Nine years ago, Luke Loucks sat in Leonard Hamilton's office at Florida State when his former coach asked him a question that changed his career trajectory:

"Have you ever considered coaching?"

That query ultimately sent Loucks on a quick rise through the NBA ranks. Now, in what Loucks described to ESPN as a move that was "meant to be," he will succeed Hamilton at Florida State. The 34-year-old Sacramento Kings assistant signed a five-year deal Sunday as the new Seminoles head coach and will be officially introduced Monday in Tallahassee.

"I don't know how to put it into words, but it's like it was meant to be this whole time," Loucks told ESPN in a phone interview. "This whole journey led me to this point."

When Hamilton suggested getting into coaching, Loucks was rehabbing a back injury but was heading to summer league in Las Vegas to try out for NBA teams. Hamilton suggested while there, Loucks start making connections with NBA personnel officials to see if he could find his way into a front office or coaching job.

That ultimately landed Loucks his first job, as a video coordinator and player development coach at Golden State in 2016. He spent five seasons there learning under Steve Kerr and won two NBA championships. He then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Suns before moving to the Kings for the past three years, where he reunited with Mike Brown (an assistant at Golden State when Loucks was there).

"You're going to be a head coach. It's just a matter of when," Brown told Loucks when he arrived in Sacramento in 2022.

Brown figured it would be in the NBA, but based on the way the college game is moving, he told ESPN he is not surprised Florida State hired Loucks, especially given his ties.

"As a young guy, he's experienced a lot in a short amount of time, which has really helped him grow quickly," Brown said. "He's really knowledgeable offensively, defensively, analytically. He thinks out of the box. He's not afraid to take chances but the biggest thing is he's a connector. When you're able to connect well with people, I don't care what job you're doing, you're going to be able to find a way to have success."

Though Loucks has no head coaching experience, he has a deep understanding of Florida State basketball, having played under Hamilton from 2008-12. But his Florida State ties run deeper than that. Loucks grew up in Clearwater, Florida, as an FSU fan -- his dad was a walk-on under Bobby Bowden on the football team and his uncles and younger sister attended the university.

So did his wife, Stevi, who swam for the Seminoles. When he got the job offer, Loucks said his wife and their parents all cried as they rejoiced in their homecoming.

Loucks had remained connected with Hamilton over the years, visiting the program whenever he had the opportunity. He described Hamilton as a "second father" and said the two spoke at length before Loucks took the job.

"I've won at Florida State at a very high level, and I was fortunate to be a small part on some great teams, and I hope to bring that success that Coach Hamilton started," Loucks said. "He's laid an unbelievable foundation, but to go back home to where I played, and to go replace a man of great character, who has had such an impact in my life, you cannot write the story better."

During his time there, Florida State made four straight NCAA tournament appearances and won its only ACC Tournament championship in 2012. Loucks, the starting point guard, made the All-ACC Tournament team after dishing out 13 assists in the championship game victory over North Carolina. When he left Florida State, he held the record for games played (136).

FSU athletic director Michael Alford said Loucks' energy and passion stood out during the interview process, but his NBA background was also hugely important -- including his player development, coaching philosophy and the direction in which college hoops is headed as a quasi-professional model.

"We've got to bring multiple people together with a ton of talent that are getting paid a ton of money, and we've got to form a bond and a commitment to doing things beyond our own individual ambitions," Loucks said. "It's bringing a group of men together to embrace a role for the betterment of the team. I've been fortunate to coach for teams that I've seen that done at a championship level, and I can bring that to Florida State in this environment that's constantly shifting."

Questions about Loucks' lack of head coaching experience, and his lack of college experience, were discussed at length during the interview process.

"I look more into the future where someone can go and be," Alford told ESPN. "I thought for sure he was ready."

Hamilton announced his retirement last month, leaving Florida State as the winningest head coach in school history after 23 seasons at the helm. The Seminoles have missed four straight NCAA tournaments and struggled to find the consistency that had once been a hallmark of the program.

"With my lack of experience, there are going to be question marks," Loucks said. "But the reality is, I understand Florida State, I understand the dynamics. I understand what goes into winning at Florida State. I've not only seen it, but I've experienced it, and I've lived it.

"That that gives me a head start. So, if you want someone to lead this team that gets it right, and who understands what type of people succeed here, what type of people won't succeed here, and how to recruit, and how do we evaluate those people? To me, you're not going to find a better person for the job."

The Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett have agreed on a record contract extension that averages $40 million per year and includes $123.5 million in guaranteed money, making the star defensive end the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sources told ESPN.

The Browns announced the four-year extension, which runs through the 2030 season, on Sunday but did not disclose financial terms.

Garrett's agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry finalized the deal Sunday, according to sources, ending a standoff that started last month when Garrett requested a trade out of Cleveland.

The extension also includes a no-trade clause, according to sources, and re-establishes Garrett's Hall of Fame trajectory that he referred to as "Cleveland to Canton."

The sides agreed to the deal two days after reports circulated that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam recently declined a request to meet with Garrett over the trade request and instead referred the four-time All-Pro to Berry.

Both Garrett and the Browns had been dug in on their respective stances -- the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year wanted to be traded to a contender, and the organization was adamant that they would not acquiesce to the request.

