Kings GM moves to Nuggets
Sacramento Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro has accepted a front-office position with the Denver Nuggets, according to a league source. D’Alessandro’s departure ends a tumultuous tenure that began with high hopes when he was hired by new Kings principal owner Vivek Ranadive in June 2013. But D’Alessandro was stripped of his decision-making power this spring when Ranadive hired Vlade Divac as vice president of basketball and franchise operations. D’Alessandro came to the Kings from Denver, where he worked under general manager Masai Ujiri. In his new position, D’Alessandro is expected to work for Josh Kroenke, president of the Nuggets and the NHL Colorado Avalanche. With the Kings, D’Alessandro orchestrated the acquisition of forward Rudy Gay, but he also was criticized for some of his personnel decisions. The biggest move D’Alessandro fought for was the firing of coach Michael Malone last December, a move that sent the team into a tailspin and angered his players. Ranadive said D’Alessandro and former Kings adviser Chris Mullin insisted firing Malone was best for the team.
While fans are wondering about his comeback from knee surgery and who will surround him on the New York Knicks next season, Carmelo Anthony has turned his focus to another sport. Anthony, an eight-time NBA All-Star, will be an owner of Puerto Rico FC, an expansion team in the North American Soccer League, the league announced Thursday. The league says the franchise will begin play in the second half of the 2016 season. The team will play in the 12,500-seat Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, near San Juan. Anthony’s father was born in Puerto Rico, and his ties to the island are strong, he has said. He is also a soccer fan and dropped in on a Real Madrid practice when the team toured the United States last year, posing for pictures and getting in a quick kickabout. Despite his new venture, he says basketball remains his top priority. “Right now it’s about putting the right people in place so that when I’m back to my regular job, basketball is my main focus,” Anthony told ESPN. “I’ll have a solid group of people running it on a day-to-day basis.” The NASL, the second tier in the American soccer pyramid, has 11 teams in Canada and the United States. A Miami team is also to join the league next year.
HOCKEY
Coyotes future in question
The Glendale City Council has voted to end an arena lease agreement with the Arizona Coyotes, thrusting the franchise’s future further into doubt. The council voted 5-2 Wednesday night to end a 15-year, $225 million lease agreement signed by Glendale and IceArizona shortly after the team was purchased from the NHL in 2013. Members who voted in favor of dissolving the deal cited a state statute that allows an agency to cancel a contract if an employee directly involved with the agreement becomes an employee or agent to the other party. At issue was the Coyotes’ hiring of former city attorney Craig Tindall as general counsel in 2013. The city of Glendale issued a statement before the meeting that it would be open to renegotiating the arena deal, a proposal the Coyotes flatly refused. Nick Wood, the Coyotes’ outside counsel, said the team will file for injunctive relief, a temporary restraining order, and file a $200 million lawsuit against the city. Wood, Coyotes co-owner Anthony LeBlanc, and many of the citizens who spoke during the public forum portion of the session derided the council for trying to use a loophole to renegotiate the lease two years into the 15-year deal.
BASEBALL
Royals stay with Butera
The Kansas City Royals have decided to stick with Drew Butera as their backup catcher, reinstating Erik Kratz from the disabled list Thursday and designating him from assignment. Kansas City acquired Butera from the Los Angeles Angels last month to back up Salvador Perez when Kratz went on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Kratz had been on an injury rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Omaha. Kratz and Butera are both out of options, which meant the Royals had to choose between the two backups. Kratz was hitless in four games earlier this season, while Butera has fared little better offensively but has been solid in handling the Royals staff. Kansas City was off Thursday before opening a three-game set in St. Louis today.
FOOTBALL
Eagles let Mathis go
Two people with direct knowledge of the situation say the Philadelphia Eagles have released two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis. The people told The Associated Press about the move Thursday, insisting on anonymity because the team had not yet publicly disclosed the transaction. Mathis had played in Philadelphia since 2011, starting in 56 games including all the Eagles’ games in 2012 and 2013. Mathis tweeted: “Thanks for the memories Philly” on Thursday afternoon. It looked unlikely the Eagles would move Mathis after the draft, with only four starters returning on the offensive line. Eagles Coach Chip Kelly said during the draft that Mathis had been available to trade for two years but the team never got an offer for him.
TENNIS
Nadal tops Baghdatis
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal opened his grass-court season with a hard-earned three-set victory over Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, on Thursday. The Spaniard needed 2 hours, 40 minutes to win 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-2 and book a place in the quarterfinals. Nadal had a bye into the second round. He will next face fifth-seeded Bernard Tomic, who cut short the comeback of German veteran Tommy Haas with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 victory. German qualifier Mischa Zverev continued his good run, beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the last eight. Zverev will face second-seeded Marin Cilic, the U.S. Open champion, who beat Matthias Bachinger of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-3.
Defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut was paid back by French qualifier Nicolas Mahut, who beat the Spaniard 6-2, 6-4 at the Topshelf Open on Thursday in the Netherlands. Second-seeded David Goffin of Belgium beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria 7-6 (2), 6-2 for his first victory here in three attempts, and No. 6 Adrian Mannarino defeated Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 6-2. No. 8 Joao Sousa of Portugal, a semifinalist last year, lost to qualifier Illya Marchenko of Ukraine 6-3, 7-6 (2). In women’s play, second-seeded Jelena Jankovic reached the last eight with a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic, and next faces Annika Beck of Germany, who beat another Czech, Klara Koukalova, 6-4, 6-4.
Former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska dropped just four games against Christina McHale on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the grass-court Nottingham Open, where she will meet another American. The top-seeded Radwanska won 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament, and next plays Lauren Davis. Ana Konjuh of Croatia beat sixth-seeded Casey Dellacqua 6-4, 6-2, while Yanina Wickmayer and Johanna Konta were also second-round winners.
WRESTLING
Dusty Rhodes dies
Virgil Runnels, a former professional wrestler known by his fans as Dusty Rhodes, has died. He was 69. WWE said Runnels died Thursday, but a spokesman declined to say where or how he passed away, saying the family had not authorized the release of that information.
Runnels, who also went by the nickname “The American Dream,” was a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, and held the NWA championship three times. He became famous during the height of wrestling’s popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, appearing in signature yellow polka dot tights with his sidekick “valet” Sapphire. He also was the father of two other famous WWE wrestlers: Dustin Runnels, better known as Goldust, and Cody Runnels, who wrestles under the name Stardust.