Guard Seth Curry has agreed on a two-year, $6 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to league sources.
Curry, 25, the younger brother of MVP Stephen Curry, will be Dallas" cap-room exception.
Dallas has had Curry on its radar all offseason and moved quickly to get a deal finished after the Sacramento Kings renounced Curry"s rights as a restricted free agent over the weekend, a source said.
Curry averaged 6.8 points and 1.5 assists and shot 45 percent from 3-point rangein limited playing time last season in Sacramento. He averaged 16.4 points and 5.3 assists in April, when his role increased significantly.
[LIVE] Oscar Pistorius sentenced to 6 years prison for Reeva Steenkamp"s murder
Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday for the murder of his girlfriend, with the judge citing mitigating circumstances in delivering less than the prescribed 15-year minimum punishment, NBC News reported.
Pistorius stood and faced Judge Thokozile Masipa as she announced the sentence in a South African courtroom on Wednesday.
Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide the equivalent of manslaughter under South African law for killing law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine"s Day 2013.
An appeals court reversed that result last year and found Pistorius guilty of the more serious charge of murder.
Even as the Juno mission made history by successfully coming into orbit around Jupiter, NASA had its eyes on other ways to push the boundaries of our knowledge about the universe around us.
The agency has approved a proposal from the New Horizons team to send the spacecraft which was first sent to explore Pluto to 2014 MU69. That"s the completely uninspiring name of a hunk of rockin the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy rubble leftover from the birth of the solar system.
Pluto also hangs out in the Kuiper Belt, but visiting 2014 MU69 will send the probe almost a billion miles from Pluto.
Astronomers think 2014 MU69 is about 30 miles across and almost 44 times farther away from the sun than Earth is. And that 2014 in the name isn"t random: It"s the year astronomers first saw it, which means New Horizons is now heading out to something we didn"t know existed when the spacecraft launched in 2006.
New Horizons hasactually been headed toward 2014 MU69 since October. But it needed NASA"s approval to keep heading out there. Visiting 2014 MU69 will take the probe much deeper into the Kuiper Belt.
A New Horizons shot of Pluto. NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
The spacecrafthasn"t exactly been twiddling its robotic thumbs since its flyby of Pluto last summer.
This spring, it spottedanother Kuiper Belt object, catchily named 1994 JR1. The measurements New Horizonstook allowed astronomers to pinpoint the object"s location and how quickly it rotates.
The mission extensionwill also let New Horizons swing by more than a dozen other Kuiper Belt objects along the way. Those flying visits will let the spacecrafttake measurements similar to those ittook of 1994 JR1.
In order to get NASA"s okay for the2014 MU69 visit, the New Horizons team had to put together a detailed proposal outlining what they"d learn from the trip. Even with the agency"s go-ahead, the fate of the jaunt out to 2014 MU69 still depends on how NASA"s budget shakes out for 2017 and 2018.
If everything goes well, New Horizons would reach 2014 MU69 on January 1, 2019.
Even then, New Horizons wouldn"t be the most well-traveledspacecraft. That title goes to Voyager 1, which launched in 1977 and officially left the solar system in 2012.
It can still send back data and likely will continue to be able to into the early 2020s, but it isn"t visiting specific objects.
That distinction let Alan Stern, one of the leaders of the New Horizons mission, to declare that while the 2014 MU69 flyby "probably won"t be as dramatic as the exploration of Pluto, it will be a record-setter for the most distant exploration of an object ever made."
"It will also be a [Kuiper Belt object] science bonanza," he added,"that"s unlikely to be repeated for decades."
Gandhi vs Martin Luther King Jr. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2
Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian described by a judge as a "fallen hero," was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in a South African prison for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a ruling viewed by some as too lenient.
However, Judge Thokozile Masipa appeared to anticipate criticism of a jail term that fell far short of the normally mandated 15 years for murder under South African law, declaring: "Our courts are courts of law, not courts of public opinion."
