Raptors add pair of new assistant coaches

Chris Finch and Jama Mahlalela joined Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse's staff on Friday as assistant coaches.

Finch spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans, including last season as associate head coach. He was an assistant with the Denver Nuggets (2016-17) and Houston Rockets (2011-16) before joining the Pelicans.

Mahlalela has coached Raptors 905 in the NBA G League for the past two seasons, compiling a 51-42 record. He was an assistant with Toronto for five seasons (2014-18) before moving to the G League team.

In a corresponding move, the team announced that Patrick Mutombo will replace Mahlalela as the head coach for Raptors 905. Brittni Donaldson and John Bennett will join Mutombo's staff.

The NBA won't randomly test players for marijuana during the 2020-21 season.

“Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” league spokesman Mike Bass said.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports in May 2019, commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA down the road might change its policy on marijuana, which calls for a $25,000 fine for a second positive test, followed by suspensions for three or more violations.

“Clearly, to the extent it has medicinal qualities, those are things that we should be looking at,” Silver said. “Where it's in terms of pain relief, of course. And that's something that's being studied, not just by us. The NFL recently announced they're studying that issue, as well. And we should look at it.”

The Diamond League said on Friday it plans to return to a full track and field competition format next year, with a complete program of 32 disciplines — if the global health situation allows it.

A new format was introduced for the 2020 season with the number of events trimmed down to 24 in an effort to create a faster-paced meet that's more palatable to TV viewers.

But the Diamond League said it would reinstate, among other events, the triple jump, discus, 200 metres, 3,000-metre steeplechase and 5,000 metres in 2021.

The Diamond League said a total of US$7 million in prize money would be awarded in 2021, which will feature 13 meets in 12 countries.