Report: Marc Gasol signs with Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement to sign free agent center Marc Gasol, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 35-year-old Spaniard was said to be a top priority for the Toronto Raptors who also lost Serge Ibaka to the Los Angeles Clippers over the weekend. However, much like with Ibaka, the Raptors had the option to offer the most money but decided instead to maintain their financial flexibility. The Lakers also freed up their books by salary dumping JaVale McGee to accommodate the addition of Gasol as they continue to stockpile in pursuit of their title defense. Gasol was the final piece of the championship puzzle for the Raptors after arriving at the trade deadline in 2019. He was the glue that held the team together on both ends, with his three-point shooting creating space in the paint, his passing to unlock stiffer defenses, and his indispensable rim protection that came in handy against Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Gasol happily accepted his role as the fifth option despite being a perennial All-Star with the Memphis Grizzlies, but when it came time to party during the championship parade, Gasol was undoubtedly the star of the show. Gasol also stretched himself to the limit by competing in the FIBA World Cup shortly after winning the title. He was nothing short of sensational and led Spain to the gold medal to cap off his championship summer. However, the consequence of that was an inconsistent season with the Raptors where he battled a lingering hamstring issue, while losing all appetite for scoring. Even simple plays seemed to elude Gasol at times, although he remained as dominant as ever on the defensive end. Ultimately, with Gasol being in the twilight of his career, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his brother Pau Gasol and join the Lakers. Marc was actually drafted by the Lakers over a decade ago, but before he could put on the purple and gold, he was traded to Memphis for his brother. In that sense, Marc now gets to complete his NBA journey by going full circle, and he has a great shot at picking up a second title in the process. After the Gasol signing was announced, the Raptors added free agent center Aron Baynes from the Phoenix Suns on a two-year, $14-million deal, while also re-signing Chris Boucher to a 2-year, $13-million contract. It’s a downgrade from Gasol and Serge Ibaka, but as temporarily placeholders, the Raptors should still get by and compete. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Lakers have no plans to become complacent

The goal is to repeat as champions and have sustained success, which is why Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka acquired point guard Dennis Schroder from Oklahoma City and it is why he will continue to scour the free-agent market, look at other trade scenarios and push to retain his core players that were central to the franchise winning its NBA record-tying 17th championship. Getting Schröder for Danny Green and the 28th pick (Jaden McDaniels) in Wednesday night’s NBA draft was the first step Pelinka took in his quest for the Lakers to win again. The next steps for Pelinka are to get Anthony Davis re-signed to a deal after the forward opted out and to decide which other free agents from the team the Lakers will re-sign. “Like this is just a group of guys that fit, that worked together and we’d love to keep our core as close as we can,” Pelinka said during a video call with reporters Thursday morning. “But if there’s opportunities to get better and to address needs like we did with Dennis, we’ll take advantage of those.” Besides Davis opting out to become a free agent, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley all opted out of their deals and became free agents. Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris, key role players for the Lakers last season, are free agents and both sides have strong interest in linking up again. The Lakers announced Thursday that they had declined the option on reserve guard Quinn Cook, making him a free agent. His non-guaranteed contract for $3 million did allow him to get $1 million on his way out. Center JaVale McGee opted into his contract for $4.2 million. Teams can start free-agent negotiations Friday at 3 p.m. PST and they can sign players Sunday starting at 9:01 a.m. PST. The Lakers are projected to have the mid-level exception of $9.2 million, the biannual exception of $3.6 million and the veteran minimum at their disposal to lure free agents. One prominent name who remains interested in the Lakers is free-agent wing player Wesley Matthews. ”Our approach will be to be aggressive,” Pelinka said. “I think there’s a handful of teams that probably hope to contend or be in a position to contend. We’re not gonna just sit back and not expect others who are in position to try to better their roster or better their teams. So we have to stay aggressive. “I think the danger of winning is complacency, and I won’t … we won’t allow that to creep in here. We’re gonna try to improve our team and put coach [Frank] Vogel and his staff in the best possible position to defend. And our owner Jeanie Buss has given us all the resources at hand to do that. So be aggressive and make sure we increase that probability as high as we possibly can to get No. 18.” Most NBA executives believe Davis, who opted out of deal that would have paid him $28.7 million this season, will return to the Lakers. Caldwell-Pope wants to return, but he’s looking for a raise from the $8.4 million he was due to earn next season. Rondo has drawn interest from the Clippers and Atlanta Hawks, but he could return to Lakers now that Bradley opted out. Forward Kyle Kuzma is eligible for a contract extension, but most executives don’t believe he’ll get one this season. “I think it’s easy to fall into complacency when you win a title and to just say, ‘Hey, let’s just run it back,’” Pelinka said. “But at the same time, I think my school of thinking is always let’s find ways we can become even better, every offseason let’s get better. I think we never want to just settle, and I think this was an opportunity to get better. It’s hard to lose a player like Danny. He was an ultimate professional and really filled a great role for us and played well. But overall, we just feel like this addition of a younger player to our core and for the future was something that we couldn’t pass on.” Schröder, 27, averaged 18.9 points per game, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds for the Thunder last season. He led the league in scoring off the bench and finished second in voting for the NBA’s sixth man of the year. “I think in canvasing the league and doing research around a player like him, it comes back that Dennis is a player that other teams hate to play against but his teammates love to play with because he has that kind of nasty tenacity, grit and that’s really at the center of how we play and we win,” Pelinka said. “And so, he really folds in perfectly to that. And then I think he gives us offensively just another elite playmaker both on the ball or on the ball in the pick-and-roll situation or off the ball as a scorer. So he really just fits us perfectly.” This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Rockets' James Harden turned down max extension, focused on trade to Nets: report