Pistorius, who shot Steenkamp through the door of a toilet cubicle in his home in 2013, was asked to stand and face Masipa as she announced his sentence in a wood-paneled courtroom in the South African capital, Pretoria. He was calm after the ruling, embracing his aunt and tearful sister before being led down a courtroom staircase to a holding cell ahead of being taken to prison.
Later, a convoy of police cars with lights flashing and sirens wailing left a side entrance of the courthouse. In the convoy was a van with tinted windows, possibly carrying Pistorius.
The sentencing was the latest act of a three-and-a-half year legal drama that has often played out on live television and shown the fall from grace of a runner once viewed as an inspiration to many for overcoming his disability. Both of Pistorius" legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old because of a congenital defect.
He made history by competing at the 2012 Olympics on his carbon-fiber running blades, and was one of the world"s most recognizable athletes.
"He"s a fallen hero, he has lost his career and he is ruined financially," said Masipa, who originally convicted Pistorius of manslaughter, a ruling that was overturned by an appeals court that instead convicted him of murder and sent the case back to her for sentencing.
In explaining the sentence, Masipa said there are "substantial and compelling circumstances" to show leniency toward Pistorius because he is a "good candidate for rehabilitation," is unlikely to commit another crime and had shown what appeared to be genuine remorse over Steenkamp"s death.
Pistorius, 29, maintained he killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and reality TV star, by mistake thinking she was an intruder hiding in the bathroom early on Valentine"s Day 2013. Prosecutors alleged that he killed her intentionally after the couple argued.
Part of the difficulty for the judge in determining an appropriate sentence was that the Supreme Court convicted Pistorius of murder with "indirect intent." Pistorius was found guilty because he knew someone might die -- even an intruder -- when he shot. As Masipa noted, the Supreme Court did not find that Pistorius knew he was firing at Steenkamp.
Pistorius will be eligible to apply for parole after three years, according to legal experts. Prosecutors, who had asked that he be sentenced to 15 years in prison, can appeal for a heavier sentence but have yet to comment on whether they will do so.
"The family accepts the judgment," Anneliese Burgess, a spokeswoman for the Pistorius family, said outside the courthouse.
The Steenkamp family did not criticize the sentence. "The family has said it before they wanted the law to run its course. It has done so. No further comment. They will keep a dignified silence," said Dup de Bruyn, the Steenkamp family representative.
Legal expert Marius du Toit described the sentence as "lenient but not wrong."
Some people who gathered outside the courthouse were critical.
"The law didn"t take its course," said Dukes Masanabo, a South African sports official who had hoped Pistorius would be sentenced to 10 to 12 years, not six.
He said the sentence is too light because Pistorius was sentenced to almost the same sentence -- five years -- for his earlier manslaughter conviction. He served one year of that sentence before being place under house arrest at his uncle"s mansion in Pretoria, and he had some freedom of movement outside the home during certain hours.
The time that Pistorius already served in prison is not subtracted from his new sentence, which may have contributed to the judge"s relatively lenient decision, say legal experts.
Another South African, Sarah Maete, said she wanted Pistorius to get the full 15 years in prison for murder.
"It"s not enough," she said.
In delivering her sentence, Masipa referred to the difficulties she faced in deciding a sentence that "satisfies every relevant interest" in a case that captured the world"s attention and led to extremes of opinion over the celebrated athlete. She noted that Pistorius had fired four times -- not once -- through the closed toilet door and spoke of the devastating effect the crime had on Steenkamp"s family.
Ultimately, "mitigating circumstances outweigh the aggravating factors," the judge said.
Steenkamp"s parents, Barry and June, were present in the courtroom, which was packed with relatives of both Pistorius and Steenkamp, journalists and other observers.
Pistorius" defense lawyers had asked for no jail time at all, saying he should be allowed to do charity work with children.
Ulrich Roux, a South African lawyer and commentator who is not involved in the Pistorius case, said it had opened a window for South Africans into how their justice system works, including cross-examination and how a judge reaches a decision.
