NBA APPROVES DRAFT LOTTERY AND RULES FOR RESTING PLAYERS
YORK» NBA owners passed rules NEW
Thursday designed to prevent healthy players from sitting out games, and teams from losing games on purpose to improve their draft position.
Under the new draft lottery rules, the teams with the three worst records will all have 14 percent odds to land the No. 1 pick when the changes are implemented with the 2019 draft.
The team with the worst record previously had 25 percent odds to win the lottery and could fall to the No. 4 spot in the draft. Now that team call tumble all the way to fifth.
The lottery changes were to discourage tanking, the practice of losing games on purpose in an effort to improve draft odds. The Philadelphia 76ers relied on the tactic heavily in recent years and the league felt it needed to step in and urge teams to always be competitive.
Also Thursday, the Board of Governors voted to allow commissioner Adam Silver to fine teams who violate the league’s new guidelines about resting players. Teams can’t sit healthy players for high-profile, nationally televised games, and fines for violating that can be for at least $100,000.
The rules also say that unless there are unusual circumstances, teams should not rest multiple healthy players for the same game or rest healthy players when playing on the road.
• Silver also said he expects players to stand for the national anthem, which is a league rule.
Prosecutors make closing arguments against Morrises.
PHOENIX» Prosecutors urged a jury to convict NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris of assault charges for their role in the 2015 beating of a former acquaintance in a case that has delayed the start of their season as they stand trial in a Phoenix courtroom with training camps now underway.
Prosecutor Daniel Fisher said Marcus Morris kicked the victim in the head and Markieff Morris acted as an accomplice because “they had an axe to grind” with the man who was beaten.
The Morris brothers face the possibility of prison time and discipline from the NBA if convicted.
• LeBron James turned his left ankle during practice Wednesday night, his first workout with newly signed teammate Dwyane Wade.
A Cavaliers spokesman said James had X-rays, which were negative. The three-time NBA champion didn’t practice Thursday so he could undergo treatment. He’s expected to be day to day.
The severity of James’ injury is not known.
Officer on leave after joking about shooting former student-athlete.
NEV.» A campus police officer RENO, in Nevada has been placed on administrative leave after joking about shooting a graduate student and former football player during a peaceful traffic stop.
The University of Nevada at Reno released videotape of the comments captured by an officer’s body camera after fielding a complaint from the black student, later identified as exNevada defensive tackle Kevin McReynolds.
The officers are white. One comments how large McReynolds is before another jokingly states he would shoot him rather than try to fight him.
The first officer says, “I’m glad you’re not fighting, you’re too big.” The other says, “I’m just going to shoot him if this goes sideways.”
Islanders make bid to move.
The New York Islanders have made a bid to return to the New York City suburbs.
The NHL team that moved from Long Island to Brooklyn two years ago submitted a bid with several other partners Thursday to develop a new arena at the Belmont Racetrack in Nassau County.