We’re not going to make any irresponsible assumptions about why Irving has been absent, but he has plenty of reasons for not trusting the media and was a contentious interviewee long before he was unfairly labeled a “disruptor” over the summer. The match lasted a full 15 rounds. Adam Silver is playing the strict dean in Atlanta this weekend. In fact, there was even a report out the other day that the Rockets and James Harden … Dort was knocking down three’s left and right and was going to be the series MVP. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. T-10th Place: Max Homa $195,300. On Wednesday, the Rockets granted the face of their franchise his wish, shipping him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team blockbuster deal. Even so, Stone managed to wrangle Oladipo (expiring contract), Exum (expiring), Kurucs (incredibly cheap team option) and a mountain of draft assets. The guy was finally healthy again, had shaken off all the rust and was putting up 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on 36.2 percent shooting from deep … and he gets dumped to a Rockets team that may not even have him in their long-term plans. This comes from UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov telling commentator Daniel Cormier what he heard the Russian speaking cornerman say. How is it backing up a best-of-five-set match or playing four days straight against top players? 7th Place: Christiaan Bezuidenhout $313,875. However, the trade itself is a victory for general manager Rafael Stone, who had virtually no leverage heading into the season with Harden’s public trade demands, slightly gained some back when the Beard said he would try to build something special, and then lost it all again as soon as the Rockets star made his upsetting comments Tuesday night. Your privacy is safe with us. However, as cringeworthy as it was watching Harden act like a COVIDiot, show up late to training camp and generally do everything to force his way out of Houston but pick up the phone and start negotiating deals himself, he’s back on a title contender, with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, and has players around him who can cover his biggest weakness of not being able to hit clutch shots in playoff games. The Nets were the original team he asked to be traded to, and even after his wish list expanded, he ultimately got the Kevin Durant reunion he desired. James Harden trade: SportsLine odds see Nets, Cavaliers jump out as big winners from blockbuster deal The Nets saw their championship odds skyrocket, while … The NBA landscape had quite the earthquake on Wednesday afternoon when the Houston Rockets finally found a home for disgruntled All-Star guard James Harden. Yan, of course, didn't want to lose his belt that way, and Sterling was just as adamant that he didn't want to win it in such a fashion. Now he’ll be a starter whose game can finally be unleashed without having to defer to two established superstars who also need the rock in their hands. The Whiteboard: Which agency could field the best NBA team? Now on a very good Indiana team, he’ll get to prove it as a long-term fill-in for Oladipo. Nylon Calculus took a look to answer that question. He's had a usage percentage of 31% or higher every year since 2014 and hasn't taken less than 16 shots per game since he was a Sixth Man of the Year award-winner. Winner: James Harden. LeVert has been having a fine season in Brooklyn, averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game, mostly coming off the bench. The real movement among quarterbacks might not be in free agency. He remains the UFC middleweight champion with the loss to Blachowicz being the first of his professional mixed martial arts career. After he threw the knee, another of his cornermen was cheering, seemingly believing he had won the fight. Kevin Pelton grades every angle of this blockbuster trade involving James Harden, Victor Oladipo and Caris LeVert. The Nets didn’t get to unveil their Big 3, because Kyrie Irving is still out. After weeks of negotiations, the Houston Rockets agreed to a deal to move their franchise player, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne . Although Ali dominated the first few, Frazier landed a series of blows that dropped Ali on the canvas. Only one belt changed hands Saturday at UFC 259. James, who questioned holding the game in the first place, was content to watch as his team cruised to victory. ESPN, which broadcasted the fight, released video of the exchange to its Instagram channel on Sunday. James Harden hasn't had to sacrifice touches since 2012. “That’s something I didn’t expect to be doing this time of the year.”