Bradley Beal, 3-time all-star, agrees to buyout with the Phoenix Suns, AP source says
The move paves the way for Beal to sign a two-year $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers that includes a player option after he clears waivers, ESPN reported. Beal is expected to give back $13.9 million of the $110 million he's owed from the Suns, which allows Phoenix more flexibility as it tries to rebuild its roster.
It's been a busy summer for the Suns, which also dealt 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for a package that included Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, which the Suns used to select Duke center Khaman Maluach. The 32-year-old Beal would join a veteran Clippers roster that includes James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Beal averaged 17.6 points over two disappointing injury-filled seasons with the Suns. Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game during the 2020-21 season for the Washington Wizards, but his production has slowly declined since that point as injuries have taken a toll. He's missed at least 29 regular-season games with various ailments in each of the past four seasons.
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Venus Williams Wins a Doubles Match at Washington in Her First Tournament in More Than a Year
Competing at a tournament for the first time in more than a year, and in doubles for the first time in nearly three, Venus Williams hit a big serve on her initial delivery at the DC Open on Monday, and curiously it was wiped out by a foot-fault call. The 45-year-old Williams, an owner of 21 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles, smiled incredulously as did the other three players involved in the match in front of a full crowd that eventually included NBA star Kevin Durant. And then Williams carried on, displaying her trademark power on some strokes and missing others, while teaming with Hailey Baptiste for a 6-3, 6-1 victory against 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. 'My personal goal is to have fun, I think, right now and enjoy the moment, not put too much pressure on myself,' Williams said Sunday as she prepared to return to action for the first time since the Miami Open in March 2024. 'Of course, I love winning. I want to win. But more than anything, I just want to get the best out of myself. If I can do that, then I'll be fine.' She did both—winning, yes, and contributing plenty to the cause but also having a good time, high-fiving or fist-bumping Baptiste after some of their best points, laughing after others, and waving to an appreciative crowd that roared over and over for Williams. She and Baptiste hugged when it ended. It was full at 1860-seat John Harris Court, where Durant showed up late in the first set, while across the way at the 7500-capacity main stadium, only a few dozen spectators were scattered in the seats for an all-American singles match involving Reilly Opelka against Murphy Cassone. Asked to comment about the court assignments, tournament director Daniel Vallverdu said: 'The tournament works to balance full singles and doubles ATP and WTA schedules while coordinating with broadcaster requests for court assignments.' When Williams, wearing a white visor as she so often did, was introduced before participating in doubles for the first time since the 2022 US Open—when her partner was younger sister Serena—the stadium announcer mentioned that Venus has one of the best serves in the history of the game, that she turned pro in the last century, and has won everything. That includes seven major singles trophies—five at Wimbledon, two at the US Open—and an additional 14 in doubles with Serena, plus four Olympic gold medals. 'She's one of the best athletes of all time. Her and her sister, they're not only great for the women's game, not only great for women's sports, but they are so iconic,' said Frances Tiafoe, a two-time US Open semifinalist whose twin brother Franklin is a coach for Baptiste. 'People are going to go crazy to see her.' They sure did Monday, standing with phone cameras raised high when Venus first appeared at the court. There will be other opportunities to see her this week: In singles, Williams is set to face Peyton Stearns, a 23-year-old American currently ranked No. 35, who won NCAA singles and team championships at the University of Texas. 'I was surprised to see her in the draw this week,' said Emma Navarro, a US Open semifinalist a year ago and seeded No. 2 in Washington. 'She's obviously a legend of the game. I saw a video on Instagram of her hitting out here on the practice courts—that backhand you can't miss. Good for her. She's sticking with it at her age.' Williams' long absence from tennis was unwanted: She spoke in an interview with NBC earlier this month about having a procedure to remove fibroids from her uterus. 'My health journey was very scary,' she said Sunday. 'This time a year ago, I was preparing to go to surgery. There was no way for me to play tennis or play the US Open—or those things weren't even on my mind. I was just trying to get healthy. … Things really change in a year. They really do.'
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
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Uncertainty continues for Fever and Caitlin Clark as her healthy teammates carry their playoff hopes
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Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
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Sweat, sneakers, and summer nights: Photos of the Goodman league's enduring legacy in southeast dc
The pounding and squeak of Nikes on the drive downcourt sets the soundtrack, and the stadium lights kick in as the sun sets. Bodies tussle for the rebound on a missed three-pointer, and men shout for the assist on a sweaty summer night. This is the Goodman League in the heart of Southeast Washington's Barry Farm neighborhood. Cigarette smoke from the audience floats across the court, mixing with the smell of fried fish for sale just off courtside. This is the place to be seen in the neighborhood; the bleachers are packed, and others sit in picnic chairs all around the court. The crowd's attire ranges from trendy fashion, rhinestone sunglasses, and high heels to backwards baseball caps, tank tops, and baggy shorts. They gather to watch basketball played by men from divergent walks of life – some a little on the chubby side, some seemingly without an ounce of body fat, but all completely soaked in sweat. The land here, which was originally owned by slave owner James Barry until early 1868, has changed over the last 16 years. The notorious Barry Farm housing complex exists now only as piles of rubble overgrown with weeds and grass and surrounded by a cyclone fence. A new condo complex offers views of where rows of nondescript brick apartments used to stand. What remains of the old neighborhood are the basketball courts of the Goodman League, revamped in 1996 by Miles Rawls. This is where the old Barry Farm Community Summer Basketball League operated from its founding in 1977 to 1995. Now under Rawls' oversight, it remains a family-friendly community hub and neighborhood magnet. The referees, like the players, are a motley crew – jolly and occasionally out of breath as they try to keep pace with young men who hail from vastly different levels of the game. Players come here from across the so-called DMV – the local term for the intertwined communities of D.C., northern Virginia, and southern Maryland. From local streetball legends to rising high school and college prospects, these courts have even showcased the occasional future NBA legend like D.C.-area native Kevin Durant. At the end of the day, it's the kids, the comradery, the getting everybody together from different parts of the city, different parts of the DMV, Rawls said. It's what I call a safe haven. In one of the poorest and most crime-ridden parts of the nation's capital, Rawls also knows that offering a bit of alternative recreation can have a deep sociological impact. He has no illusions about what some of his regular players would be doing if they weren't here for three or four hours a day, six days a week… that's what pretty much drives me, he said. More than two decades after he first started, Rawls looks at the court and ongoing daily pickup games as his life's work and legacy. It uplifts me man, to be honest with you. It brings tears to my eyes; 29 years later, I'm still relevant, still on top. That's a long time to do anything in the hood, in one of the worst neighborhoods and wards in D.C., he said. I wouldn't trade it for nothing.
