San Jose Sharks likely to buy out Paul Martin

With Evander Kane’s extension on the book now, the San Jose Sharks salary cap is much more constrained than it was a year ago. Now, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports there is a “strong possibility” the Sharks plan on easing their salary cap by buying out defenseman Paul Martin next week when the window opens on June 15th. A buyout would save the team approximately $2.8M in cap space for next season.The Sharks signed Martin to a four-year, $19.4M contract back in 2015 to provide a veteran presence to their veteran team. Unfortunately after two solid seasons, Martin really struggled this year. The 37-year-old started the season playing two games, but he never recovered from an ankle injury from the offseason, prompting to miss the next two months of the season. When he returned in December, he found that his position had been taken by Joakim Ryan and the veteran was finally waived in January. He played with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for 18 games before returning to his usual spot alongside Brent Burns. Howev

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Kevin Durant fires back at critics who accuse him of ruining the NBA

Kevin Durant gets a lot of criticism for a lot of things. One popular talking point is that he ruined the NBA by joining the Golden State Warriors and permanently throwing off the league’s competitive balance, making it virtually impossible for any other team to best them.Durant says if that’s the case, then he should be getting paid more.“My responsibility is to my skills. My responsibility is to myself,” Durant told Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. “I’m not worried about the NBA. That’s their job. They make too much money. They ain’t paying me enough to dictate the NBA. I should be making more money if all that’s on me. My responsibility is to whatever team I play for. All that other stuff, that’s on y’all.”Durant is, frankly, correct. The league’s competitive balance is not his concern, and the way the cap works made his move to Golden State possible. While some narratives about him clearly do bug him, he now has two titles and a Finals MVP to show for both of them, so things have definitely worked out for him

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The top five American League MVP candidates

Now that the MLB season is in full swing with the All-Star Game on the horizon, the MVP race for each league is beginning to heat up. The candidates for MVP listed below all come from the three powerhouse squads in the American League: Boston Red Sox,  New York Yankees and Houston Astros.5. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees Despite getting off to a slow start, Judge and the Yankees currently sport a 40-18 record and sit atop the Al East standings by a half-game over the Red Sox. With Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton getting off to awful start at the plate — not to mention the Yankees getting bit by the injury bug early on — Judge has been able to keep the Yankees’ winning ways going with his power at the plate and timely hitting. Judge is currently hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 44 RBI on the season. Judge is a big reason why the Yankees currently sit second in the MLB in runs scored, only five runs behind Boston. It’s remarkable the Yankees are in this spot given Stanton’s unbelievable struggles, Sanchez c

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Incredible stat shows how difficult and remarkable Cavaliers’ playoff run was

There is an argument to be made that leading this Cleveland Cavaliers team to the NBA Finals stands as one of LeBron James’s more impressive career achievements, and there’s one stat that may back that up further.After being swept Friday night by the Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers finished the playoffs with a negative point differential, having been outscored on the whole 2,263-2,225 — the first NBA Finalist since the 2002 New Jersey Nets to allow more points than they scored. Remarkably, the Cavaliers were only barely above water even before they played Golden State. They outscored opponents by just 21 points through the first three rounds of the playoffs, 1,821 to 1,799, with only their sweep of the Toronto Raptors keeping them above water. The Indiana Pacers outscored them 704-664 in the first round, and they only outscored the Boston Celtics by six points total in the Eastern Conference Finals. Much of that is due to the fact that, in losses, the Cavs fell victim to blowouts, while their wins tended

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WATCH: Bryce Harper crushes home run at 109.1 MPH

Even when he is slumping, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper can still impress any time he steps into the batter’s box. He showed that on Saturday when he hit his 19th home run of the year..The 25-year-old’s solo shot, which traveled 437 feet, gave Washington a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning. Harper, who entered Saturday with a .228/.364/.507 slash line, leads the National League in home runs.According to StatCast, Harper’s blast came in at 109.1 mph with a launch angle of 25 degrees and had a 100 percent hit probability.