. Latest on Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on All NBA and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. In return, the Rockets received four first-round picks, four pick swaps, Indiana Pacers G Victor Oladipo and two rotations players. Christian Wood had 27 points and … Let's take a look... Click here for winners and losers from the James Harden trade. The Beard is arguably the greatest Rocket to ever play aside from Hakeem Olajuwon, and it’s incredibly disappointing a once-promising era ended in such ugly fashion, with Mike D’Antoni, Daryl Morey and now Harden leaving empty-handed without a title. The Pacers are still Domantas Sabonis’ team, and T.J. Warren’s return down the line may complicate matters, but for now, LeVert should be a seamless addition. In the absence of Kevin Durant, James Harden stepped up once again and had a 37-point performance. That’s exactly where he ended up. Their haul of picks indicates a full-scale rebuild is coming, and teams are already calling about P.J. ... James Harden . The confusion seems to stem from a Russian cornerman allegedly yelling to Yan, in Russian, to deliver a kick. T-10th Place: Will Zalatoris $195,300. Harden’s overtime heroics. First-round picks are generally overrated in these kinds of discussions, because the chances of those picks yielding a player as good as James Harden are quite low. These three aren't going to mesh immediately; it'll take a lot of time. Despite how “bad” he’s looked, he’s still posting 10.4 assists per game, and perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs to snap out of this funk. T-10th Place: Keegan Bradley $195,300. These are among the biggest winners and losers from Wednesday’s mammoth James Harden blockbuster trade to the Brooklyn Nets. Blachowicz cemented the fight by taking Adesanya down in each of the final two rounds and basically holding him on his back for more than half the round. How it works from here is anyone’s guess; Harden has largely looked overweight, out of shape and mentally checked out so far this season, with his scoring numbers (24.8 points per game), field goal attempts (16.9 per game) and 3-point percentage (34.7 percent) down from last season. T-10th Place: Paul Casey $195,300. My God. Roger Federer never contemplated retirement as he spent 13 months on the sidelines due to double knee surgery last year and the 39-year-old says he is now pain-free and ready to play again with a feeling that his story is not over yet. https://sports.yahoo.com/winners-losers-massive-james-harden-225034609.html “How is the knee going to react when you fly transatlantic, you go from time zone to time zone? First, he asked for a trade and as time went on, it seemed like a trade seemed less and less likely. Maybe Dipo doesn’t wind up being a fixture in Houston, which would be disappointing since he’s the biggest name in Clutch City’s return package, but even if he doesn’t, having three unprotected first-rounders, four pick swaps and an additional first-rounder is about as good as the Rockets could’ve realistically expected with such little leverage. SAN ANTONIO — Houston’s first game without James Harden went better than anyone could have expected. “I’m in such a wonderful position now that I can actually play five days straight, two-and-a-half hours a day,” Federer said. Now let’s sift through the biggest winners and losers of the Harden trade. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Throw in extra cap space with Harden and Russell Westbrook’s gargantuan contracts off the books and the door is open for some intriguing free-agency scenarios. ... LeVert just averaged 31 points and nine rebounds a game in the three games both Durant and Irving missed in the past week. Harden was the first Nets star who tried to give his team the win. James Harden trade winners and losers: Nets offense should be unstoppable, Rockets start anew with huge haul Harden going to Brooklyn sends ripple effects throughout the NBA landscape There’s a Filipino saying about a long procession that applies here. The Beard deserved to be traded for a king’s ransom and that is what they got with 4 unprotected first-round draft picks and 4 first-round pick swaps as well as Victor Oladipo to fill a … Frazier won by unanimous decision, but this was just the beginning of the heavyweight saga. UFC president Dana White talks to the media following Petr Yan's disqualification loss to Aljamain Sterling in their bantamweight title fight at UFC 259. The Cleveland Cavaliers also worked their way into the deal to snag 22-year-old big man Jarrett Allen and 26-year-old forward Taurean Prince. Roger Federer vowed that “the story’s not over yet” as he prepared for his comeback from injury and targeted a triumphant return at Wimbledon. At the 27.5-second mark of the fourth […] Nets news: James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant botch game-winners The Rockets shipped Harden out to the Brooklyn Nets to play with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But this is how rebuilding works in the NBA when superstars force their way out, and while a trade involving Ben Simmons would’ve been better, at least the Rockets will have plenty of stabs at securing their next face of the franchise through the draft. But their numbers are incredibly comparable, and they’re both among the best wing defenders in the league. While the Rockets took care of one problem, they Biggest winners … The latest NBA Power Rankings are up, and this week is dominated by Bradley Beal. The James Harden trade saga has reached its conclusion, with the superstar guard joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets. Watch the UFC 259 recap & highlights from the bantamweight championship between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling from Saturday's event at The Apex in Las Vegas. Winner: James Harden. (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube) TRENDING > Dana White rips 10-8 rounds