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The Lakers are coming home and could be getting healthier on multiple fronts

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The Lakers are coming home and could be getting healthier on multiple fronts

LeBron James and Rui Hachimura were home sick. Anthony Davis was in the back getting his injured ankle treated. D’Angelo Russell and Jaxson Hayes weren’t healthy enough to participate in a full practice.

And still, there was optimism.

Friday marked the beginning of a stretch when the Lakers truly can unpack and get comfortable, the rigors of the NBA and its travel schedule about to slow down for the longest stretch of their season. Beginning Saturday against Sacramento, 11 of their next 14 games are in Los Angeles. Ten will be at home (one will be the Lakers’ Intuit Dome debut against the Clippers).

Heading into Friday’s games around the NBA, the Lakers (17-13) had played a conference-high 17 road games, tied with the Utah Jazz for most in the West. Only the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers had played more road games.

“We’ve played together, tried to play the right way,” coach JJ Redick said after practice. “I think our game plan discipline has been really good. So I like where our team is at. I like where our team is trending. I’m going to really like it when we’re completely healthy.”

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Hachimura and James are questionable for Saturday because of illnesses. Davis also will be listed as questionable because of the ankle injury he suffered in the first quarter on Christmas. He told The Times after the game that he expected to be “fine.”

Russell, who missed that win over the Golden State Warriors, was able to take part in the noncontact portions of Friday’s practice with his sprained thumb and seemed on track to return against the Kings (13-18). And Hayes, who has played just once since Nov. 10 because of consecutive injuries to his right ankle, also participated in some noncontact portions of practice. He appears close to returning after Redick termed him “day to day.”

Redick said Hayes “moved well” in practice Friday, the Lakers close to adding a dynamic big man back to their bench lineups.

“Offensively for us, just the rim running, the pace with which he’s able to get from one action to the next as a big. He’s really good in the half court at screening, rolling, getting back to a second action. And [Russell], with some of the lob stuff, he just, he puts pressure on the rim as a roller,” Redick said of what the Lakers have missed without Hayes. “And then defensively, he had his best stretch for us prior to being injured. He had a four- or five-game stretch where he was great on both ends and he was also crashing. He was getting offensive rebounds for us. So we’ve missed him.”

The Lakers don’t have timetables for Christian Wood and Jared Vanderbilt, who both have yet to play this season. However, Redick said he hoped both would be back during this stretch of home games.

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Asked about potential evaluations of the roster prior to the Feb. 6. trade deadline, Redick said he thinks a complete Lakers roster is good enough to fight.

“Rob [Pelinka, GM] and I, we talk all the time, but my focus is on coaching this group and trying to maximize this group,” Redick said. “Frankly, I have belief that when this group is healthy, we can compete. If there’s a move to be made, there’s a move to be made, but I’m focused on this group.”

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Chiefs and Browns make first trade of 2026 draft and both eventually fill needs

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Chiefs and Browns make first trade of 2026 draft and both eventually fill needs

The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.

The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.

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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:

Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.

So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.

LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.

“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.

Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.

BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN

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They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”

This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.

Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:

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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.

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Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.

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So what will Browns fans think of this pick?

They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.

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Defending champion UCLA women’s basketball lands top transfer, continues roster overhaul

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Defending champion UCLA women’s basketball lands top transfer, continues roster overhaul

UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.

Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.

Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.

The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.

The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.

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UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.

Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.

A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.

Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.

Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.

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The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.

UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.

Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.

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WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

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WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.

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The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.

Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.

“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.

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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.

WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”

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John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”

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