Sports

Myles Turner will join Bucks, who waive Damian Lillard, AP source says, in a free agency surprise

Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year deal to join the Milwaukee Bucks, who waived nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard to make the acquisition happen, according to a person with knowledge of the moves. Turner is agreeing to a deal that ends with a player option, after spending the entirety of his first 10 seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The remaining $112.6 million owed to Lillard will be paid out over the next five seasons via the NBA’s stretch provision, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither move was announced by the clubs involved. In both cases, Achilles tendon injuries played a role in the surprising moves.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to massive 4-year extension with NBA champion Thunder, AP source says

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A person with knowledge of the deal says Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year contract extension. The deal ensures he stays with the NBA champions through the 2030-31 season. The reigning league MVP and Finals MVP will finish his current contract before the supermax extension starts in 2027. Based on salary cap projections, he could earn up to $79 million in the final season, setting a record for the highest single-season salary in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander recently led the Thunder to their first NBA championship, capping a historic season as the league’s scoring champion with a 68-14 record.

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé arrives with team ahead of Club World Cup match against Juventus

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé was seen on the bench ahead of his team’s Club World Cup match against Juventus, clearing the way for the French star to make his tournament debut in the round of 16 after missing the first three games with an illness. Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Monday it was possible Mbappé could play in his first Club World Cup game, and he arrived with the team several hours before the match was set to begin at Hard Rock Stadium. Mbappé had a gastrointestinal illness before Real Madrid’s opening Club World Cup match.

Dolphins are trading with Giants for tight end Darren Waller, who will come out of retirement

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are acquiring Darren Waller from the New York Giants, about a year after the veteran tight end announced his retirement from the NFL. The Dolphins are sending a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Giants for a 2027 seventh-rounder and Waller, who will come out of retirement to play in Miami on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. NFL Network first reported the trade. It comes a day after Miami sent tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

‘The disappointment is huge:’ Cuban women’s volleyball team denied US visa to compete in Puerto Rico

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — The Cuban women’s national volleyball team was denied a chance to play in a tournament in Puerto Rico following the new visa restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Cuban Volleyball Federation said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee, and several coaches, had their visa request denied and will be unable to attend the tournament later this month. National team player Laura Suarez tells The Associated Press that “the disappointment is huge.” Cuba was scheduled to play in the NORCECA Women’s Final Four tournament in Manatí, Puerto Rico. The tournament includes the host nation, Mexico and Costa Rica and it awards ranking points toward qualification for the Volleyball Nations League.

Canucks re-sign Boeser, Rangers land Gavrikov and Devils keep goalie Allen as NHL free agency opens

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed forward Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $50.75 million contract. The deal was announced shortly after the NHL’s free agency period began on Tuesday. Boeser, a six-time 20-goal scorer, was one of the top free agents available in a limited talent pool. The New York Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year deal. The The New Jersey Devils thinned an already small pool of free agent goalies by re-signing Jake Allen to a five-year, $9 million contract. Numerous teams spent the lead up to free agency securing players by taking advantage of a record $7.5 million jump in the NHL’s salary cap.

LPGA giving diversity a new meaning with a record 17 different winners to start the season

The LPGA Tour has never had parity like this to start the year. The first 17 tournaments have produced a different winner every week. That breaks the record of 15 different winners to start the season in 2017 and 1991. The question shifts from when Nelly Korda will win to who’s going to be next? The latest entrants to the 2025 winner’s ledger were Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im of South Korea in the Dow Championship. Korda had six wins at this point a year ago. The American star is still trying to win for the first time this year.

No. 1 Jannik Sinner off to winning start at Wimbledon with rout of Luca Nardi

LONDON (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner got his Wimbledon campaign off to an ideal start by beating Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in an all-Italian matchup. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who lost a five-set French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, is in search of his first Wimbledon title. He was a semifinalist at the All England Club in 2023. Sinner will play Aleksandar Vukic of Australia in the second round.

Soccer ban sparks fears of widening trans exclusion in the UK

LONDON (AP) — The decision by Britain’s highest court to define a woman as someone born biologically female has disrupted soccer for transgender women. The sport’s regulatory body followed the ruling by banning transgender players from women’s teams in England and Scotland. Now players like Natalie Washington fear their opportunity to play the sport they love in the league they want is in doubt. Washington says it’s another blow when transgender people were already hurting. While trans-rights groups condemned the ruling, some feminist groups welcomed it. Not all sporting bodies have followed soccer’s lead, and some soccer teams have found workarounds.

Saudi Arabia’s great soccer experiment is paying off spectacularly at the Club World Cup

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The great Saudi Arabian soccer experiment is on full show at the Club World Cup. The oil-rich kingdom, which is spending billions of dollars to become a major player in the world’s most popular sport, scored a big win on the field Monday when Al Hilal beat Premier League giant Manchester City 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a seismic result in soccer terms; possibly the biggest upset of the tournament and precisely the type of statement Saudi Arabia has wanted to make since embarking on a project that will ultimately see it stage the World Cup in 2034.