Cavs, Suns reportedly eyeing Spurs’ Leonard

Puma inks Ayton

Bartolo Colon #40 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 18, in Kansas

City, Missouri. (AFP)

WASHINGTON, June 19, (RTRS): LeBron James can return to free agency by opting out of the final year of his contract in the next two weeks. With the clock ticking for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team reached out to the San Antonio Spurs to inquire about Kawhi Leonard’s availability via trade, per Cleveland.com.

A separate report from The Athletic linked the Phoenix Suns to Leonard. However, the Arizona Republic said any interest from Suns general manager Ryan McDonough would not include trading the No. 1 overall pick in this week’s draft.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Leonard is determined to play elsewhere despite an Express-News report earlier that said a plan was in place for the All-Star to sit down and discuss “any issues or concerns Leonard may have.” Per ESPN, Leonard was supposed to meet with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich this week to resolve tension that arose during the All-Star’s lengthy absence last season due to quadriceps tendinopathy. The two have reportedly had conversations, but haven’t met in person.

An ESPN report said Leonard has his eye on playing in Los Angeles, preferably for the Lakers. It added that the Boston Celtics — who made trade overtures for Leonard before the trade deadline — are expected to be a major suitor.

Leonard

Puma is making a major play to get back in the world of basketball, and the company took a big step by inking possible No. 1 overall draft pick DeAndre Ayton to an endorsement deal.

Ayton, who is considered the favorite to be the Suns’ choice with the first overall pick in Thursday’s draft,

Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman hits a game-winning double to score two runs against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of a baseball

game on June 18, in Houston. The Astros won 5-4. (AP)

to homer in a game played before he made his major league debut. Huh? The 19-year-old Soto was called up from the minors for the first time five days after Game 1 started on May 15; it picked back up at 3-all and the Nationals about to bat in the bottom of said part of the company’s appeal to him was its presence in the Caribbean, where Puma-signed stars Usain Bolt (Jamaica) and Rihanna (Barbados) are from, and where Ayton (Bahamas) was born and lived until age 12.

Michael Porter Jr is willing to accept invitations for workouts with NBA teams unconvinced the former Missouri forward has overcome health concerns.

Last week, Porter canceled a second pro day workout designed to show teams his physical progress. Porter said Monday in an ESPN Radio interview that reports about his health following the cancellation were overblown, adding he’s good to go physically and willing to showcase his health to any team that asks.

Rudy Gay will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Spurs to enter free agency, according to an ESPN report.

Gay was scheduled to earn $8.8 million in 2018-19.

Entering his 13th season, Gay turns 32 in August. He played primarily off the bench last season for the first time in his career, averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 57 games (six starts).

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford declined a $4.5 million player option for next season and will become a free agent in July, according to a Yahoo Sports report.

Crawford joined the Timberwolves last season after considering returning to the Los Angeles Clippers while also drawing interest from the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

The 38-year-old averaged 10.3 points per game in 20.7 minutes per game with Minnesota last season. the sixth. After Bryce Harper — who had a full beard back on May 15, when the game began, but was clean-shaven this time — struck out, and Anthony Rendon singled, Soto drove a 97 mph fastball from Chad Green (4-1) to the back of the second deck in right field.

Rangers 6, Royals 3 In Kansas City, Mo, Bartolo Colon earned his 244th win, passing Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for the most by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic, and Texas beat skidding Kansas City.

Adrian Beltre hit a three-run homer for the Rangers, who won their third straight game. The 45-year-old Colon (4-4) allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings to break a tie with Marichal on the career wins chart.

Only right-hander Dennis Martinez has more victories among pitchers from Latin America. Martinez, a native of Nicaragua, won 245 games in the majors.

Ian Kennedy (1-7) is 1-13 in his last 28 home starts. The Royals have lost seven straight and 13 of 14. They’ve dropped 27 of 37 games at Kauffman Stadium, the worst home record in the majors. Kansas City is 2-14 in June, having been outscored 95-35.