James Harden has made it clear to the Rockets front office that he wants out of Houston by turning down the chance to become the first player in NBA history to make $50 million a year, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi reported on Monday. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Lakers star Anthony Davis turns down player option, will become free agent

Anthony Davis is officially becoming a free agent. The Los Angeles Lakers star declined his $28.7 million player option on Sunday night, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, and will become an unrestricted free agent. The deadline for players to decide on player options for the 2020-21 season is on Monday. Will Anthony Davis stay with the Lakers? Though the news might be shocking to some, considering the success both he and the Lakers had last year, it was something that was generally expected. Davis had one year left on his five-year, $127 million deal that he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016, though had an option to become a free agent this offseason and forgo that final season. While he can land anywhere, it’s likely that he will simply sign a new deal with the Lakers once free agency signings begin on Nov. 22. The former No. 1 overall draft pick averaged 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds last season while leading the Lakers to their 17th NBA title. "I had a great time in L.A. this first year," Davis said last month. "This has been nothing but joy, nothing but amazement. Over the next couple of months, we'll figure it out. I mean, I'm not 100 percent sure, but that's why my agent [Rich Paul] is who he is, and we'll discuss it and figure it out."

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Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah positive for coronavirus

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian soccer star and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Egyptian soccer association said on Twitter on Friday, on the eve of the game against Togo. Salah, who has so far shown no symptoms of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, was immediately isolated in his hotel room, Egypt's national team said. The Premier League Golden Boot recipient had recently arrived in his home country to join the national soccer team, the country's beloved Pharaohs, in the two upcoming games of the latest round of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Egypt is set to face Togo in Cairo on Saturday, and in Togo’s capital, Lome, on Tuesday. All those who were exposed to him have also been quarantined, added the Egyptian team’s statement. The statement did not name any of the players. It was also unclear if any other players would miss out on the games with Togo. Later, a statement tweeted by the Egyptian Football Association said another round of tests will be taken by three players from the Egyptian and the Togo teams who had tested positive in the first round. Photographs and videos of Salah — in some of the images, without a face mask to protect against the virus — dancing among dozens of people at his brother’s wedding, held earlier this week in Cairo, have gone viral on the social media over the past days. Salah was the first Egyptian player to become a Premier League champion — global stardom gained on the strength of a single brilliant season with Liverpool, which he joined in 2018 from Roma — and is beloved among fellow Egyptians who see him as a sign of hope for a third-world country battered by poverty and years of political turmoil. His international success has also been hailed by the country’s authoritative government. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers resumed on Wednesday after almost an eight-month suspension due to the global pandemic. All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Report: Russell Westbrook wants to leave Rockets

Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook wants to leave the team, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.

