Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox out at least week after spraining ankle

Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox suffered a left ankle sprain in practice Wednesday and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days, the team announced.

Fox was the Kings' leader in points (20.4), assists (6.8) and steals (1.4) prior to the NBA's suspension of play in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, as per iSports NBA data. He recently said that his speedy playing style could help Sacramento surprise some teams in the restart.

Fox's injury was the latest development in what has been a snakebitten restart for Sacramento, which has had four players -- Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Jabari Parker and Alex Len -- test positive for COVID-19 before training camp. A fifth player, center Richaun Holmes, inadvertently left the campus perimeter in Orlando, Florida, and had to go back into quarantine for 10 days.

The Kings play their first of three scrimmages on July 22 against the Miami Heat. They play their first of eight "seeding" games July 31 against the San Antonio Spurs.

According to iSports basketball API, after going 7-3 in its last 10 games before the March hiatus, Sacramento is 3½ games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. At the conclusion of the seeding games, the team that is in ninth place can force a play-in with the eighth-place team so long as the No. 9 team is within four games. The No. 9 team would have to beat the No. 8 team two games in a row to earn a first-round playoff berth. The No. 8 team would have to win just once to keep its place in the postseason.

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Marcus Rashford to make history with honorary degree

Marcus Rashford is enjoying an excellent season on the pitch but has become even more influential off of it in recent months.

The Manchester United and England forward has been working to feed some of Britain’s most vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic, according to iSports football API.

As well as working with FareShare to help distribute 3.9 million meals, it was pressure from Rashford that saw the British government overturn a decision not to feed disadvantaged kids over the summer.

Food vouchers redeemed during the school year were set to stop over the summer holidays, until Rashford spoke up.

His efforts are now set to be recognised by the University of Manchester, it was announced on Wednesday.

Just 22, Rashford will become the youngest  ever recipient of an honorary degree from the university, as per iSports API football data.

Rashford will follow in the footsteps of United legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton in receiving his honorary degree from the city’s university.

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Nuggets star Nikola Jokic clears quarantine in NBA's Orlando bubble

It took longer than the Denver Nuggets were expecting, but All-Star center Nikola Jokic cleared quarantine and joined his team to watch Tuesday night's practice in Orlando, Florida.

Jokic still has to undergo physical testing by the Nuggets before he is cleared to practice, as per iSports API basketball data. But while talking to reporters for the first time since the season came to a halt in March, the Nuggets' franchise player was in a light-hearted mood, clearly excited to be in Orlando.

Jokic had to go through quarantines in Serbia and the United States, had multiple tests to produce negative results and endured travel issues after testing positive for coronavirus while he was in Serbia.

Jokic said the positive test came as a surprise, since he was feeling asymptomatic at the time, in late June, when he tested prior to when he was scheduled to fly back to Denver.

Jokic did not fly with the Nuggets on their team flight to Orlando because of travel issues. Once at the Walt Disney World Resort, players have to quarantine for up to 48 hours and test negative two more times if they fly privately to Orlando, per NBA mandate. If a player flies commercially to Orlando, he must have three consecutive negative tests before resuming basketball activities.

The Nuggets remain short-handed as Malone said the team is awaiting two negative tests on some members of the team travel list who did not accompany the team to Orlando.

But the Nuggets have their biggest piece with them. Jokic raised eyebrows during the NBA hiatus when photos of his leaner physique went viral. He said he is in the same shape -- give or a take three to five pounds -- that he was in when the Nuggets last played, on March 11.

Jokic -- who averaged 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.1 steals in the playoffs last season to help the Nuggets fall one win short of making the Western Conference finals -- said he is not allowed to reveal his current playing weight due to team policy.

According to iSports basketball API, last year during his breakout postseason, Jokic said he preferred his playing weight at about 275-280 pounds so that he can bang inside against big centers.

Opponents might not be laughing if a leaner and lighter frame means a more potent Jokic. As per iSports NBA data, Jokic is averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2. steals for the third-place Nuggets (43-22).

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Former United defender Antonio Valencia offered to Flamengo

Flamengo have a reputation of bringing in the big names and a former Manchester United defender has reportedly been offered to the South American champions.

According to various livescore sources in Brazil, Antonio Valencia’s representatives have been in touch with Flamengo, Corinthians, Internacional, São Paulo, and Palmeiras.

According to iSports football API provider, the 34-year-old is now a free agent after terminating his contract with Ecuadorian giants LDU Quito earlier in the month.