for Blachowicz vs. Adesanya | UFC 259 Post-Fight. The Whiteboard: What's behind the NBA's sudden COVID spike? The Houston Rockets secured the farm in return for James Harden as they should have. The 27-year-old, who was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, is expected to be fully recovered by the start of next season. Check out how much money the Top 10 finishers earned this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. Larry Nance Jr. has hilarious tweet about Cavs roster full of bigs after James Harden trade, Divisional Weekend betting guide: How to bet all four games, The Whiteboard: Keldon Johnson is the rotation player no one saw coming, Jackie MacMullan and Kyrie Irving Once Argued About Whether NBA Players Were Property. The Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets set the NBA world on fire with a blockbuster trade on Wednesday. T-10th Place: Rory McIlroy $195,300. All these questions I need to give myself answers.” But he also offered plenty of encouragement to his legions of fans around the world. This isn’t the first time the Nets have mortgaged their future. James Harden notched a triple-double in his first game in the Toyota Center since being traded to the Nets in January, and helped Brooklyn secure the 132-114 win over the Rockets on … Yan's disqualification came after the referee determined the blow was intentional because it occurred after the referee had said Sterling was down prior to the blow. Jarrett Allen went from playing for a title contender in Brooklyn and looking ready to supplant DeAndre Jordan to joining a Cavs roster that already has Andre Drummond, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and JaVale McGee in the frontcourt. It was glorious. Just before Yan delivered the illegal knee, one of his cornerman was yelling for him to only punch. James Harden is a winner and a loser of the Nets’ blockbuster trade James Harden will reunite with Kevin Durant after leading the Houston Rockets to … Dipo was having a resurgent season in Indy, but with only one year left on his contract and the Pacers not interested in ponying up to keep him around for the long haul, LeVert is a younger and (annually) cheaper replacement who is under contract for two seasons beyond this one. Maybe he flourishes as one of the few great players still in Houston, but it’s a lot harder to get noticed when you’re toiling away for a team that now figures to be near the bottom of the barrel out West. As if KD’s prickly and sometimes downright combative demeanor toward reporters wasn’t enough, the Nets also have Kyrie Irving, perhaps the most controversial figure in the league right now (fair or not), who is currently missing from the team due to unknown personal reasons. More importantly, he has a real long-term future in Indiana, and it looks much brighter than it felt in Brooklyn. Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling were fighting a close battle for Yan's bantamweight belt at UFC 259 on Saturday. T-8th Place: Jason Kokrak & Chris Kirk $281,325. Harden had one final chance at a game-winner but couldn’t get it to fall, which sent the game to overtime. Caris LeVert is more than a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, spot starter or very distant member of a Big 3 behind KD and Kyrie. Following UFC 259, company president Dana White addressed what's next for Adesanya. Winners and Losers: James Harden Is a Meme Now, and Not in a Good Way The Warriors’ glue guys took advantage of a less-than-full-strength Harden to win Game 2. Israel Adesanya had hoped to join Nunes as the UFC's latest champ-champ, but failed in his bid to take the light heavyweight title from Jan Blachowicz. Barcelona members elected Joan Laporta as club president on Sunday, turning to the man who oversaw one of their most successful periods to lead them out of an institutional and financial crisis. Petr Yan's corner allegedly telling him to kick Aljamain Sterling View this post on Instagram A post shared by ESPN MMA (@espnmma) TRENDING > UFC 259 recap & highlights: Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling Both Yan and Sterling were calling for an immediate rematch after the fight. It was a narrow two-point win for the Nets, their 20th of the season. Winners and Losers From Massive James Harden Blockbuster Trade. Dana White weighs in on controversial illegal knee (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube). Who are the NBA’s best stat-stuffers in their dimensions? The Sixers didn’t need to make a move. The nature of Harden forcing his way out is a bitter final nail in the coffin. Hit The Notifications Bell So You Won't Miss Anything About NBA Subscribe this channel Now！ It may not feel like it right now, because losing a perennial MVP candidate of James Harden’s caliber sucks no matter what. T-10th Place: Matthew Fitzpatrick $195,300. As a gritty Game 7 came down to the wire, Lu Dort played like a man possessed. Only time will tell if holding onto Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey was worth it when a league MVP still in his prime was available. He remains concerned about the state of that troublesome joint – which suffered an unexpected setback last spring – and admitted on Sunday that “the knee will dictate how the comeback will be, how the results will be, how long I can keep doing this. James Harden’s debut in Brooklyn wasn’t just victorious. James Harden was sent to Brooklyn, but there was much more where that came from. The fight finish, which saw Sterling laid out on the canvas, resulted in Yan losing his belt. Laporta, 58, succeeds Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned as president in October to avoid facing a vote of no confidence from members who turned on him after Lionel Messi tried to leave the club last August and the team were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Take a moment to join me in a moment of silence for Jarrett Allen. Harden drains step-back 3 on first shot of game (0:32) James Harden gets the ball at the top of the arc and steps back for a 3-pointer in his return to Houston. Poor Dipo. Prescott got off to a sensational start last season before suffering a gruesome injury in Week 5, fracturing and dislocating his right ankle. Dallas came to its senses and declined to let other teams set the table with Prescott. Good. However, there […] T-10th Place: Charley Hoffman $195,300. The Whiteboard: NBA fails its first major pandemic test of 2021. The Rush: Dak Prescott grabs big bank and the Nets add yet another big name, Kansas, Miles mutually agree to part ways after harassment allegations at LSU surface, Judge orders to unseal names of deputies who allegedly shared Kobe crash scene pics, Cowboys, Prescott reach deal on contract extension; reportedly 4 years, $160M, Creighton reinstates McDermott for Big East tourney after 'plantation' reference, How much money the Top 10 PGA Tour players won at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Dana White reacts to Petr Yan’s disqualification at UFC 259, ESPN releases footage of Petr Yan’s corner after controversial illegal knee, Thiem keen to dethrone Nadal at Roland Garros, After contract win, Cowboys' Dak Prescott could earn more money than any player in NFL history, UFC 259 recap & highlights: Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling, Federer feels his story is unfinished, eyes full fitness by Wimbledon, A humble Israel Adesanya reveals his true character after failed pursuit of glory, Laporta elected FC Barcelona's president, sends message to Messi, NFL: Cowboys, QB Prescott agree new contract, Perfect Giannis powers Team LeBron to All-Star Game win as James sits out 2nd half, Roger Federer vows 'the story's not over' as returning star sets sights on more Wimbledon glory, 2021 NFL free agency: Top 7 QBs available in free agency (and 5 others who could be traded), NBA sends out roughly 200 cease-and-desist orders to unsanctioned All-Star parties in Atlanta, NBA said nobody tested positive for COVID-19 at All-Star Game even after Simmons, Embiid scare, UFC 259: Amanda Nunes quickly submits overmatched Megan Anderson, UFC 259 full results: Blachowicz decisions Adesanya; Nunes dominates Anderson; Yan DQ'd vs. Sterling, March 8, 1971: Fight of the Century in photos, Jan Blachowicz overpowers Israel Adesanya to retain light heavyweight title at UFC 259. Winners and losers from massive James Harden trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston. Justin Verrier: Harden was right ... Then Allen started one game against Utah and tallied 19 points and 18 boards—and stayed in that position every game … After being stripped of the heavyweight title for refusing the 1967 Vietnam draft, Ali sought to reclaim his belt from new champion Frazier. Though two players were forced out of the game due to potential exposure, the NBA said nobody at the All-Star Game tested positive for COVID-19. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers make out … The Swiss maestro will make his highly-anticipated return at this week's Qatar Open, where he is seeded behind U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem. The result was the Cowboys absorbing a loss at the negotiating table that was two years in the making. Will James Harden be different from the last time around? Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. The James Harden trade expanded as it went: Harden will go to Brooklyn; the Indiana Pacers will snag Caris LeVert and a 2023 second-round draft pick from Houston; the Cleveland Cavaliers maneuvered their way into Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince; and the Rockets will receive Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, three unprotected first-round picks from Brooklyn (2022, 2024, 2026), four pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025, 2027) and Cleveland’s 2022 first-rounder via the Milwaukee Bucks. Nets get: James Harden Rockets get: Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks from Brooklyn, one first-round pick from Milwaukee (via … Two of those 13 victories on centre court have come against Austrian Thiem, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows last year. The James Harden trade finally got through after months of speculation and hardball. Laporta, who was Barca president between 2003 and 2010, won a resounding 54.28% of total votes, while Victor Font came second with 29.99% and Toni Freixa was third with 8.58%. The Nets might score 160 points a game, but unless … Nunes, widely considered the greatest female fighter of all-time in mixed martial arts, dominated from the start. With only one year on his contract, Oladipo is now in a totally new and depressing situation where he’ll have to prove himself to any and all potential free-agency suitors. Oladipo has been the better scorer, rebounder and 3-point shooter early in this season; LeVert has been the better facilitator and more efficient from the field overall. On Tuesday night, James Harden told the world he had done everything he could for the Houston Rockets but that he thought the situation couldn’t be fixed. Federer – who will be 40 in August – has not played on the professional tour for almost 14 months, because of two keyhole operations on his right knee. Yan was slightly ahead on the scorecard when the bout was stopped. Then, James Harden came from the middle of the floor to swat the ball straight up in the air. He was up 29-28 according to two judges, while the third judge had it 29-28 in favor of Sterling. Cleveland probably isn’t done making moves, but the Cavs certainly aren’t making any noise in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Winner: James Harden. It wasn’t honorable, professional or pretty, but no one can deny James Harden got what he wanted. Adesanya showed his peers how it is done, even in a losing effort. Houston doesn’t have anything much better going on in its short-term outlook; as much as a core of John Wall, Oladipo, Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins sounds nice, the Rockets were 3-6 with Harden, and Dipo is a definitive downgrade from the Beard. On the 50th anniversary of The Fight of the Century, look back at the spectacular matchup between undefeated heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Harden got what he wanted. T-10th Place: Tommy Fleetwood $195,300. This page details the records, statistics and career achievements of American basketball … There have been James Harden trade rumors ever since the start of free agency. This will not only allow Indiana to continue competing at a high level right away, but also raises the ceiling for the team’s long-term trajectory if LeVert is able to fit into that same role and blossom in it. TRENDING > Tim Elliott calls Jordan Espinosa a ‘woman beater’ during dominant win at UFC 259 (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube), Amanda Nunes continued her domination of the women's side of mixed martial arts at UFC 259, making quick work of Megan Anderson in their co-main event bout. He won. James Harden is no longer a sixth man; he is an MVP. With so many moving pieces, who came away as the winners and losers in the trade? The James Harden trade involved 4 teams in one of the biggest NBA trades in years, so who came out as victors? After the Thunder fumbled the ball around, the ball was kicked to Dort for the game-winner. The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. 3rd Place: Corey Conners $641,700. If they win a title with that dynamic duo of Simmons and Joel Embiid, this decision will be vindicated. The Brooklyn Nets carried their excellent form into tonight’s game, as they beat the LA Clippers. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Go Wild After James Harden’s Game-Winner [WATCH] Getty Brooklyn's James Harden and Kevin Durant celebrate after Harden hit a 3 … Federer, tied with Rafa Nadal on a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, has not played a competitive match since losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals in 2020. Got all that? It wasn’t honorable, professional or pretty, but no one can deny James Harden got what he wanted. UFC president Dana White said that he hopes to book the rematch as soon as possible after both men are medically cleared to fight. The Rockets were able to acquire a haul of first-round draft picks and multiple players, including Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers. A lot has happened in the league since Harden made his public trade demand, with a preference to go to the Brooklyn Nets. T-4th Place: Jordan Spieth, Richy Werenski & Andrew Putnam $391,375. But if they never do, and even if they simply fall short of a respectable playoff run this season, people are going to point to this moment as the massive what-if that it already feels like. "When your little brother gets the call," Prescott's brother Tad posted on Twitter with a photo of the two men hugging. James Harden has triple-double in Houston return, Nets roll — James Harden had a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in the first meeting with his former Houston teammates and the Brooklyn Nets won 132-114 on Wednesday night … The result came after Yan drove an illegal knee into Sterling's head while he was a downed opponent. Nadal's dominance on the red claycourts in Paris is unmatched, the Spaniard picking up his 13th French Open trophy last year to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam singles titles. With such a big personality now joining two other massive personalities in Kevin Durant and the still-absent Kyrie Irving, there’s a good possibility this all implodes under a first-time head coach. Add Harden’s odd personality to the mix and that’s a recipe for some very strange, uncomfortable and potentially hostile media sessions. They’ve been one of the top teams in the East this season, and Simmons and Maxey both have incredibly bright futures in this league. The winners … Tucker.