Lillard being traded to Bucks after a long saga with Blazers
Damian Lillard is being traded by Portland to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday, a deal that ends his 11year run with the Trail Blazers and a three-month saga surrounding his wish to be moved elsewhere in hopes of winning an NBA title.
The seven-time All-Star — a player so elite that he was selected to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team — goes from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in a three-team deal that sends Jrue Holiday from the Bucks to Portland, Deandre Ayton from Phoenix to Portland and Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers to the Suns, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because none of the involved teams had announced the agreement.
As with all trades, it cannot be finalized until NBA attorneys review the terms and approve the deal.
“The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned,” Lillard wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Excited for my next chapter!”
College football
CFP PUTS OFF DECISIONS ON FORMAT TWEAKS WITH PAC-12 STILL IN LIMBO »
The number of spots reserved for conference champions when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams next year remained open for discussionas administrators who manage the postseason wrapped up meetings that mostly focused on potential television partners.
The CFP management committee, which is composed of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, gathered for a day-and-a-half at the Big Ten offices just outside of Chicago.
College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said potentially tweaking the format that will go into effect next season to adjust the number of conference champions in the field of 12 was not discussed. The current model calls for the six highest-rated conference champs and six at-large selections to make up the field.
With conference realignment putting the future of the Pac-12 in doubt, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey and others have indicated the number of league champions in the playoff could be dropped to five, with seven at-large bids.
NFL
PANTHERS QB YOUNG ON TRACK TO PLAY SUNDAY VS VIKINGS »
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young is trending toward playing on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings barring any setbacks, according to coach Frank Reich.
Young was a full participant at practice on Wednesday.
The No. 1 overall pick missed last Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury.
Motor sports
KYLE BUSCH SELLS NASCAR TEAM TO SPIRE MOTORSPORTS »
Kyle Busch has sold his Truck Series team, manufacturing business and all the Kyle Busch Motorsports assets to Spire Motorsports in a deal announced Wednesday.
KBM is one of the most successful truck organizations in NASCAR history and holds the series record for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14). Busch has won seven owner’s championships and a pair of driver championships with Erik Jones in 2015 and Christopher Bell in 2017.
KBM, started in 2010 by two-time Cup Series champion Busch, for more than a decade has been a development step for young drivers backed by Toyota.
Busch races Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, where he’s trying to secure a spot in the round of eight of NASCAR’s playoffs.