Valencia only joined LDU Quito last summer after spending a decade at Manchester United, winning nine trophies including the 2011 and 2013 Premier League titles and the 2017 Europa League crown.

There have been no official offers for the player, who can be utilised anywhere on the right side of the pitch, though he still mainly plays right-back.

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Manchester United open to selling 6 players in the summer transfer window

Manchester United will certainly be busy players in this summer’s transfer market and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will do everything he can to have a bloated transfer kitty this summer.

According to iSports football API, United consider Alexis Sánchez, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard, and Diogo Dalot dispensable and will listen to offers for the players.

There’s no doubt that Solskjaer and United’s number one priority this summer is Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho and there have been several reports that have indicated United’s net spend this summer will be around £50m.

Offloading Alexis Sánchez will be critical to United’s summer business as they will attempt to bring in €20m (£18m) for the player and, more importantly, getting rid of a weekly wage of roughly £500,000-a-week (Inter are believed to be paying 40 per cent).

So far, as per iSports football database, Inter have only been willing to cough up around €10-12m (about £9-11m) for Alexis, who has impressed as of late, contributing a total of two goals and seven assists in just 574 Serie A minutes.

Meanwhile, United have also placed the same €20m (£18m) asking price on Smalling, who has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts at Roma and is a fixture in Paulo Fonseca’s starting XI.

Recent reports have claimed Roma have offered United €14m (including bonuses) for Smalling and have also attempted to extend the 30-year-old’s loan by a further 12 months.

Rojo has been on loan at Estudiantes in his native Argentina and his agent claimed last week he has likely played his last game for United, with Estudiantes and Boca Juniors keen on a permanent deal.

Dalot has only featured for 65 minutes in the Premier League this season, according to iSports livescore API, and has become their third-choice option at right-back, just two years after his £19m arrival from Porto.

Lingard’s demise has been well documented and it’s no surprise he’s on this list, while Phil Jones, despite signing an extension until 2023 last February, is clearly out-of-favour and has made just two PL appearances all season.

Last week, the Independent claimed that David Moyes is interested in reuniting with Jones and Lingard with West Ham, should the Hammers survive relegation.

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Manchester United provides update after Luke Shaw’s injury

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the news on Luke Shaw following his injury vs Southampton, as per iSports football API.

The English defender could only watch on helplessly while his teammates fell to the 2-2 result in the last minutes of the match.

Shaw had to be substituted with Brandon Williams taking his place only to, later on, get substituted himself.

Both left-backs suffered injuries with Fred having to see out the rest of the match as a left-back as United were reduced to ten men.

According to iSports football data, Shaw has been in fine form for Solskjaer’s side this season but unfortunately his proneness to injury has let him down once more.

Hopefully when the smoke clears fans will get a clearer idea of the extent of the injury but Solskjaer did confirm it is in fact an injury and not just a small knock.

Shaw tried to run off his injury after he initially felt pain in his ankle but was soon taken off the field so hopefully, that won’t mean he will be absent for long.

During the match, it had appeared as though he had rolled his ankle and it wasn’t an impact injury so there should be good news.

The problem with Shaw being out is that Williams’ injury was arguably worse as he looked to have a concussion, leaving Manchester United with no natural left-backs.

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Rockets' Russell Westbrook tests positive for coronavirus

Houston Rockets star guard Russell Westbrook announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus before the team departed for Walt Disney World, according to iSports basketball API.

Westbrook, co-star James Harden and recent addition Luc Mbah a Moute did not travel with the Rockets to Orlando, Florida.

The NBA announced coronavirus test results Monday. Of 322 players tested since arriving in the Orlando bubble, two were positive and have left the campus to isolate at home or in isolation housing. The league said that since July 1, 19 players have tested positive, as per iSports NBA data.

Coach Mike D'Antoni said Sunday he hoped all three of his affected players would be able to arrive at the NBA bubble in Disney World within three or four days. The Rockets had declined to specify a reason for the players' absence.

The players will have to quarantine in their rooms for 48 hours after their arrival before practicing with the Rockets.

D'Antoni said the three players were working out "at their home bases," and he expressed optimism that their delayed arrivals wouldn't have a significant impact on the Rockets, particularly once the playoffs begin.

With iSports NBA API, the Rockets are also without forward Bruno Caboclo, who inadvertently broke the initial quarantine period, and must remain in his room for eight more days before joining team activities.

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