Lakers clear cap space as Deng exits
The Lakers and Luol Deng are finally free from each other.
Deng’s agent and the team reached an agreement for a buyout under the waive and stretch provision, according to a person familiar with the discussions who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. That allows a team to renegotiate the structure of a player’s salary, waive the player and then spread his salary over several years to create more cap space.
Deng agreed to sacrifice $7.5 million of the remaining $36.8 million on his contract. Deng will count for $14.3 million against the Lakers’ salary cap this season, then $5 million for the next three seasons.
That deal will be completed once Deng clears waivers and the 33-year-old two-time All Star will become a free agent.
“We want to thank Luol for his time with the Lakers,” general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement.
“We made this move to further our future salary cap and roster flexibility, as we continue to build this Lakers team according to our current overall vision.”
The Lakers are scheduled to have about $38 million in salary cap space next summer, enough to sign a player to a maximum contract.
Deng, who played in only one game last season, had two years left on a four-year, $72-million contract he signed in 2016.
That summer, then-general manager Mitch Kupchak also signed Timofey Mozgov to a fouryear deal worth $64 million early in free agency. The team traded Mozgov in June 2017.
For the last two seasons, Deng was the Lakers’ highest-paid player.
He averaged 26.5 minutes, 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds during his first season with the Lakers, when heplayed in only 56 games.
On Feb. 6, 2017, coach Luke Walton benched Deng to start thenrookie Brandon Ingram.
Deng played in seven more games.
By the end of the month the Lakers shut him down for the rest of the season. — Tania Ganguli
Eagle on final hole gives Simpson lead
The putt is one that Webb Simpson never practices enough. He wasn’t sure it even required his putter. He worked it to perfection.
From just over 70 feet away off the green on the par-five 18th, Simpson rolled in the eagle putt for an eight-under 63 to take a oneshot lead at the halfway point of the Dell Technologies Championship in Nortan, Mass.
A gorgeous Saturday in New England allowed for low scoring at the TPC Boston. Tyrrell Hatton of England had eight birdies with his store-bought putter for a 63 and was one shot behind, along with Justin Rose (67). Tommy Fleetwood was three shots back.
Tiger Woods only once came close to bogey but is still was seven shots behind Simpson. Georgia Hall pulled away from Minjee Lee late in the third round to take a two-stroke lead in the Cambia Portland Classic in Portland, Ore . ... Joe Durant eagled the par-five 18th for a seven-under 63 and a one-stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jimenez in the PGA Tour Champion’s Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Canada. ETC.
Keselowski gets past crash, wins Xfinity
Brad Keselowski won his first race at Darlington (S.C.) in a very Darlington way.
Keselowski came out on top in the Xfinity race after leaders Ross
Chastain and Kevin Harvick wrecked 37 laps from the end in an incident where the 2014 NASCAR champion drove into Chastain’s pit stall to complain and then pointedly said his 25-year-old colleague was too inexperienced and wreckless to drive at this level.
Keselowski easily got around the wreck and could not be caught as he led the final 35 laps. Cole Custer was second and Tyler Reddick was third.
Mike Salinas remained the Top Fuel leader in the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. J.R. Todd led in Funny Car, Tanner Gray in Pro Stock, and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Alejandro Valverde beat Peter Sagan in an uphill sprint to claim his second win of this Spanish Vuelta. Valverde, who is second overall, closed to within 37 seconds of leader Rudy Molard thanks to the 10-second bonus he was awarded for claiming Stage 8.
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min will get to skip military service. Son avoided the service obligation when South Korea beat Japan 2-1 in the Asian Games gold medal soccer game. The South Korean government rewards holders of Asian Games gold medals and all Olympic medals with the exemption . ... The home of Memphis Depay, a striker for Lyon (France), was burglarized while he played Friday night. Thieves took $1.7 million in jewels and other luxury items while Depay was playing in Lyon’s 1-0 loss at home to Nice.