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Cavaliers getting Ball for Okoro
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to acquire guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for forward Isaac Okoro according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the trade can not be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6.
Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games this past season after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns because of a left knee injury. The 27-year old Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023 after two surgeries failed to fix an injury he suffered during his first season in Chicago in 2021-22.
Ball, the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 draft, missed the last two months of the season because of a sprained right wrist. He has one year remaining on his contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season.
Cleveland has a need at point guard with Ty Jerome becoming an unrestricted free agent and Darius Garland likely to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his left big toe earlier this month.
The Cavaliers had the second-best record in the NBA at 64-18 but were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers in five games.
Okoro averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds this past season and is a strong defender who can also shoot well from the perimeter. However, he found his playing time begin to decrease over the season. He averaged 14.2 minutes in the playoffs after logging 19.1 minutes per game in the regular season.
Okoro has two years remaining on his contract.
Pirates reliever suspended
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana will serve a three-game suspension, reduced from four, for an altercation with a fan during a game at the Detroit Tigers on June 19.
The suspension went into immediate effect, beginning Sunday with the finale of a three-game home series against the New York Mets. Santana will also sit against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday and Tuesday before being eligible to return in the finale of that series Wednesday.
Santana, in the second game of a June 19 doubleheader, was seen in videos posted on social media pointing out the fan to a police officer before jumping and swinging at the person who was in the front row above Pittsburgh's bullpen at Comerica Park.
After jumping at the fan, Santana was escorted away by Pirates bullpen personnel and held back by a teammate.
Santana later got the first out of the ninth inning before a rain delay stopped what became an 8-4 Pirates win in 10 innings.
PGA's youngest player prevails in playoff
DETROIT (AP) -- Aldrich Potgieter ended the protracted Rocket Classic, making an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to outlast Max Greyserman for his first PGA Tour title on Sunday.
"I finally got one to the hole," Potgieter said after missed opportunities on the green by three players led to the longest playoff of the season on the tour.
He celebrated by embracing his caddie and shaking hands with Greyserman and his caddie before giving his father, Heinrich, a hug.
The 20-year-old Potgieter is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter, averaging 326-plus yards off the tee. He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season.
Potgieter was born in South Africa, moved to Australia when he was 8 and returned to South Africa at age 17 because the COVID-19 pandemic limited his opportunities to compete.
"We had to give up a lot, moving to Australia, moving back," he said. "Emigrating is definitely not the easiest thing. Coming alone at the start of my career to the States and giving it a grind, and having my dad here has helped so much."
Potgieter won the British Amateur at the age of 17 and became the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner last year, paving the way for him to become the second-youngest player to earn a PGA Tour card through the minor league just after his 20th birthday. The youngest was Jason Day, who was 19 in 2007.
Chris Kirk was eliminated after missing a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole -- that after pushing a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win.
Winning is Harrington's only option
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- Padraig Harrington's decision when he walked down the 18th fairway Sunday was whether to play a safe approach and take a chance with the Broadmoor's curling, curving greens, or be aggressive and not leave the putting to chance.
He picked the second option, knocked his shot to 8 feet, and the only big decision over the next few minutes was whether he should wait for the man he beat by one, Stewart Cink, to putt out before he tapped in to claim his second U.S. Senior Open title.
Harrington came out on top in a major that felt more like match play, parlaying the approach into an easy two-putt par to seal his second title over the last four years in senior golf's most prestigous event.
Harrington shot 3-under 67 to finish at 11-under 209, edging Cink, who shot 68, on their fourth straight round in the same group.