He said: "It"s been a huge learning curve for our society."
ESPN First Take - Is Harrison Barnes Worth Max Money ? 10:23 AM ET
Marc Stein
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Senior NBA writer for ESPN.com Began covering the NBA in 1993-94 Also covered soccer, tennis and the Olympics
Tim MacMahon
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Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM
The Dallas Mavericks will be adding a pair of Golden State Warriors -- forward Harrison Barnes and center Andrew Bogut -- in the wake of Kevin Durant"s decision to sign with the Warriors, according to league sources.
The Warriors traded Andrew Bogut to Dallas to make room for Kevin Durant. How did Dallas and Golden State come out? Kevin Pelton grades the deal.
Kevin Durant"s decision to go to Golden State delivered Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut to Dallas.
1 Related
The Warriors and Mavs have agreed to a trade that will send Bogut to Dallas, according to league sources. The Mavs also reached a verbal agreement on a four-year, $94 million maximum deal with Barnes.
Sources told ESPN that the Warriors will renounce their rights to Barnes as a restricted free agent with Durant heading to Golden State, meaning there will be no three-day waiting period while his previous team ponders whether to match the offer.
The Warriors needed to shed Bogut"s $11 million salary to create cap space to sign Durant to a two-year, $54.3 million deal.
Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes are expected to remain teammates next season, but with the Mavericks and not the Warriors.AP Photo/Lance Murphey
By adding Bogut, Dallas, which acquired center Zaza Pachulia from the Milwaukee Bucks in a similar salary dump last summer, would fill a need at starting center with a proven veteran on an expiring contract.
Barnes, 24, turned down a reported extension totaling $64 million before the 2015-16 season. He in turn had his best campaign as a pro, averaging 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 66 games.
A polarizing player because of his inconsistency, Barnes has been a key cog in the Warriors" back-to-back runs to the NBA Finals, particularly in their small-ball lineups.
Barnes thanked the Warriors and fans for his four years with Golden State.
"I"ve grown up in Oakland and thank everyone for all the love that was shown there from day one," he said on his Twitter feed. "You guys have been rockin with the team for decades before we got there so it was rewarding to bring a championship to the Bay."
Bogut, 31, suffered bone bruises to his proximal tibia and distal femur, two major bones in the leg, during Game 5 of the NBA Finals and missed the final two games of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The tense wait to see if NASA"s Juno spacecraft made it safely into orbit around Jupiter is over. After a five-year journey this was the stage the whole mission could have ended in disaster. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DIANE BROWN, JUNO PROGRAMME EXECUTIVE AT NASA HEADQUARTERS, SAYING: "To know we can all go to bed tonight and not worry about what is going to happen tomorrow is pretty awesome." (SOUNDBITE)(English) RICK NYBAKKEN, JUNO PROJECT MANAGER FROM NASA"S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, SAYING: "So we prepared a contingency communications procedure and, guess what, we don"t need that any more." Juno had just one chance to get into orbit around the solar system"s largest planet. If anything had gone even slightly wrong the probe would have sailed helplessly past, taking with it five years of hope and a billion dollar budget. Now the delighted scientists can look forward to what they hope will be a revealing 20 months of close study. At the end of the mission Juno will be made to dive into Jupiter"s atmosphere where it"ll be crushed and vapourised.
Rookie/Vet: Tyson Chandler and Devin Booker (Episode 4)
by: Black Adam Schefter On Monday, July 4, 2016
Its been a few hours since Kevin Durant told the world he was leaving Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors and emotions are starting to simmer just a little bit. Just a little.
Kevin Durantannounced his decision to join theGolden State Warriorsin a written piece published by The Players Tribune, and well known comedian Frank Caliendo decided to share a video of himself reading the letter in his spot-on Morgan Freeman impersonation.
Kevin Durant makes his free agency announcement. https://t.co/fA5ievVZwN pic.twitter.com/urr4Ov6tOG
The Players Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 4, 2016