The news arrives on the heels of a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon that both Westbrook and James Harden share concerns about the future of the franchise. Both former MVP guards have expressed their concerns with team management and their agents, according to the report. Offseason tumult follows early playoff exit The Rockets lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the second round of the playoffs and have undergone a significant management shakeup this offseason. Head coach Mike D’Antoni resigned shortly after the end of Houston’s season in September. Longtime general manager Daryl Morey left the team a month later. Both have taken new jobs since. D’Antoni joined Steve Nash’s coaching staff with the Brooklyn Nets while Morey joined the Philadelphia 76ers as head of basketball operations. Houston Rockets' P.J. Tucker, left, and Russell Westbrook sit on the bench in the closing minutes of a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Russell Westbrook, right, is reportedly concerned about the direction of the franchise. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) More Rockets brass claims to be ‘all in’ The Rockets promoted longtime assistant general manager Rafael Stone to replace Morey. Veteran assisant and first-time NBA head coach Stephen Silas replaced D’Antoni. Stone told the Houston Chronicle last week that the Rockets remain “all in” on seeking a championship with the core built around Harden and Westbrook. “We’re still all in,” Stone told the Chronicle. “Our goal is to win a championship. We’ll do anything we can to get us closer to that goal. ... “In our situation, lots of [other teams] want our players. That’s a great place to be. You have to make sure if you do something, it makes you better. I’m very optimistic the team is going to be very competitive.” Tough sell for Westbrook Westbrook appears to be unconvinced. Harden, meanwhile, remains committed and is “locked in” for the season, per Charania. A team that was built around Harden’s talents implementing Morey’s vision and D’Antoni’s small-ball scheme is now under new management in a loaded Western Conference. It’s difficult to see a path for this core to get out of the Western Conference. Westbrook has three years remaining on a five-year, $207 million extension he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the trade that brought him to Houston last season. He has a player option for the 2022-23 season. If he wants out now, it’s going to be on the Rockets’ terms. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Arsenal vs Aston Villa prediction: How will the Premier League fixture play out tonight?

Arsenal host Aston Villa on Sunday evening with the Gunners in a buoyant mood following their win at Old Trafford a week ago. A penalty from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended Arsenal’s abysmal run of 29 league games without a win away at top-six opposition. However, Aston Villa are hoping to win consecutive league games against the Gunners for the first time since 1998. Emi Martinez returns to north London following his summer move to Villa, and he’ll be tasked with keeping the likes of Aubameyang and co. quiet. Here’s everything you need to know before the match. When is it? The fixture will kick-off at 7:15pm GMT at the Emirates Stadium. How can I watch it? The match will be televised on Sky Sports Box Office on a pay-per-view basis. What is the team news? Mikel Arteta will welcome back Thomas Partey, Gabriel and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the starting side after earning a rest for the Europa League. Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli both remain out, while Reiss Nelson may not be fit in time for Sunday. Dean Smith will be without Bertrand Traore, who suffered a groin injury in the home defeat to Southampton. The summer signing may return to action after the international break, alongside Tom Heaton. Wesley is out whilst Kortney Hause is a doubt for the trip to north London. Predicted line-ups Arsenal: Leno, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Bellerin, Thomas, Elneny, Saka, Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish, Watkins Odds Arsenal: 4/6 Draw: 3/1 Aston Villa: 4/1 Prediction Arsenal defeated Man United a week ago in what was a statement victory. It is refreshing to see the Gunners compete with the top sides again, but their form against teams that they should beat has slipped. Aston Villa could get a goal or two here on the counter, but Arsenal do have the best defensive record in the league. 2-0 Arsenal. This weekend get a £10 free bet with Betfair, when you bet £10 on a Same Game Multi on the Premier League. Terms: Min £10 Same Game Multi bet on any EPL match this Fri - Sun. Free bet valid for 72 hours, awarded at bet settlement. Excludes cashed out bets. T&Cs apply. All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com .