Indians 6, White Sox 2 In Cleveland, Trevor Bauer shut out Chicago for seven innings before a rain delay ended his night, and Jason Kipnis homered to lead Cleveland over the sliding and sloppy White Sox.

Bauer (6-5) allowed just three hits, struck out eight and was in line to potentially pitch his first shutout. However, the game was halted by rain in the seventh inning for 35 minutes, and manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander following the delay and 100 pitches.

Roberto Perez drove in two runs off Dylan Covey (3-2) as Cleveland improved to 15-4 in its last 19 home games against Chicago.

The White Sox committed three errors — one by Covey — in the first three innings, lost their fifth straight and dropped a season-high 23 games under .500.

Mets 12, Rockies 2 In Denver, Brandon Nimmo homered twice during a huge night at the plate, including an inside-the-park shot to begin the game, and New York finally gave Jacob deGrom some run support in a victory over.

Wilmer Flores and Devin Mesoraco also went deep for New York, which won its their third straight. Nimmo had four hits and set a career high with four RBIs — one night after his go-ahead, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning staved off defeat for the Mets and rallied them to a win at Arizona.

After pitching in terrible luck for weeks as New York’s hitters slumped, deGrom (5-2) got some help at last. He allowed two runs — one earned — in eight innings to snap a two-game skid and win for the first time in six starts since May 18 against the Diamondbacks.

Phillies 6, Cardinals 5 In Philadelphia, left fielder Marcell Ozuna dived for and missed Aaron Altherr’s two-run double with two outs in the 10th inning, allowing Philadelphia to rally past St. Louis.

Tommy Pham hit a solo homer in the top of the 10th, one inning after a wild pitch on a strikeout kept the game going. But the Phillies rallied.

Rhys Hoskins hit a bloop single to start the bottom of the 10th off Matt Bowman (0-2). Odubel Herrera dived headfirst into first to seemingly beat out an infield single, but the play was overturned by a video review. After Carlos Santana was intentionally walked, Bowman struck out Jesmuel Valentin.

Altherr then hit a sinking liner that appeared to skip off Ozuna’s glove before bouncing to the wall.

Pirates 1, Brewers 0 In Pittsburgh, Trevor Williams pitched one-hit ball over seven innings and two Pittsburgh relievers closed out a two-hitter against Milwaukee.

Williams (6-4) struck out seven and walked two for his first victory in a month. Jordy Mercer drove in the lone run with a seventh-inning double, and the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games.

The Brewers entered the day leading the NL Central but suffered their third straight loss.

Diamondbacks 7, Angels 4 In Anaheim, Calif, Paul Goldschmidt hit an early two-run homer and Zack Greinke pitched seven-hit ball into the seventh inning of Arizona’s 12th victory in 16 games in June.

Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed also homered and Jeff Mathis had a tworun double for the Diamondbacks, who opened a two-game interleague set with their ninth win in 11 games. Jarrod Dyson had an RBI single, and the center fielder also leaped to take away a possible game-tying grand slam from Justin Upton in the seventh inning.

Upton and Albert Pujols hit backto-back homers in the fourth for the Angels, who have lost seven of eight to fall well out of playoff position in the AL.

Marlins 5, Giants 4 In San Francisco, Miguel Rojas followed Lewis Brinson’s RBI single with a go-ahead base hit as Miami rallied in the ninth inning and overcame an early four-run deficit to beat San Francisco.

Hunter Strickland (3-3), San Francisco’s second reliever, blew his fourth save in 17 chances. He walked Brian Anderson to begin the ninth then surrendered J.T. Realmuto’s RBI double.

Tayron Guerrero (1-2) pitched the eighth before Kyle Barraclough closed out the 2-hour, 47-minute game for his third save as Giants fans booed the home team.

Wilmer Difo #1 of the Washington Nationals tags out Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees trying to steal second base in the fifth inning during Game Two of a doubleheader at Nationals Park on June 18, in Washington,

DC. (AFP)