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Alex Ovechkin brings Stanley Cup to Nationals game, has a blast

Alex Ovechkin does not appear to have stopped partying since the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup on Thursday night.Ovechkin and his Capitals teammates came to the Washington Nationals game on Saturday with the Cup in tow, and nobody seemed to be having a better time than the captain.First, the Capitals and Nationals took a group picture together with the Cup. Ovechkin was tasked with throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, but his first attempt went a bit awry, so he demanded a do-over. Perhaps the best part? Ovechkin, who clearly cannot get enough of the trophy, kept raising it above his head, even during the game while action was taking place. Ovechkin has waited a long time for this and it has showed in his reactions. Live it up, Ovi.

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WATCH: Warriors drops $400,000 in champagne after going back-to-back

The Golden State Warriors will soon turn it up back in Oakland to celebrate ther back-to-back championships after disposing of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-game Finals sweep.After that, and like we’ve seen with their past two championships, the Warriors will make their way to Las Vegas.But that’s not where the celebrations will start. Instead, Golden State’s initial party took place inside their locker room in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, the second time the Warriors have celebrated on the Cavaliers’ home court.In the process, two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Co. turned it up to the tune of $400,000 in champagne for their post-game celebration.The details come to us courtesy of TMZ Sports, and are all sorts of ridiculous. A total of 300 bottles of Moët & Chandon 150 Impérial Golden Luminous ($1,250 each) and 150 Nectar Imperial Rose bottles ($1,500 each). We’ll let you do the math from there.The scene was pretty darn awesome within the locker room itself. pic.twitt

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Tim Tebow says he continues to improve in his second minor league season

Former NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow believes he is only getting better in his second season in the minor leagues.The 30-year-old outfielder is in the midst of his first season at the Double-A level with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He has learned a lot in the past two seasons and continues to make adjustments with each passing game and week.“I think that I have learned a lot,” Tebow said, via MLB.com “I am also continuing to make those adjustments and learning to improve based on the pitchers, series, games, all of that. I think, as a hitter, you have to have a short memory and also continue to be able to learn. I think that I am improving every day. I still think that there are a lot of things that I know I will improve on, and can improve on, and I am making those strides every day.Tebow, a left-handed hitter, improved his slash line from .226/.309/.347 between A-ball and High-A last season to .245/.339.377 with a .716 OPS in 51 games played.The outfielder is displaying some power wi

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Steve Kerr weighs in on David West’s cryptic Warriors drama talk

Friday night, the Golden State Warriors secured a third NBA championship in four years, joining the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls as the only franchises to pull off such a remarkable accomplishment.Despite what seemed to be relatively “easy road” to the third title — in some respects — longtime NBA veteran and current Warriors big man David West is letting people know it didn’t come without bumps in the road. The 2017-18 Warriors campaign was unlike any other the team experienced in their four-year span of excellence. The Warriors had to deal with real injury adversity for the first time since Stephen Curry’s ankle issues early in his career. Curry missed a large chunk of the second half of the season and even the first round of the playoffs with a sprained MCL.Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked about West’s cryptic comments and echoed the same message. “It was the hardest year of my short coaching career,” Kerr said. “Four years but this was the most difficult one for sure. We ha

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Cardinals rookie Chase Edmonds to pay off sister's student loans

Once college football players and amateur athletes in general make it to the professional ranks, one of their first decisions is what they will do with their initial checks. For some, it’s all about giving back to those who helped most in their careers. We’ve seen the stories. Rookies buying their mothers that first house or a brand-new car.For rookie mid-round pick Chase Edmonds of the Arizona Cardinals, his initial paychecks will be used to pay off his sister’s college loan debt.Having earned a full scholarship to Fordham, Edmonds had no idea how much the bills can pile up for others going to school without a full ride. That included his sister, Morgan.“When you’re on full scholarship you don’t realize these bills. These things add up,” Edmunds told ESPN. “When my mom told me Morgan’s debt at the time, I said, ‘Wow. If I ever can make it to the NFL that’s something that I would love to do, just to surprise her and pay that off for her so she can really live free and do whatever she wants with her money.'”Mo

