OKC swaps Westbrook for Paul, picks
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.
A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul in a swapping of top point guards. The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced. ESPN first reported the agreement. Paul is a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook an eight-time selection. Paul has 9,181 career assists, the most among active players. Westbrook has 138 triple- doubles, tied with Magic Johnson for second-most in NBA history behind only Oscar Robertson’s 181
Westbrook and Harden were Thunder teammates for three seasons, the last of those in 2011-12 when that duo and Kevin Durant took Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals. They lost in five games to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, and Harden departed that summer for Houston — where he’s been an AllStar ever since. SUNS KEEP OUBRE WITH $30 MILLION DEAL » Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre signed a two-year deal to remain with the team and return to free agency when he is 25. According to multiple reports, Oubre will make $30 million — $15 million per season — after an impressive showing with the Suns over the second half of last season.
NFL
CHARGERS’ GORDON THREATENS HOLD
OUT » Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon will not report to training camp without a new contract, according to published reports. Gordon also reportedly told the Chargers that failure to reach agreement on a contract would result in a trade demand. Gordon’s agent, Fletcher Smith, told ESPN of the holdout and trade scenarios on Thursday. The Chargers are scheduled to open training camp July 25.
Gordon signed a four-year, $10.67 million deal as a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, and in April, the Chargers exercised their fifth-year option for $5.61 million for 2019. The 26-year- old has 38 touchdowns over the past three seasons. SAINTS ROOKIE JAILED AFTER JUDGE
DENIES PLEA DEAL » New Orleans Saints rookie defensive end Carl Granderson was taken into custody during a court date Thursday and ordered to serve six months in jail by the presiding judge, who refused to accept a plea deal entered in his sexual assault case.
Granderson pleaded not guilty in April to one count of third-degree sexual assault and another count of sexual battery. He agreed to a plea deal that would have reduced the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor count of unlawful contact and canceled a jury trial that was scheduled to start Monday.
However, Judge Tori Kricken of the Albany County ( Wyoming) District Court called off the deal and remanded him to jail immediately. FORMER JETS COACH MICHAELS DIES AT 89 » Former New York Jets coach Walt Michaels has died. He was 89. According to the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Michaels died Wednesday in his hometown of Swoyersville in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Michaels had a 39- 47-1 record in six seasons as coach of the Jets from 1977-82. His teams reached the playoffs twice, and — including losing to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game in the strikeshortened 1982 season.
Golf
DREAM START DRIVES DIAZ TO JOHN DEERE LEAD » Mexico’s Roberto Diaz holed a 100-yard wedge shot for eagle at his first hole and never looked back as he fired a flawless 9-under-par 62 and grabbed a two-stroke lead after the first round at the John Deere Classic in Illinois.
Russell Henley and Adam Long were in second after 64s, while Martin Laird was another stroke back at 65 with Ryan Palmer, Andrew Landry, Vaughn Taylor, Zack Sucher and Ryan Blaum at TPC Deere Run in Silvis. TWO SHARE LEAD AT MARATHON CLASSIC » Alena Sharp and Youngin Chun shared the Marathon Classic lead at 7-under 64, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis and three others at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 38-year- old Sharp, winless on the LPGA Tour, had eight birdies and a bogey. The 19-year- old Chun, also seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, had a bogey-free round.
Yealimi Noh, the 17-year- old from Concord who tied for sixth last week in Wisconsin in her LPGA Tour debut, had a 73. ACE GIVES STRICKER EARLY LEAD AT RAINY BRIDGESTONE » A hole-in- one helped Steve Stricker build a threeshot lead before thunderstorms forced the suspension of the first round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio. Stricker aced the 182-yard seventh hole at the Firestone Country Club with a 7-iron.
Stricker, who carded three other birdies and no bogeys, is at 5 under through 17 holes. Paul Goydos is 2 under through five holes, followed by nine others at 1 under when play was halted. The winner of the Regions Tradition and U.S. Senior Open, Stricker is looking to become the fourth player to win three majors in one season on PGA Tour Champions.
Ken Duke is part of the group tied for third place with a 69 and was one of just 15 players to complete the first round. FOUR SHOOT 63 AT SCOTTISH OPEN » While Francesco Molinari prepares to defend his British Open crown next week, older brother Edoardo is still trying to qualify for the final major championship of the year. He took a positive step with an 8-under-par 63 that earned a share of the lead with Nino Bertasio, Matt Kuchar and Romain Wattel after the first round of the Scottish Open in North Berwick. The top three finishers at the Renaissance Club not already exempt will punch late tickets to Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush. NA WITHDRAWS FROM OPEN WITH NECK INJURY » Kevin Na withdrew from next week’s Open Championship because of a neck injury, with Slovakia’s Rory Sabbatini named as Na’s replacement.
NHL
SHARKS KEEP TWO IN FOLD » The Sharks signed two more of their restricted free agent forwards, giving Dylan Gambrell a two-year contract extension and Antti Suomela to a oneyear deal.
Gambrell, San Jose’s second round draft pick in 2016, played eight games with the Sharks this past season. His first NHL goal came in the playoffs, when he scored in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the St. Louis Blues.
Suomela, signed in 2018 as a free agent out of Finland, made the Sharks’ roster out of training camp last October and had three goals and five assists in 27 NHL games before he was reassigned to the Barracuda.
Tour de France
ROOKIE RIDERS SHINE ON TOUGH DAY » Two Tour de France rookies stole the show on the first mountain stage, with Dylan Teuns of Belgium winning Stage 6 and Giulio Ciccone of Italy taking the overall race lead. Geraint Thomas, the defending champion, also rode strongly. Thomas rode in fourth at the top of the terrible climb to the Planche des Belles Filles ski station in the woody Vosges mountains of eastern France.
But the severity of the ascent, with a final 24% incline and an unpaved section that kicked up clouds of dust, torpedoed other main contenders for overall victory in Paris on July 28. Teuns and Ciccone, both racing their first Tour, were rewarded for their enterprise and endurance on the climb and for having been part of a breakaway of 14 riders that sped away from the pack early in the 100-mile trek from Mulhouse that took the Tour up six climbs before hitting the last and hardest one.