Guard Donte DiVincenzo was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves less than three months ago , but some imagine his time is already coming to a close with the organization. Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle, who were the other two major parts of the blockbuster trade, have seemingly found long-term homes with the New York Knicks and Wolves, respectively. However, the same cannot be said for DiVincenzo, as he's looked out of place in Minnesota's second unit. He is averaging 9.6 points and 3.1 rebounds on 35.6% shooting through 16 appearances, compared to 15.5 points and 3.7 rebounds on 44.3% shooting last season in New York. He started a vast majority of his games with the Knicks last year, meaning a change of scenery could do good for both parties involved. The Los Angeles Clippers were predicted as a prime landing spot for DiVincenzo by Fadeaway World. The Clippers would send Kris Dunn, Bones Hyland, and Kevin Porter Jr . in return for the NBA champion in this hypothetical deal. Talk about flooding the backcourt for the Wolves. None of the players involved in the return package are taller than the 6-foot-4 Porter Jr. Still, with veteran Mike Conley steadily declining, it could be nice to bring in a haul of guards and trade some away once their value is heightened. Alternatively, the Wolves spent two first-round picks on guards with high upside in Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., begging the question of why they would accept a package of an additional three pieces in the backcourt. If the Timberwolves' front office could immediately deal Dunn and Hyland in exchange for frontcourt and wing help, it's a no-brainer. This would leave the Wolves with a loaded offensive guard room of Conley, Anthony Edwards, Dillingham, Shannon, and Porter. Pair that with the pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop ability of Rudy Gobert and Randle, and a championship becomes well within the realm of possibilities in the coming years. MORE WOLVES NEWS: Karl-Anthony Towns' record-breaking start with Knicks has Wolves fans worriedNEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga is guaranteed $5 million in his one-year contract from the New York Yankees as he returns from Tommy John surgery and could earn up to $10.5 million over two seasons. Loáisiga gets a $500,000 signing bonus and a $4.5 million salary next season as part of the agreement announced Saturday. New York has a $5 million team option for 2026 with no buyout. Loáisiga could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses in 2026: $100,000 apiece for 50 innings and each additional five through 70. Pitching coach Matt Blake said last week the 30-year-old right-hander could return in late April or May from Tommy John surgery last May 1. “I imagine him being one of the high-leverage guys,” Blake said. “Obviously, we got to take some time to get him right, make sure we don’t rush him into competition.” Loáisiga had a $2.5 million salary this year in his final season of arbitration eligibility and became a free agent. He made three relief appearances during the first seven days of the season, then went on the injured list because of a strained right flexor muscle, then had Tommy John surgery with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Loáisiga was limited to 17 games in 2023 by right elbow inflammation that sidelined him from the Yankees between April 5 and Aug. 8. He is 19-11 with a 3.44 ERA in 11 starts and 152 relief appearances over seven seasons, striking out 207 and walking 72 in 219 2/3 innings. Loáisiga averaged 97.8 mph with his sinker in 2023. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB The Associated Press
Malik Nabers says calling the Giants 'soft' was wrong but he doesn't regret speaking out
New Delhi: Manmohan Singh, who is credited with successfully anchoring the sinking ship of the Indian economy by ushering in bold economic reforms under Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, died at the age of 92 on Thursday. When Singh took the reins of the Finance Ministry in 1991, India’s fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the GDP, the balance of payments deficit was huge and the current account deficit was close to 3.5 per cent of GDP. To make things worse, foreign reserves were just enough to pay for two weeks of imports indicating that the Indian economy was in deep crisis. Against this backdrop, the new economic era was brought in through the Union Budget 1991-92 presented by Singh. It was a turning point in the economic history of independent India which witnessed bold economic reforms, abolition of licence raj and opening of many sectors to private players and foreign players so that capital could flow in. He is credited with putting India on the new economic policy path which allowed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), rupee devaluation, moderation in taxes, and privatisation of public sector companies. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognized worldwide. “I present to you the budget of 1991-92”, Singh had said when he stood to present the iconic union budget that took the Indian economy into the direction of liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation. The budget marked a significant shift towards a markets-focused economy. This paved the way for rapid economic growth in the decades that followed. “No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come,” Singh had said, as he concluded his Budget speech. Under his tenure, the regulations on import and export were relaxed, and significant changes were made to cater to the needs of businesses. The initiatives taken during his tenure resulted in monumental growth of the services sector especially IT and telecom. On the capital market side, the establishment of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1992 was another highlight of his regime. He continued as the Finance Minister till 1996, when the Rao government was voted out. Singh got another chance in May 2004 to serve the country, this time as the Prime Minister of India. He replaced Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the 14th Prime Minister of the country. In the new avatar, Singh carried forward the ideas of economic liberalisation in 1991 as this path was now tried and tested. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9 per cent and became the second fastest-growing major economy in the world. During his tenure as Prime Minister, the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in 2005 to deal with rural distress and perk up income. Indirect tax reforms were introduced by ushering in the value added tax, replacing sales tax. Besides, a Rs 76,000 crore farm debt waiver and debt relief scheme was implemented across the country which benefited crores of farmers. He also steered the nation during the 2008 global financial meltdown and announced a huge stimulus package to deal with the situation. Aadhaar was introduced through the Unique Identification Authority of India during his tenure as prime minister for targetted subsidy transfer. Direct Benefit Transfers for many schemes were announced under his leadership. He also promoted financial inclusion in a big way and many bank branches were opened during his tenure as the Prime Minister. Other reforms like the Right to Food and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act were enacted during his regime.Hezbollah leaders also signalled tentative backing for the US-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes. An intense bombing campaign by Israel has killed more than 3,700 people, many of them civilians, Lebanese officials say. But while the deal, set to take effect early Wednesday, could significantly calm the tensions that have inflamed the region, it does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Hezbollah, which began firing scores of rockets into Israel the following day in support of Hamas, has previously said it would keep fighting until there was a stop to the fighting in Gaza. Here’s what to know about the tentative ceasefire agreement and its potential implications: – The terms of the deal The agreement reportedly calls for a 60-day halt in fighting that would see Israeli troops retreat to their side of the border while requiring Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swathe of southern Lebanon. Us President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the deal is set to take effect at 4am local time on Wednesday. Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River. An international panel lead by the US would monitor compliance by all sides. Mr Biden said the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, insisted on Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the UN peacekeeping force, known as Unifil, does not provide “effective enforcement” of the deal. – Lingering uncertainty A Hezbollah leader said the group’s support for the deal hinged on clarity that Israel would not renew its attacks. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Qatari satellite news network Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Tuesday that Israel’s security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France. – Where the fighting has left both sides After months of cross-border bombings, Israel can claim major victories, including the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, most of his senior commanders and the destruction of extensive militant infrastructure. A complex attack in September involving the explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah was widely attributed to Israel, signalling a remarkable penetration of the militant group. The damage inflicted on Hezbollah has come not only in its ranks, but to the reputation it built by fighting Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. Still, its fighters managed to put up heavy resistance on the ground, slowing Israel’s advance while continuing to fire scores of rockets, missiles and drones across the border each day. The ceasefire offers relief to both sides, giving Israel’s overstretched army a break and allowing Hezbollah leaders to tout the group’s effectiveness in holding their ground despite Israel’s massive advantage in weaponry. But the group is likely to face a reckoning, with many Lebanese accusing it of tying their country’s fate to Gaza’s at the service of key ally Iran, inflicting great damage on a Lebanese economy that was already in a grave condition. – No answers for Gaza Until now, Hezbollah has insisted that it would only halt its attacks on Israel when it agreed to stop fighting in Gaza. Some in the region are likely to view a deal between the Lebanon-based group and Israel as a capitulation. In Gaza, where officials say the war has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Hamas, including the killing of the group’s top leaders. But Hamas fighters continue to hold scores of Israeli hostages, giving the militant group a bargaining chip if indirect ceasefire negotiations resume. Hamas is likely to continue to demand a lasting truce and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any such deal. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a pointed reminder on Tuesday of the intractability of the war, demanding urgent international intervention. “The only way to halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” he said in a speech to the UN read by his ambassador.