The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft kicks off Thursday night with the No. 31 pick, held by the Toronto Raptors. With well-known names and unknown talents vying to be selected before the draft ends with the 58th pick, here are the prospects viewed as the top available players: 1. SG Johnny Furphy, Kansas Australian late bloomer lacks pure strength but has the traits to be an-off-the-bench shooter at 6-foot-9 while he grows into his frame at age 19. 2. PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette Not explosive enough to run by NBA on-ball defense but crafty with the vision to lead the second unit and dominate in pick-and-roll sets. 3. Kyle Filipowski, Duke Fundamentally sound with the touch as a shooter to be a mismatch problem. NBA teams fear he'll be in chase mode too often on defense. 4. SG Cam Christie, Minnesota Lead guard with room for growth at 18, he's more of a project than most shooting guards in this class but patience could be richly rewarded. 5. PF Bobi Klintman, Sweden More mobile than given credit for, Klintman has size (6-9, 212) and the range to space the floor. 6. SG Justin Edwards, Kentucky All the tools to take off in the right role, Edwards has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, giving him a foothold as a defensive stopper until his 3-point shot becomes more consistent. 7. Tyler Smith, G League Ignite Southpaw shoots it well and at age 19 has enough upside to earn a spot because of his potent finishing skills. 8. PG Juan Nunez, Spain From the Ricky Rubio mold of pass-first point guards with slick handles and creativity, Nunez lacks the mid-range game and jump shot to be more than a backup for now. 9. SF Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas Competitive and experienced, McCullar isn't elite in any single area. His value is versatility, particularly consistent rebounding and defense for his 6-7, 212-pound frame. 10. SG Pelle Larsson, Arizona A gamer who makes winning basketball plays and decisions. Size and savvy are Larsson's calling cards, even if he didn't test exceptionally well or finish with ease against NBA bigs. –Field Level Media
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Javier Hernandez has left West Ham for Sevilla in a reported €7.7million (£7m) deal, becoming the Spanish club s 12th signing of the transfer window.
Mexico international Hernandez, 31, leaves London after two seasons and has signed a three-year contract in LaLiga.
The striker made the leap to Europe in 2010 when moving from Chivas to Manchester United, becoming a fan favourite during four years in their first-team squad, before going on loan to Real Madrid and then being sold to Bayer Leverkusen.
Hernandez s form in Germany brought about a return to England with West Ham and, although he has not always been their first-choice striker, he scored 16 goals from 31 Premier League starts.
He becomes Sevilla s 12th new arrival of the transfer window – whi…
Pep Guardiola is certain Manchester City do not lack leadership on the field as they begin a key run of fixtures with their Premier League title on the line.
City slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United on Tuesday, a fourth defeat in nine top-flight matches, although a 1-1 draw for leaders Liverpool at home to Leicester City 24 hours later limited the damage.
Victory over Arsenal on Sunday will move the champions to within two points of Jurgen Klopp s men and back above Tottenham, with Liverpool in action on Monday at West Ham.
A midweek trip to Everton follows for Guardiola s side in a fixture moved forward to accommodate their participation in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea.
A dress rehearsal of that game takes place at the Etihad Stadium on Febr…
Declan Rice was controversially sent off with a second yellow card in Arsenal s draw against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday for kicking the ball away after a foul had been given against him.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta felt the decision wasn t just because Brighton s Joao Pedro had done the same thing in the first half and escaped punishment.
I WAS AMAZED, AMAZED, AMAZED!
Mikel Arteta makes his feelings clear after Declan Rice s controversial red card
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV)
However, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler is adamant that the two situations were completely different.
“It’s a CLEAR red card.. Rice is WASTING TIME!”
“You cannot COMPARE the situation with Joao Pedro!”
Brighto…
According to a recent report from Tuttosport, Inter Milan are currently leading the race to try and sign Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali. It should come as no surprise whatsoever to learn that Inter are going after the signing of Tonali, considering they’ve noted their interest in the past – and also considering the fact that they’ve been interested in the majority of top European stars under the sun over the course of the last six months.
