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 .

Miss-and-hit Ibrahimovic grabs point for AC Milan as Juve, Inter also held

Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty before scoring a late equaliser as Serie A leaders AC Milan salvaged a point in a 2-2 Serie A draw against Hellas Verona on Sunday to let rivals Juventus and Inter Milan off the hook after both were held 1-1 in earlier games. "I'll let Franck Kessie take the next one, that would be better," said Ibrahimovic, who has now missed four of the last six penalties he has taken for AC Milan. Stefano Pioli's side are top of Serie A with a two-point advantage on second-placed Sassuolo, who were held to a goalless draw against Udinese on Friday. Champions Juventus drop to fifth, four points behind the leaders after Lazio's Felipe Caicedo scored five minutes into injury time to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo's first-half goal. Inter Milan and Atalanta also shared the spoils in Bergamo after Aleksey Miranchuk scored on his first Serie A start for the hosts to cancel out Lautaro Martinez's header. Milan had the chance to pull four points clear at the top of the table in the final match before the international break. But the leaders were two goals down in the San Siro after Antonin Barak opened the scoring in the sixth minute and Milan defender Davide Calabria bundled into his own goal quarter of an hour later. Ibrahimovic had a chance for the equaliser after 66 minutes, after Verona defender Giangiacomo Magnani's own goal had reduced the deficit for the hosts. But the 39-year-old embarrassingly fired over the crossbar before redeeming himself deep into injury time by heading in his eighth league goal this season. "With so many matches you are not always 100 percent," said the veteran Swedish striker. "It was important not to lose. Thank goodness there is a break now, so I rest a little." Milan avoided a first league defeat after their 24-match unbeaten run was ended with a Europa League loss to Lille during the week. Napoli move third after a Victor Osimhen header sealed a 1-0 win over Bologna. Roma are equal on points with Napoli, both one point ahead of Juventus, after a Henrikh Mkhitaryan hat-trick delivered a 3-1 win at Genoa. - Ronaldo 'crucial' for Juve - Earlier Juventus once again demonstrated how dependent they are on Portuguese star Ronaldo, letting three points slip after he limped off with an ankle injury with 15 minutes to go. "Ronaldo is a crucial player," said Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo. The 35-year-old had scored his sixth goal in four games and had further chances for a second, rattling the post before Pepe Reina tipped a free-kick over the bar. Caicedo, who came on early in the second half, once again had the final word. He picked up a Correa cross and swivelled to fire in the equaliser as Juventus drew for the fourth time in seven league games. Caicedo also scored in the midweek 1-1 Champions League draw at Zenit Saint-Petersburg and the winner in last weekend's 4-3 victory at Torino. "We played like Juventus for 93 minutes and 45 seconds, but then we conceded a goal because we eased off," said defender Leonardo Bonucci who played his 400th game for Juventus. Simone Inzaghi's Lazio, embroiled in coronavirus chaos with star striker Ciro Immobile back in isolation after playing last weekend, are ninth, six points off the leaders. "This team has heart, difficulties are part of our DNA," said Inzaghi. The Roman club are being investigated by the Italian football federation for possible Covid violations after UEFA blocked some players from Champions League games at Club Brugge and Zenit after testing positive. - Inter lack 'killer instinct' - Both Inter and Atalanta missed the chance to close the gap on the leaders days after Champions League defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively. Former Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Miranchuk came off the bench just before the hour and scored 19 minutes later in his first game for the home side. Romelu Lukaku returned from a thigh strain, playing the final quarter of an hour, but could not find a winner for Inter. "We're lacking a bit of the killer instinct to take home games," said coach Antonio Conte, whose side are seventh just behind Atalanta. All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Rumor: Devin Booker wants to leave Suns

Devin Booker said in 2018, “This is probably my last year ever not making the playoffs.” The Suns missed the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 and face a difficult path for making the 2021 playoffs. Ryen Russillo on The Bill Simmons Podcast: The worst-kept secret in the league is Booker already wants out of there. Stars often want to leave losing teams. But does Booker want to leave Phoenix? I’m less convinced. Even more than stars want to leave losing teams, people love to talk about stars leaving losing teams. These assessments can quickly gain momentum with little underlying reason. This rumor sounds mostly circumstantial. Maybe Booker will eventually request a trade. The Suns just had their best season with him. They went 34-39. At some point, Booker surely wants to see more team success. He did his part last season, advancing into a genuine star rather than someone whose dazzling numbers outshined his contributions to winning. Though Booker has (admirably) repeatedly talked about looking in the mirror for improvement, he could eventually pin the blame elsewhere. But Phoenix’s 8-0 bubble performance was encouraging, and Deandre Ayton could be a nice young co-star for Booker. Booker also has four years left on his contract. The Suns, whether or not he loves their methodology, are built around him. It’s difficult to see this situation spiraling into a trade any time soon. But with other teams so interested in prying Booker loose, expect this chatter to continue. The best thing Phoenix can do to silence it: Win. Otherwise, Booker’s desire to reach the playoffs could very well lead to a breakup with the Suns – down the road. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

