NBA
Wizards trade Gortat to Clippers for Rivers
WASHINGTON — Seemed fairly clear that Marcin Gortat and the Washington Wizards were ready to part ways. Now they will.
The Wizards traded Gortat, their starting center, to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Austin Rivers on Tuesday night. Both players are entering the final season of their contracts and are set to earn similar salaries, making a straight-up exchange work under NBA rules.
The 34-year-old Gortat is a durable, screen-setting big man who has played 12 years in the league, the past five with Washington. He averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season, his lowest numbers since 2009-10, when he was with the Orlando Magic, but could fill a need in Los Angeles if DeAndre Jordan departs.
After the Wizards finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs to No. 1 seed Toronto, Gortat was adamant that he had no interest in changing his style of play at this late stage of his career.
League to host Australian NBL teams for exhibition games
NEW YORK — Six NBA teams will host teams from Australia’s National Basketball League for 2018-19 preseason exhibition games.
The NBA and NBL announced the plans Tuesday for five Australian teams to visit the U.S. for games from Sept. 28-Oct. 5. It’s the second straight year the Australian league will send teams for games.
The Philadelphia 76ers, with Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons of Australia and coached by former Australian national team coach Brett Brown, will host the Melbourne United on Sept. 28.
The Utah Jazz, featuring Australians Joe Ingles and Dante Exum, will host two of the games.
The other games include Utah against Perth on Sept. 29, the Los Angeles Clippers, with former NBA player Andrew Bogut against Sydney on Sept. 30 in Honolulu, Phoenix against New Zealand on Oct. 3, Denver against Perth on Oct. 5, Toronto against Melbourne on Oct. 5 and Utah against Adelaide 36ers on Oct. 5.
MLB
Cubs place Kris Bryant on DL
LOS ANGELES — The Chicago Cubs have placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, marking the first time the fourth-year player has gone on the DL.
Chicago announced the move Tuesday. It’s retroactive to June 23, making Bryant eligible to return in a week.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon says the injury is not considered serious and he expects Bryant to be activated next Tuesday. Maddon says the team wants to “make sure that he is well” and “cool down and just have him be well afterward.”
The 2016 NL MVP is batting .280 this season with nine home runs, 36 RBIs and an .864 OPS. He had a home run among his six hits in a series last week against the Dodgers, but was just 1 for 8 in the Cubs’ previous series at Cincinnati.
The Cubs recalled infielder David Bote from Triple-A Iowa to take Bryant’s spot on the active roster.
Chicago right-hander Justin Hancock was also placed on the DL with shoulder inflammation, and right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. was optioned to Iowa a day after making his major league debut. The Cubs recalled right-handers Luke Farrell and Dillon Maples.
NHL
Bettman, Brodeur, O’Ree top Hockey Hall of Fame class
The Hockey Hall of Fame has added NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pioneering black player Willie O’Ree and all-time winningest goaltender Martin Brodeur to its latest class.
Since taking the job in 1993, Bettman has overseen the growth of the league to 31 teams and an enterprise with some $5 billion in revenue.
O’Ree was the first black player in the NHL and will be the third black player in the Hall of Fame, joining Edmonton Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr and Canadian women’s national team captain Angela James. Playing for Boston, he had four goals and 10 assists in 45 NHL games during the 1957-58 and 1960-61 seasons despite being 95 percent blind in his right eye.
Now 82, O’Ree works for the NHL as diversity ambassador.
The 46-year-old Brodeur was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils who was elected in his first year of eligibility. He is the goalie with the most wins, shutouts and games played in NHL history.
Lightning resign Miller to 5-year, $26.25 million contract
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning has re-signed forward J.T. Miller to a five-year contract worth $26.25 million.
Miller will count $5.5 million against the salary cap through 2022-23. General manager Steve Yzerman announced the deal with the pending restricted free agent on Tuesday.
Acquired from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, Miller put up 18 points in 19 regular-season games with Tampa Bay and then another eight in 17 playoff games. The 25-year-old Miller has 82 goals and 108 assist in 360 NHL games.
Miller’s contract puts cap-strapped Tampa bay closer to the $79.5 million ceiling with a new contract still needed for restricted free agent defenseman Slater Koekkoek and forward Cedric Paquette.
The Lightning is one of a handful of teams slated to meet with New York Islanders superstar John Tavares in Los Angeles to try to convince the pending free agent to join them.