AB de Villiers will be playing in the BBL after all with Brisbane Heat securing one of the biggest signings in the recent history of the competition.

De Villiers, who retired from international cricket in 2018, had attracted huge interest from BBL clubs earlier this year but pulled back from committing to playing in Australia in May.

However, in a surprise announcement on Tuesday morning the Heat revealed they had signed de Villiers for the second half of the tournament, including the finals should the Heat get that far.

De Villiers will spend Christmas at home in Pretoria and appears likely to link up with the Heat around January 6 or 8. The Heat play Sydney Thunder in Sydney on January 6 but de Villiers appears more likely to play his first game against Hobart Hurricanes on January 9 at the Gabba.

De Villiers said he had spoken to former Heat captain Brendon McCullum about joining and was keen to play alongside current captain Chris Lynn after getting top know him through the IPL.

"I've spoken to Chris a few times after games in the IPL," de Villiers said. "I always enjoy the way he plays the game, he really goes after the bowling, he attacks the game, and he seems like a really good team-mate. He gives his best shot for the boys. I'm looking forward to joining forces with him. The Heat have always stood out to me."

The new Heat coach Darren Lehmann, who took over from Daniel Vettori, was ecstatic to get a player of de Villiers' quality.

"World-class players don't just come along every day and to have a player of AB's stature and skill in the BBL is a fantastic outcome for everyone, not just the Heat,'' Lehmann said. "He's a 360-degree player, great skills, outstanding temperament, and an insightful leader. We're excited to bring him into the group this summer and allow him to showcase his skills for the fans."

De Villiers signing is a huge coup for the tournament as a whole. The BBL had significant trouble last season attracting big names. A combination of the elongated tournament and the small salary cap, by comparison to global standards, made it very difficult for clubs to attract high-quality overseas talent. When de Villiers initially withdrew his interest from playing in the BBL back in May there were genuine concerns about how the competition could attract quality overseas players moving forward.

De Villiers is the start of a set of overseas signings to come around the BBL. Australia's international players will also be available for the last week of the tournament as well as the finals in early February after a week-long ODI tour of India.

The IPL auction for the 2020 season will be held on December 19 this year and, for a change, the BCCI has decided to conduct it at a new venue: Kolkata. The auctions have traditionally been held in Bengaluru.

This year's auction is the last small one before franchises disband next year and prepare to assemble fresh squads from 2021 at a mega auction. The last big IPL auction took place in January 2018, when franchises were allowed to retain five players before building new squads.

ESPNcricnfo understands that all eight franchises were informed on Monday that the trading window would close on November 14. The franchises were originally allotted INR 85 crore (US $12 million approx) to build their teams for 2020. Every franchise will also have an additional purse of INR 3 crore (US $425,000 approx) in addition to the balance in their kitties from the last auction.

Delhi Capitals have the biggest balance - INR 8.2 crore, followed by Rajasthan Royals - INR 7.15 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 6.05 crore), Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 5.3 crore), Kings XI Punjab (INR 3.7 crore), Chennai Super Kings (INR 3.2 crore), defending champions Mumbai Indians (INR 3.05 crore) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 1.8 crore).

Brisbane Heat are hopeful of enticing AB de Villiers to play multiple seasons in the Big Bash League after signing him for the upcoming season, according to coach Darren Lehmann.

The Heat pulled off a major coup on Tuesday signing de Villiers just months after it appeared as though de Villiers may not play in Australia's T20 competition at all having withdrawn his interest in May following a flurry of media speculation.

Lehmann said Heat management had stayed in contact with de Villiers, including flying to South Africa to meet with him, and felt fortunate to convince him to sign for this season but they are hopeful it won't be a one-off.

"We were just lucky enough that we had a good conversation with him and his management and Baz McCullum was fantastic as well, pushing the Brisbane Heat," Lehmann said. "After it sort of fell over a bit we kept in contact with him and at the end of the day, we were really humbled that actually wanted to come back and play.

"I just want him to come and enjoy it really, to be perfectly honest. And I think if he does that he'll play well. I saw him playing in England this year in the Vitality Blast and he played really well.

"We really want him to impart some of his knowledge on some of our younger kids more so than anything else and hopefully he stays on for years to come."

The Heat are still negotiating his exact arrival date to Australia after agreeing to allow him to stay in South Africa to celebrate Christmas and New Year with his family for one of the rare times in his career.