Garrett officially announced his trade request on Feb. 3, saying in a statement that his "goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl."

Garrett had previously mentioned that he did not want to endure another rebuild with the Browns, who are coming off a 3-14 season and hold the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft amid uncertainty at their quarterback position.

Garrett's deal also eclipses the value of the recent extension signed by Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who agreed Wednesday to a three-year, $106.5 million deal that made him the league's highest-paid non-quarterback at the time.

This past season, Garrett became the first player to record 100 career sacks before his 29th birthday since sacks became an official stat in 1982. He was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023 season, and his 14 sacks in 2024 ranked second in the NFL.

The Browns originally selected Garrett with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Since entering the league, Garrett's 102.5 sacks only trails the Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt, who has 108.

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least one to two weeks with a groin strain, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday.

James will wait for the groin injury to calm down Sunday and receive another evaluation, sources told ESPN, but the Lakers are braced to be without him for a period of time and will be cautious as they hold the third seed in the Western Conference.

James exited Saturday's loss to the Boston Celtics with with 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return.

After the game, James downplayed the injury, saying there was "not much concern" and vowed to "go day to day" in treating it.

The 22-year veteran missed 17 games during the 2018-19 season after suffering a torn groin on Christmas Day.

"I've been there before, and I know what type of injury you're dealing with," James said Saturday.

Los Angeles is entering a treacherous stretch of its schedule, playing six contests in the next eight days -- including two games apiece against the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.

James, 40, who has played in 58 of the Lakers' 62 games through Saturday, is averaging 25 points on 51.7% shooting (38.4% from 3), 8.5 assists and 8.2 rebounds this season.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has inflammation in his throwing elbow and will be shut down for up to 10 days.

Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Sunday that Rodriguez received a cortisone shot and would resume a throwing program in 7 to 10 days. Hyde had ruled out Rodriguez for the start of the season because of discomfort in his elbow earlier this week.

"Having some discomfort in the back of his elbow, so we are still getting multiple opinions," Hyde told reporters. "It's not a ligament issue, so we're not concerned about that. But it's going to result in some missed time. We're getting the results, we're talking to multiple people about what the treatment, etc. is as of right now. The timeline, we're not sure on it."

The 25-year-old Rodriguez was 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 20 starts for the Orioles last season.

Baltimore opens at Toronto on March 27.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Minnesota Twins right-hander Erasmo Ramirez has a significant tear in his shoulder and will be out for an extended period.

Twins trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters about the injury Saturday, adding that it will be weeks before Ramirez is re-examined to determine his progress.

The 34-year-old Ramirez signed a minor league contract with the Twins in the offseason and was vying for a position in their bullpen.

The 13-year MLB veteran appeared in 13 games for Tampa Bay last season, when he went 3-0 with a 4.35 ERA.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez will undergo surgery on a broken left hamate bone and miss six to eight weeks, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Sunday, another blow to a team already dealing with spring training injuries.

Alvarez, 23, was expected to play an integral part in a Mets season with high expectations after the 15-year, $765 million free agent signing of Juan Soto. After a rookie season with 25 home runs in 2023, Alvarez hit only 11 last year while missing nearly eight weeks recovering from surgery to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.

"It's always tough when one of your guys goes down like that," Mendoza said. "But again, you've got to keep going. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. Everybody deals with injuries. We'll get him back."

Alvarez will undergo surgery Monday, Mendoza said, after injuring the hamate -- the knobby bone underneath the pinky and ring finger -- during live at-bats Saturday.

Hand injuries often sap players of power, though Alvarez's defensive bona fides helped keep him a fixture in the Mets' lineup when healthy. While Alvarez was expected to hit behind a hefty lineup that includes Soto, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo, veteran Luis Torrens now is in line to take over the frontline catching duties.

"It's a big blow when your starting catcher goes down," Mendoza said. "But guys will step up. Guys will get opportunities. We feel good with what we have in-house. Pretty sure David and the group will be looking for outside as well, as he always does. But you hate to see it."

Torrens, currently the only catcher on the Mets' 40-man roster, will have big shoes to fill. Over the last two years, Alvarez has been worth nearly five wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs while hitting .222/.294/.422 and driving in 110 runs in 223 games.

Torrens, 28, joined the Mets in May last year when he was traded from the New York Yankees for cash. In his one season with near-full playing time -- 2021 with Seattle -- Torrens hit .243/.299/.431 with 15 home runs in 378 plate appearances. With the Mets last year, he batted .229/.292/.373 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 130 plate appearances over 47 games.

The injury to Alvarez adds to a list of unfortunate happenings for the Mets this spring after their billion-dollar winter they hoped would help them overcome the Los Angeles Dodgers after a National League Championship Series loss last year.

Left-hander Sean Manaea, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract to return to the Mets after being at the forefront of their surprising playoff run, strained a right oblique in late February and will be retested early this week, president of baseball operations David Stearns said, to determine whether he can start a throwing program.

The news on Manaea followed right-hander Frankie Montas, another offseason signing for two years and $34 million, straining his right lat on Feb. 17. Like Alvarez, he is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Utilityman Nick Madrigal, signed this winter as well, is expected to miss the season after dislocating and fracturing his left shoulder.