Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander headline All-NBA First Team
Just two weeks after being named MVP for the third time in five years, Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic added to his resume on Wednesday night by landing on the All-NBA First Team for the fourth time in his career.
Jokic was one of two unanimous selections to garner first-team votes on all 99 ballots from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, joining Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum joined Jokic and GilgeousAlexander on the All-NBA First Team.
Also named MVP following the 202021 and 2021-22 seasons, Jokic stuffed the stat sheet again in 2023-24, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.4 steals across 79 games for Denver.
However, Jokic couldn’t save the Nuggets from the Timberwolves in the postseason, as Minnesota eliminated Denver in seven games in a Western Conference semifinal series.
NCAA agrees to settlement in antitrust case
Former college athletes are due for a payday after the NCAA Board of Governors voted to agree to settle House v. NCAA and other antitrust cases related to it, ESPN reported Wednesday.
With the NCAA’s board agreeing to the terms of the settlement, former college athletes are one step closer to getting over $2.7 billion in back damages over the next decade because of previous restrictions on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals.
Future athletes would also benefit, as the Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten – three of the defendants in the case – are hoping to put a system in place that would give schools the power to pay them about $20 million per year in permissive revenue sharing.
Such payments wouldn’t start until fall of 2025.
Toronto awarded WNBA expansion franchise
TORONTO – The Canadian city of Toronto was awarded on Thursday a WNBA expansion franchise that will begin play in the 2026 season, making it the league’s first outside the United States. The WNBA’s 14th franchise will play home games in downtown Toronto and additional games may be played at the home of the NBA’s Raptors and across Canada.
“Bringing a WNBA team to Toronto represents an important milestone for our league as we continue to expand both domestically and outside the United States,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release.
The team will be owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, which is headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who is also chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the city’s NBA, NHL and MLS teams.
Mariners obtain RHP Mike Baumann from Orioles
The Seattle Mariners acquired righthander Mike Baumann and minor league catcher Michael Perez from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league backstop Blake Hunt on Wednesday
night.
Baltimore designated Baumann for assignment on Saturday. He was 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 relief appearances this season after going 10-1 out of the bullpen last season.
Overall, Baumann, 28, is 13-5 with a 4.45 ERA in 94 appearances (four starts) with the Orioles over the past four seasons.
The Orioles optioned Hunt to Triple-A Norfolk. He was batting .293 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 23 games for Triple-A Tacoma.
Hunt, 25, was a second-round draft pick in 2017 by the San Diego Padres and also spent time in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization before being traded to the Mariners last November.
Pegula withdraws from French Open to focus on recovery
World number five Jessica Pegula has pulled out of the French Open as she continues to focus on her recovery from injuries, the American tennis player said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old said earlier this month she was unsure of her participation in Paris after shaking off an injury that derailed her claycourt season.
Pegula last competed in the Billie Jean King Cup in April. She missed the Middle East swing in February due to a neck issue.
Pegula, who reached the third round at Roland Garros last year, did not specify what the latest injury was. She also missed Rome, Stuttgart and Madrid this season.
One of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour last season, Pegula won the Montreal title in the build-up to the U.S. Open, where she reached the round of 16.
Falcons release TE Tucker Fisk, sign two wide receivers
The Atlanta Falcons signed wide receivers Daylen Baldwin and OJ Hiliare and released tight end Tucker Fisk on Wednesday.
Fisk, 25, had been with the Falcons since 2022, mostly on the practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster multiple times in 2023 and played in six games, making two starts. He caught his only target for a 9-yard reception.
Baldwin, 24, played in one game for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and caught his two targets for 25 yards. He was on the Browns’ practice squad most of that season.
He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in November 2023, later signing a reserve/future contract before his release on May 7.
Hiliare is an undrafted free agent who played for Alabama A&M and later Bowling Green.
Vancouver’s Rick Tocchet named NHL Coach of the Year
First-time finalist Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks won the Jack Adams Award on Wednesday as the NHL’s 202324 coach of the year.
The trophy honors the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success,” voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.
Tocchet, in his first full season behind Vancouver’s bench, guided the Canucks to the Pacific Division title – their first division crown since 2013. Their 50-23-9 record and 109 points were improvements of 12 wins and 26 points from the 2022-23 season.
— Wire reports