The Sports Report: Clippers acquire Luke Kennard in draft day deal

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: The Clippers acquired Detroit guard Luke Kennard in a three-team trade with Brooklyn during Wednesday’s draft that saw them part with reserve guards Landry Shamet and Rodney McGruder in the process, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed.

Shamet is headed to Brooklyn while McGruder is going to Detroit. Brooklyn’s 19th pick also went to Detroit as part of the transaction.

From the perspective of the Clippers, the move is a swap of shooters while also receiving relief for their payroll. McGruder was set to earn $5.1 million this season. With that money off the books, the Clippers are set to be eligible to use their full midlevel exception, worth $9.2 million, entering free agency Friday.

Kennard, the 12th pick in the 2017 draft, is a career 40% three-point shooter and averaged 15.8 points in 32.9 minutes last season when he was primarily a Pistons starter.

He will replace Shamet, a 40% three-point shooter during his two seasons as a pro. This will already be Shamet’s third team after the Clippers acquired him midway through his rookie season from Philadelphia.

McGruder averaged 3.3 points last season.

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A quick look at each pick of the NBA Draft

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RAMS

Gary Klein on the Rams: The Rams’ weekly routine was disrupted after the team announced late Tuesday night that an unidentified player had tested positive. On Wednesday, the Rams announced they had placed three practice squad players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: tight end Kendall Blanton, defensive back Jake Gervase and receiver J.J. Koski. Placement on the list does not mean a player tested positive.

None of the three had been active for a game this season.

With the Rams (6-3) scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) on Monday night in Tampa, the Rams on Wednesday conducted all meetings and football activities remotely as part of the NFL’s intensive COVID-19 protocols.

The Rams became the latest team to be impacted by COVID-19. On Tuesday, the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders had put players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The NFL on Wednesday sent a memo to all teams mandating that they operate under the intensive COVID-19 protocols the rest of the season. Those protocols, among other directives, include holding meetings virtually or in the largest possible indoor spaces. Since training camp, the Rams have held meetings virtually or in an outdoor, open air tent that was constructed in the parking lot at their Thousand Oaks facility.

DODGERS

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: The Dodgers, less than a month after winning their first World Series in 32 years, issued layoffs across the organization Wednesday, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

Employees were informed of the cuts Wednesday. In a statement, the team cited significant economic losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced Major League Baseball to hold a 60-game regular season without fans.

“While the Dodgers had a championship season, the organization has not been immune from the widespread economic devastation caused by the coronavirus,” the statement read. “Since March, we have worked hard to minimize the impact on our employees. The ongoing economic crisis, however, forces us to make difficult personnel decisions throughout the organization, going forward for the 2021 season.

“This is a heartbreaking decision. This year, more than ever, we are truly grateful for the role each member of our Dodgers family plays in our success.”

SOCCER

Kevin Baxter on soccer: Southern California’s fledgling National Women’s Soccer League team doesn’t have a coach or any players yet but it does have a home after reaching agreement to share Banc of California Stadium with LAFC.

The team would not confirm the deal Wednesday but said a news conference has been scheduled for Thursday.

Angel City, whose majority-woman ownership group of more than 30 investors includes Hollywood and sports luminaries such as Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Garner, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King and Serena Williams, won’t begin play in the NWSL until 2022, part of a wave of expansion that will see the league grow to at least a dozen teams.

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LAFC forward Diego Rossi, the MLS scoring leader this season, tested positive for coronavirus after Uruguay’s World Cup-qualifying loss to Brazil on Tuesday and will miss the team’s playoff opener with the Seattle Sounders next week.

Rossi is the third LAFC player to test positive while on international duty in South America in the last week; defender Diego Palacios and midfielder José Cifuentes tested positive while with Ecuador. All three will quarantine in their home countries and follow local restrictions and protocol before returning to Los Angeles., LAFC said Wednesday. They are expected to miss the first playoff game while in quarantine.

Forward Brian Rodríguez, who played the final 40 minutes for Uruguay on Tuesday, tested negative. His return to Los Angeles as well as his status for LAFC’s playoff match against Seattle Sounders FC on Tuesday is still to be determined.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1961 — George Blanda of the Houston Oilers passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-13 rout of the New York Titans.

1961 — Cleveland’s Jim Brown rushes for 237 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Browns to a 45-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

1966 — No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Michigan State play to a 10-10 tie. The Irish rally from a 10-0 deficit against a Spartans team that features Bubba Smith and three teammates who were among the top eight picks of the next NFL draft.

1978 — Philadelphia’s Herman Edwards returns a fumble for a touchdown with 31 seconds left to give Philadelphia a 19-17 victory over the New York Giants. Instead of taking a knee to preserve a 17-12 victory, quarterback Joe Pisarcik botches the hand off to fullback Larry Csonka. Edwards picks up the dropped ball and runs 26 yards for the winning touchdown.

1983 — Jari Kurri of the Edmonton Oilers scores five goals and Wayne Gretzky adds three goals and five assists in a 13-4 rout of the New Jersey Devils.

1983 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers becomes the second player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, joining Wilt Chamberlain, as the Lakers win 117-110 at Portland.

1992 — Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley is selected the American League’s MVP. Eckersley, who led the majors with 51 saves in 54 chances, becomes the ninth player to win both the Cy Young Award and MVP honors in the same season.

1993 — Oregon and Oregon State play to a 0-0 tie in Eugene. It’s the last scoreless tie in FBS history. Overtime for NCAA games starts in 1994.

1994 — Rashaan Salaam becomes the fourth 2,000-yard rusher in major-college history, running for 259 yards and two touchdowns in Colorado’s 41-20 victory over Iowa State.

1995 — The Baltimore Stallions defeat the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 to become the first U.S. team to win the Grey Cup in the CFL’s 83-year history.

2004 — Indiana’s Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson charge into the stands to fight with Auburn Hills fans in the final minute of their game against the Detroit Pistons. The brawl forces an early end to the Pacers’ 97-82 win.

2006 — Jaromir Jagr becomes the 16th NHL player with 600 goals when he scores in the first period of the New York Rangers’ 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.

2009 — South African runner Caster Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships, and the results of her gender tests will be kept confidential.

2011 — Robert Griffin III of Baylor passes for 479 yards and four TDs, including a 34-yarder to Terrance Williams with 8 seconds left, and the 25th-ranked Bears beat No. 5 Oklahoma for the first time, 45-38. The Bears were 0-20 against the Sooners.

2018— Jared Goff throws a 40-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Everett for the go-ahead score with 1:49 to play, and the Rams outlast the Kansas City Chiefs for a 54-51 victory. Patrick Mahomes has a career-high 478 yards with six touchdown passes for the Chiefs. This is third highest-scoring game ever played.

2018 — Rutgers holds Eastern Michigan to an NCAA-record low four first-half points in a 63-36 rout. The Scarlet Knights tied a men’s NCAA Division I basketball record for points allowed in a half. The halftime score is 31-4.

And finally

The NBA’s top five all-time leading scorers. Watch them here.