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Report: Warriors could pursue Trevor Ariza in free agency

Despite the utter dominance of the Golden State Warriors over the past four years, it is expected their roster may need some retooling this offseason. With Kevin Durant needing a new deal and Stephen Curry’s super-max salary kicking in, Golden State will have a luxury tax bill for the ages. Two moves that are an option is to let Zaza Pachulia and Nick Young walk, given their salaries combined for $8 million this season with a payoff of virtually no production outside of a couple minutes per game. One of the players the Warriors could pursue to add to the bench is Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza. According to Chris Haynes, that’s an option the Warriors may consider. “That’s a name I’m hearing that could be intriguing,” said Chris Haynes [of Trevor Ariza] on Tim Kawakami’s podcast. Haynes also referenced how the Rockets pursued Andre Iguodala to take away from the Warriors last offseason. Ariza would likely need to take a substantial pay-cut in order to join the Warriors in free agency. Going into the off

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Marvin Bagley III Slams Ayton Chatter as ‘Disrespectful’

The NBA Draft is right around the corner. And while the Phoenix Suns haven’t taken Arizona center DeAndre Ayton yet, that’s what all reports are indicating. However, another draft prospect isn’t too happy about that. In fact, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III thinks all the chatter surrounding Ayton is disrespectful. Per ESPN:“I definitely believe I’m the No. 1 pick,” Bagley says. (He’s not, of course). But we’ll let him continue. “…and if the Suns take me I’ll definitely show them why. … DeAndre, he’s going to do what he’s going to do. That’s his plan.”In his lone season with Duke, Bagley put up 21 points, 11.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per contest over 33 games. However, most mocks have Bagley going No. 3 — after both Ayton and Luka Dončić. However, the Duke forward is using all of this speculation as motivation.“It’s disrespectful and I use it as drive every single day,” he adds. “At the end of the day, this is all talk right now. Eventually we’ll have to go on the court and we’ll have to play. That’s where all the t

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Report: LeBron James, Cavaliers have not talked about his future with team

The Cleveland Cavaliers were embarrassed in Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors Friday night. It was a culmination of the most lopsided NBA Finals sweep in the history of the league.The backdrop here is obviously LeBron James’ future with the team. Following the loss, the three-time champ noted that he “had no idea” what his future might hold as the planet’s best player prepares for free agency next month. For James, it’s going to be as much about his family as anything else.A lot has been written and talked about regarding James’ future. He’s not guaranteed to return to the Cavaliers. And if Friday night’s scene inside Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland was any indication, James might very well have played his final game with the Cavaliers.According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James has not even talked to the Cavaliers’ brass about his future with the team.“Sources close to James told ESPN that no conversations with Cleveland’s brass about the four-time MVP’s future with the franchise had

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Report: Michael Porter Jr. was ‘extremely impressive’ in Mavericks workout

When discussing the top names in the upcoming NBA Draft, you’d be wise not to forget Michael Porter Jr.According to ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, Porter was “extremely impressive” in his workout for the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the No. 5 pick. However, Fraschilla interprets this as a bit of gamesmanship on the part of the Mavericks, who are hoping someone else falls into their laps with that pick. Hey, maybe that Maverick staffer is telling the truth. Porter, after all, thinks he deserves to go even higher than fifth as he looks to get his career on track in the NBA following an injury-hit season at Missouri.

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Joel Embiid: LeBron James ‘needs’ to sign with 76ers

Joel Embiid is doubling down.The Philadelphia 76ers center made quite clear Friday night that he thinks LeBron James should leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join him in Philly, and he left no doubt as to his thinking when out and about Friday.TMZ Sports caught up with Embiid, who promptly told them that James “needs a new team — Sixers.”Recall that Embiid had already made a preliminary pitch to James on Twitter, too. Embiid will not be the only player trying to convince James to join his team. However, he may have something of an advantage, as the Sixers are viewed by many as one of the more realistic options if the superstar does ultimately leave Cleveland this summer.

