Warriors named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of Year

Lakers working on trade for Ariza

WASHINGTON, Dec 10, (RTRS): The three-time NBA champions Golden State Warriors are the fourth team to be honored as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year.

The Warriors join the 1980 US hockey team, the 1999 US Women’s World Cup soccer squad and the 2004 Boston Red Sox as the other team honorees.

Sports Illustrated announced the winner Monday, and editor-in-chief Chris Stone said they have been thinking of some way to honor the Warriors during their run of three titles in four years. He also acknowledged that there were a couple years where Steph Curry has been in the conversation. Los Angeles Lakers are in talks to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Wojnarowski reported Sunday.

According to the report, the main sticking point is finding a third team to complete the deal. The Suns’ desire, according to the report, is “to land a playmaking guard and a draft asset as the price of unloading Ariza.” To that end, Wojnarowski reported, the Lakers are looking to include guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the deal, though it appears he would go to a third team. Caldwell-Pope, 25, has full veto power over a trade per the oneyear, $12 million contract he signed this offseason.

“The Lakers have shown a willingness to work with his agent, Rich Paul, if there’s a deal that might increase his role and possibly get him signed to a deal this summer with a new team,” Wojnarowski reported.

Ariza

Trevor Adrian

The Chicago Bulls are pushing back against head coach Jim Boylen after only three games at the helm, according to multiple published reports.

Bulls players reportedly held a team meeting Sunday instead of taking part in a scheduled practice after back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Chicago held on for a two-point upset win over the Thunder before making history with a franchise worst 56-point loss against Boston.

The team is 1-2 under Boylen, who replaced Fred Hoiberg as head coach earlier this week. Hoiberg was considered to be a players’ coach, while Boylen has not disguised his plans to be a more confrontational and more intense taskmaster on the Bulls’ sidelines.

Boylen made five-player substitutions in a historic loss against the Celtics and said he benched his starters because he wanted them to be fresh for a Sunday practice.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is expected to play Monday night for the first time since Nov 15, according to multiple reports.

Green has missed 11 straight – and 12 of the last 13 – games with a sprained toe on his right foot. Golden State is 6-5 over the 11-game stretch.

The Warriors host the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night.

Green has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 6.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists.