Kawhi Leonard has chosen a shorter contract with the LA Clippers that lines up with new teammate Paul George‘s and sets up the two to be part of the 2021 free-agent class. Leonard signed a three-year, $103.1 million deal that includes a player option for the 2021-22 season, the source said. He will make $32.74 million next season, $34.37 million in 2020-21 and $36.01 million in the player-option season.
Mount Pleasant native, Norm Duke, won the ESPY award for the best bowler. It’s his fifth EPSY award which gives him sole possession of second place on the all-time ESPY Best Bowler Award list. Duke, who became the third bowler ever to win 40 PBA Tour titles, won the ESPY fan vote for the fifth time, out-polling Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte, 25-year-old Jakob Butturff and 22-year-old Anthony Simonsen.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the NFL supplemental draft Wednesday. Thompson was the only player selected. Per NFL rules, the Cardinals will forfeit their fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft next April. Thompson, listed by Washington State as 5-foot-10 and 188 pounds, recorded 140 tackles and six interceptions in the past two seasons. He was named to the All-Pac-12 second team in 2017 and was honorable mention last season.
The Houston Texans are not hiring a general manager for the 2019 season and instead will divvy up those responsibilities among existing front-office members such as Matt Bazirgan, James Liipfert, Chris Olsen and Jack Easterby. Houston has been without a GM since June 7, when they fired Brian Gaine. He had been in that role since January 2018 after signing a five-year contract with the team.
Hard to believe, perhaps, but when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal meet in the Wimbledon semifinals, it will be their first matchup at the All England Club since their memorable 2008 final. Federer and Nadal set up their 40th career showdown by each overcoming a tough opening set in the quarterfinals Wednesday before moving on. The No. 2-seeded Federer, with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kei Nishikori, won his 100th match win at the All England Club, becoming the first man to reach that total at any Grand Slam tournament. Not long after that ended on Centre Court, the No. 3-seeded Nadal finished off unseeded Sam Querrey 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 at Court No. 1.
The Texas Rangers are back in action tonight as they begin a four-game weekend series hosting the Houston Astros. It will be It will be Lynn vs. Valdez. First pitch is slated for 7:00 pm.