Like most other teams, Kevin Durant is the Boston Celtics’ No. 1 target this offseason. But Durant can only sign with one team, and there are over 100 free agents available at 12:01 ET on Friday, so naturally teams have a multitude of backup options. Atlanta Hawks center is seemingly the consensus No. 2 option across the board, and the Celtics reportedly are one of several teams who will court him when he hits the market — especially because Durant reportedly would like to play with him. The C’s reportedly have been interested in the big man for several months. They didn’t want to give up core assets to acquire him last February
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NBA Free Agency Rumors: Joakim Noah Likely Will Sign With Knicks For $18M Per Year
The New York Bulls, ahem, we mean Knicks, are making some big moves. The Knicks likely will sign Chicago Bulls center and soon-to-be free agent Joakim Noah to a deal worth around $ 18 million per year, sources told The Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps late Wednesday night. The projected length of the deal and exact dollar amounts have not been reported. While free agency doesn’t officially begin until Friday, other NBA teams also appear to believe Noah will join former teammate Derrick Rose in New York. Noah only played in 29 games last season due to injuries. He averaged 4.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during his shortened 2015-16...
NHL Free Agency Rumors: Eric Staal Drawing Interest From ‘3 Or 4 Teams’
Eric Staal is one of the better free agent centers available to sign July 1. He’s a tier below Steven Stamkos, of course, but the former Stanley Cup champ still would be a nice addition to a contending team. Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported Tuesday the amount of teams showing interest in Staal and where his expectations are at. Staal tallied 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 83 games between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers last season, and he drove puck possession well with a 55.83 Corsi For percentage at even strength. He’d be a good second-line center for a team lacking depth and skill down the middle. Staal also could
Ex-Red Sox Farmhand Involved In Huge Bench-Clearing Brawl At Triple-A
Jeremy Hazelbaker’s 2016 season has been unlike any other in his professional career. First, Hazelbaker made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals after not sniffing the bigs in any of his previous seven seasons since being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round in 2009. Then, the 28-year-old tossed in a minor league fight for good measure. Hazelbaker charged the mound Monday night during a Triple-A game between the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals affiliate) and New Orleans Zephyrs (Miami Marlins affiliate) after Jose Urena fired a pitch at his head. Urena responded by throwing a punch at the Redbirds outfielder, kicking...
John Farrell Holds Team Meeting After Red Sox’s Frustrating Loss To Rays
It appears John Farrell has seen enough. The Boston Red Sox manager witnessed his team suffer an ugly 13-7 loss Monday night to a Tampa Bay Rays team that hadn’t won a game in its previous 11 tries. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez gave up nine runs in just 2 2/3 innings, the Red Sox didn’t plate a run until the fourth and Boston’s bullpen allowed four runs. Immediately after that debacle at Tropicana Field, Farrell called his team together for a meeting and delivered a simple message. “The bottom line is, (Rodriguez) is capable of more. We’re capable of more,” the Red Sox manager told reporters after the game, as aired on NESN’s...
Lionel Messi Retires From International Soccer Amid Copa America Heartbreak In 2016
Say it ain’t so, Lionel Messi. The soccer superstar seemingly announced his retirement from international duty Sunday in the aftermath of Argentina’s loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final. Messi told reporters after the game he no longer wants to play for his country, as the pain of losing has become unbearable. “It’s a very hard moment for me to think about what happened,” Messi said, according to ESPN. “In the locker room after the game I thought the national team is over for me, this is not for me…” Messi played all 120 minutes in the final and missed his chance to score in the penalty-kick shootout. “It’s w...
USA-Colombia Copa America Live: Score, Highlights, Analysis Of Third-Place Game
Like all good things, the United States men’s national soccer team’s journey at Copa America 2016 must come to an end. Team USA’s result and performance against Colombia will determine whether its participation in the summer of soccer ends on a high or low note. The teams meet Saturday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., in the Copa America Centenario Third Place game. The U.S. and Colombia still are feeling the disappointment which stems from their losses to Argentina and Chile, respectively, in the semifinals. How well each team reacts to defeat and restores its confidence likely will determine whether they end Copa America 201...