NBA Rumors: Gordon Hayward wants out of Celtics contract for 2020-21 season

Report: Hayward wants out of Celtics contract for upcoming season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Gordon Hayward's future with the Boston Celtics is getting murkier by the day. Hayward can earn $34.1 million next season by opting into the final year of his Celtics contract, and many assumed he'd take that option in light of the injuries and inconsistencies that have prevented him from reaching his full potential. It sounds like the veteran forward is leaning the other way, though. On Tuesday's episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," The Ringer's Ryen Russillo reported Hayward "does want out" of the final year of his deal. ESPN's Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks recently hinted at some "buzz" that Hayward may opt out and seek a long-term deal with a new team, much like Al Horford did when he spurned the Celtics to sign a four-year, $109 pact with the Philadelphia 76ers. It appears that "buzz" is growing louder. There are logical reasons why Hayward would turn down $34.1 million from the Celtics, one of which is financial: It may benefit the 30-year-old to sign a long-term deal now rather than wait until next offseason, when NBA teams may have less cash to spend after a shortened 2020-21 season. (The 2021 free agent class is set to be historically loaded, as well.) It's also possible Hayward just wants a change in scenery after suffering a rash of injuries that have relegated him to the Celtics' fourth option (at best) behind Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker. As Russillo pointed out, though, Hayward would want some assurance of a long-term deal before jumping ship. "He's not opting out of that huge number unless he knows he's getting the deal," Russillo added. Hayward also is the subject of trade rumors, and with no deadline set for player options, everything is still on the table -- including him taking a page from Horford's book this winter. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .

Cristiano Ronaldo returns from COVID-19, scores twice in Juventus win

Two days after Juventus announced that Cristiano Ronaldo was coronavirus-free after a COVID-19 infection forced him to miss five games, Ronaldo made up for lost time in his return to the field by scoring twice in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Spezia. Ronaldo was diagnosed with COVID last month while on duty with Portugal’s national team. He missed his country’s UEFA Nations League contest against Sweden on Oct. 14, then four straight matches for his club, including last week’s Champions League group stage loss to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona. The 35-year-old forward finally tested negative for the coronavirus on Saturday, but Juve manager Andrea Pirlo opted to start Ronaldo on the bench for Sunday’s Serie A contest following his long spell on the sidelines. With the game tied 1-1 early in the second half, though, Pirlo went straight to the veteran. Just three minutes later, Ronaldo broke the deadlock with the eventual game-winning goal, which he scored after rounding home keeper Ivan Provedel and slotting home Álvaro Morata’s slick through-pass that sent him behind the hosts’ back line: Morata had opened the scoring for Juve early in the first half off an assist by American Weston McKennie. But Tommaso Pobega equalized for Spezia, which is in its first season in Italy’s top flight. Another of Pirlo’s subs, Adrien Rabiot, all but sealed the result when he made it 3-1 with a little more than 20 minutes to play. And when Spezia defender Paolo Bartolomei hacked down Federico Chiesa inside Juve’s penalty area, there was no question about who would step up to take the kick. Ronaldo converted it with aplomb, too, his “panenka” kick settling into the middle portion of the net that Provedel had just vacated by diving to his left: The three points sent Juventus into second place in the Serie A table behind league-leading AC Milan. Ronaldo and Co. now turn their attention to Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Hungarian side Ferencváros. They’ll travel to Rome next weekend to face Lazio, which beat Torino Sunday despite missing several regulars who had also contracted COVID-19. All football stat collect from isports API, for more details, please visit www.isportsapi.com .

If James Wiseman avoids being picked by Timberwolves, how far will he fall?

A recent report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst has a chance to shake up the top of the 2020 NBA Draft, as he revealed on 'The Scoop' podcast that Memphis big man James Wiseman does not want to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who hold the No. 1 overall pick. Wiseman is considered by most to be a top-three prospect in this draft. Whether Minnesota wants him or not, he is on the short-list of players they are likely considering. Wiseman, though, apparently sees too much positional overlap with T'Wolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. It may remind Washington fans of the 2013 draft when Victor Oladipo wouldn't work out with the Wizards because they already had John Wall and Bradley Beal. That can happen in the draft sometimes as top prospects have leverage and naturally want to find the best situation for them to succeed. Wiseman evidently does not see a path to stardom in Minnesota. There are reasons to believe the Timberwolves would be a better situation that Wiseman thinks, though. For one, Towns plays a different style than Wiseman, who is much more interior oriented. Wiseman doesn't have the outside shot of Towns, who is arguably the best three-point shooting big man in the game. On offense, Wiseman could patrol the paint and free up Towns to work the perimeter. The inside-outside combination would be very difficult for teams to defend, especially with D'Angelo Russell handling the ball. With Russell there, you could argue the fit would be worse for LaMelo Ball. It's hard to see how those two could both succeed on the same team as ball-dominant guards. Wiseman should also consider the alternatives. The second overall pick is held by the Warriors who may not have a similar player to him, but might present a difficult situation for a young player. It may be years before he earns a large role in their offense with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson still in their primes. The third pick is held by the Hornets, who would give Wiseman an opportunity to play and be an important part of their rotation. But they don't have nearly as much talent as the Timberwolves do and may be in for a lengthy rebuild. Then it becomes a question of how far is Wiseman willing to fall in the draft to find the perfect situation. Add it all up and maybe he should reconsider his stance. That is, of course, if it even matters, as Georgie's Anthony Edwards appears to be the most likely No. 1 pick. Basketball stat collect from isports API, for more details please visit www.isportsapi.com .