-ending sequence, but it was too little, too late.

O’Malley didn’t appear at the postfight news conference but addressed his defeat in a short post on his X account, writing, “Over promised, under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys.”

After starting his career in the UFC with consecutive losses, Dvalishvili, 33, has torn through the opposition with 11 consecutive wins and not a single judge seeing a fight in favor of his opponent. Not only was the victory significant for Dvalishvili, but it was just as big for his teammate, former champion Aljamain Sterling, who was knocked out by O’Malley in 2023.

The loss ended O’Malley’s seven-fight unbeaten streak and put a hold on his journey to reach the superstar status of Conor McGregor. Dvalishvili’s first defense of his title will come against the UFC’s undefeated No. 2 ranked bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.

Dvalishvili’s victory capped an event that White had promised would be “the greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen” and was undoubtedly the biggest production in UFC history. Taking place at Sphere, a $2.3 billion venue with a massive 160,000-square-foot interior display plane, the budget for Saturday’s event exceeded $20 million, according to White.

Afterward, White said the promotion “showed everybody tonight what’s possible at the Sphere” and predicted the event would garner a handful of Emmy Awards.

“You can do more than concerts here,” he said. “You just have to do it right.”

White added: “In 30 years, the only thing that changed in boxing was HD. I always like to push the envelope and try to make things better. When new technology comes out, I try to raise the bar because it should be raised.”

Asked about the notion that Saturday’s fights didn’t live up to the spectacle or production value of the event, White said, “You can put up $20 million worth of production, but you can’t control the fights. They are what they are. I cannot let that drive me crazy.”

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