There’s quite clearly a mission objective in place for Antonio Conte and his men which starts with a surge for the Serie A title. Whether or not they’ll be able to knock Juventus off of their perch this season seems questionable, but even with that being the case, the immediate future for the club looks a whole lot brighter th…
David Villa believes Pep Guardiola can lead Manchester City to Champions League success after hailing the Spanish manager.
Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola lifted the trophy twice during his time at Camp Nou, most recently in 2011.
Guardiola failed to go all the way in three seasons with Bayern, however, and has fallen well short in his three full campaigns at the Etihad Stadium.
City were eliminated in the last-16 stage in 2017 and have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the last two years, but Villa is convinced Guardiola can guide them to glory.
For all the coaches and all the big clubs, it s normal to focus on the Champions League, because it s the best tournament you can play with a club, he told The Mirror.
…
Best Odds: 4/7
Bookmaker:
Turning their attention back to EFL Cup duties on Tuesday night, Chelsea will travel to the Riverside when they meet Middlesbrough for their semi-final first leg.
Middlesbrough
Starting with the hosts, while Middlesbrough might have opened up the 2023/24 campaign with their sights set on punching another play-off ticket, Michael Carrick’s men do find themselves at the heart of an extended rut. Suffering FA Cup heartbreak over the weekend as they fell to a late 1-0 loss at the hands of Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa, the ex-Manchester United coach will be bracing himself for another stern examination here. Putting in a nightmare display on New Year’s Day as they opened 2024 with a 3-1 drumming at home against Coventry, Middl…
Bayern Munich interim coach Hansi Flick expects Jerome Boateng to remain at the club despite strong links with Arsenal.
Boateng, 31, has been at the club since joining from Manchester City in 2011 and was first-choice at the back for the first few years.
But fitness problems began to have an impact in 2015-16 and he is yet to play more than 20 Bundesliga matches in a single season since.
This term Boateng has featured in nine of a possible 17 league matches and, with Bayern looking more towards young players in most areas of the team and Arsenal in need of defensive reinforcements, the experienced centre-back has been linked with a departure.
Flick has doubts about him leaving, however.
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN)
Jerom…
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
Two free-scoring sides who are looking to book their spot in the final of this year s extended Europa League, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk will meet at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Monday night.
Inter Milan
Starting with Inter Milan, while Antonio Conte s men might have been left heartbroken to have missed out on lifting their first Serie A title since 2010 by a one-point gap this summer, I Nerazzurri have enjoyed a stunning end to the year. With the mood in their camp at a real high and coming past Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a 2-1 win in a one-off quarter-final last time out, the former Chelsea boss finds his side in the midst of a five-match winning run across all competitions and with a growing reputation for their displays in the…
Best Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker:
Desperate to claim a Premier League boost on Thursday night, Manchester United will travel to Molineux when they meet Wolves.
Wolves
Starting with the hosts, while Wolves might have opened up the 2023/24 campaign tipped as a potential relegation contender, Gary O’Neil’s side have continued on a remarkable domestic flurry this season. Extending on their FA Cup adventure last weekend following a fiery 2-0 victory away at bitter local rivals West Brom, the former Bournemouth boss should find the mood in his camp at a red-hot high. Signing off 2023 with a statement on home soil as they secured a 3-0 romp against Everton, Wolves have lost just one of their previous 10 appearances across all competitions. Skyrocketing their way up the Pr…
Former England international Jack Rodwell has joined A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2021-22 season.
The 30-year-old ex-Everton and Manchester City midfielder had been without a club since being released by Sheffield United in June.
Rodwell, who only made two appearances in his 18 months with the Blades, spent a fortnight training with Wanderers and on Thursday signed a one-season deal.
This move is really exciting for me, I ve been looking at the opportunity to play in Australia for a couple of months and with my wife being from Western Sydney, the Wanderers was the perfect destination, said Rodwell.
Australia is like a second home to me, it s my favourite country on Earth, it s where my wife and her family are from; we love the pla…