Comment on Defense wins championships, or at least the NFC title

By SCHUYLER DIXON and TIM REYNOLDS DALLAS — Klay Thompson is moving on from the Golden State Warriors, with the four-time league champion agreeing to join the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks and change franchises for the first time in his 13-year NBA career, two people with knowledge of the decision said Monday. ESPN and The Athletic first reported the deal which, as currently constructed, will be executed as the sign-and-trade of a three-year, $50 million contract involving the Warriors, Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets, said the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been publicly announced.

The Colorado Avalanche has found a way to keep Jonathan Drouin. One of the great comeback stories in the NHL last season, Drouin is returning to the Avalanche on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, a league source confirmed Monday morning. Drouin had 19 goals and a career-high 56 points with the Avs last season after signing a one-year, $825,000 contract on July 1, 2023. Drouin not only became a key offensive contributor for the Avs, but earned praise for his improved two-way play and the trust of coach Jared Bednar to play big minutes as the season progressed. Keeping Drouin was a top priority for the Avalanche this offseason.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after NBA free agency opens and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leaves for Orlando. Among the topics discussed: Now that KCP has left the Nuggets for the Orlando Magic on a three-year deal, where does that leave Denver?

Sean Keeler: Russell Westbrook? Tell ya what — compared to Reggie Jackson, he’s an upgrade. But compared to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? I don’t know, man. The two finishing pieces, the two 3-and-D guys who turned an already good Nuggets roster into a title-winning one two years ago are now gone. The first defection, Bruce Brown, was never truly replaced.

When she was a kid, Dr. Gloria Beim dreamed she’d one day attend the Olympics. In July, she’ll go for the fourth time — though not as an athlete. Mementos sit on the floor of Dr. Gloria Beam’s office at the Gunnison Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic in Gunnison, CO on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Federal antitrust investigators are scrutinizing the Denver-based Alterra Mountain Company’s pending acquisition of Arapahoe Basin, one of Colorado’s last ski areas independent of corporate resort empires. Alterra officials characterized it as a “customary” review that the U. S. Department of Justice requires for large transactions. The investigators have asked for business data on skiers at resorts across the Rocky Mountain region from the National Ski Areas Association. Department of Justice officials were mum.