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Adam Silver: No White House invite for NBA champs 'saddens me’

The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions for the third time in four years. But they aren’t going to be visiting Donald Trump’s White House. In fact, if the Cleveland Cavaliers would’ve won, they wouldn’t be visiting either. LeBron James said as much earlier this week. But President Trump would make it official a day later in order to get the last word. So what does NBA commissioner Adam Silver think about all this? Per ESPN:“It’s a bit of resignation that this is where we find ourselves,” Silver starts. “Championship teams, not just in our sport but in other sports, aren’t getting to celebrate in that way, something that has historically been apolitical in Washington, but I have to put it in the greater context of where we find our country.”In other words, Commissioner Silver isn’t going to get in the way of his players expressing themselves. That’s something NFL commissioner Roger Goodell — along with each and every owner — could learn from. But that’s neither here nor there. However, at the end of the da

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Tyronn Lue plans on returning to Cavaliers next season

Despite a disappointing end to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff run, coach Tyronn Lue has no intention of stepping aside as the team’s head coach.Lue said after Cleveland’s season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors that he planned to be back next season despite the health issues he dealt with during the year. Lue battled health issues late in the regular season, but was able to return and coach the entire playoffs without incident. His performance in the postseason was met with some criticism, but ultimately he got Cleveland to the Finals. Now we’ll see if he has LeBron James to work with next year.

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White Sox activate Carlos Rodon, designate Chris Beck

The White Sox have activated left-hander Carlos Rodon from the 60-day disabled list and designated righty Chris Beck for assignment, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times was among those to report.The 25-year-old Rodon will make his season debut against the Red Sox on Saturday after missing the first couple months of 2018 while working back from arthroscopic left shoulder surgery. Rodon underwent the procedure last September to repair a “significant” case of bursitis that helped limit him to 69 1/3 innings. However, he looked strong during his four-start rehab assignment, including three outings with Triple-A Charlotte, where he pitched to a 1.42 ERA with 22 strikeouts against five walks in 12 2/3 innings.Rodon hasn’t been nearly that dominant during his major league career, but he has emerged as a solid starter since going third in the 2014 draft. Overall, Rodon has recorded a 3.95 ERA, 9.22 K/9, 3.76 BB/9 and a 45.1 percent groundball rate across 373 2/3 innings. He’s currently making a $2.3M salary i

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Nationals activate Adam Eaton, release Rafael Bautista

The Nationals have activated outfielder Adam Eaton from the 60-day disabled list, per a team announcement. In corresponding moves, the Nationals released outfielder Rafael Bautista and optioned right-hander Wander Suero to Triple-A.Eaton hasn’t played since April 8 because of a right ankle issue, one which required surgery in early May, thus continuing an injury-plagued tenure in Washington for the 29-year-old. Since the Nationals acquired Eaton from the White Sox in a December 2016 blockbuster, he has played in just 31 of a possible 223 regular-season games. Eaton missed all but 23 games last season after tearing both his left ACL and meniscus at the end of April.When Eaton has been healthy enough to take the field for the Nationals, he has continued to post the type of strong production he offered in Chicago from 2014-16. Across 140 plate appearances since last year, the lefty-swinger has slashed .308/.400/.508 with four home runs and nearly as many walks (17) as strikeouts (20). He’ll now rejoin a crowded

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Lacob: Kerr expected to sign extension this summer

After the Warriors captured their third championship in four seasons on Friday, owner Joe Lacob said that the organization expects to sign head coach Steve Kerr to an extension, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne writes.Kerr, 52, has one year left on the original five-year, $25M pact he signed with Golden State prior to the 2014/15 season. With three championships to his credit, the organization wants to keep Kerr in his current role.“We’ll get it done this summer,” Lacob said. “Let him rest a little bit. But we’ll get it done. He wants to be with us. We want him long term. He obviously has some health issues he’s still working through, but we’ll get it done. I think as long as he feels comfortable doing it long term, we want him.”Health issues have been a recurring theme during Kerr’s tenure as head coach. Last season, Kerr missed a month-and-a-half of the postseason due to painful migraines and nausea that stemmed from back surgery he underwent two years prior. Kerr also missed the first 43 games of the 2015/16 season

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