De Villiers will definitely miss the Heat's first five matches of the tournament. Their sixth match is on January 6 against Sydney Thunder and their seventh is against Hobart Hurricanes on January 9. Lehmann could not guarantee when he would arrive but did confirm he would play the rest of the home and away games and finals.

"It'll be roughly early January," Lehmann said. "We're just working through those finer details. But we've got him from then right through until the end, and then hopefully finals as well if we play well enough, and then hopefully from then on, he keeps coming back."

De Villiers' presence gives Lehmann and captain Chris Lynn enormous flexibility with their top order as he joins the likes of Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw, and Ben Cutting.

But Lehmann was just as excited about what he could add from a leadership perspective.

"It's a great experience for Chris Lynn," Lehmann said. "I know they obviously played against each other in the IPL. I know Chris Lynn is over the moon and excited by it. But just for AB to impart his knowledge with the younger guys and leadership skills he's had with South Africa. For us, it's a win-win."

The Heat's other overseas players are currently Afghanistan spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Zahir Khan.

West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite, an occasional offspinner whose bowling action has been questioned more than once, has been cleared to bowl in international cricket again following an ICC-approved assessment.

Brathwaite had been reported after the second Test between West Indies and India in Kingston earlier this year, with the ICC saying in a statement at the time that the match officials' report had "cited concerns about the legality of the 26-year-old's bowling action during the course of the match".

He subsequently underwent a bowling assessment in the ICC-accredited facility in Loughborough on September 14, where, the ICC said in a statement on Tuesday, "it was revealed that the amount of elbow extension for all his deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations".

Brathwaite had earlier been reported for a suspect bowling action in August 2017 following the first Test of West Indies' tour of England, played at Edgbaston. Then, too, he was tested in Loughborough, and he was subsequently cleared to continue bowling at the highest level.

In the West Indies Test side mainly as an opening batsman, Brathwaite has 18 wickets from 58 games at an average of 56.94.

The Washington Nationals offered third baseman Anthony Rendon a seven-year deal worth $210 million to $215 million, according to The Washington Post.

The early September offer is not expected to keep Rendon from hitting the free agent market this winter, according to The Post. Rendon signed a one-year deal worth $18.8 million before this season.

Washington's offer is worth less than the 10-year, $300 million deal presented to Bryce Harper last season. Rendon and Harper both have Scott Boras as an agent.

During the 2019 regular season, Rendon, 29, hit .319 with 34 home runs and 126 RBIs -- all career bests for the seven-year veteran. He led the NL in RBIs, and his 1.010 OPS was third in the NL behind those of the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger (1.035) and the Brewers' Christian Yelich (1.100).

The Nationals begin their postseason run on Tuesday by hosting the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL wild-card game.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green remains confident that his team can make its sixth straight trip to the NBA Finals this season, despite the fact that its roster underwent a major reconstruction over the summer. On Monday, Green didn't hesitate when asked what the team's expectations should be this season.

"I am not sure what everyone's expectations are," Green told ESPN. "We haven't really had any team meetings yet. But I know what my expectations are. They don't change from year-to-year. They are always the same."

When asked specifically if he thinks the Warriors could go to the NBA Finals this season, Green was quick with his answer.

"Is Steph Curry on our team? Klay Thompson?" Green said confidently. "Yup."

The Warriors' roster is in transition after losing superstar forward Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Also gone are veteran stalwarts Andre Iguodala, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a corresponding move, and Shaun Livingston, who retired.

Despite all the movement, both Green and Curry said they believe the expectation for the group should be the same as always: a trip to the NBA Finals.

"For sure," Curry told ESPN. "As long as we have the solid core that we've got and the experiences to kind of back us up, we're going to keep that goal in mind. The fun part about it is that we get to kind of recreate the look of it and incorporating the new pieces that we have, and that part's the most exciting. The last five Finals have kind of been a certain way, so whatever we do from here, you're going to enjoy it even more."

After losing in six games to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals in June, Green said it would be "stupid" to think the Warriors' championship run is over. Both Green and Curry believe their championship experience can be a catalyst in helping to teach a group of young players how to win a sixth straight Western Conference championship.

"Because I think obviously what we have returning [in] myself, Steph and Klay -- with the experience that we have, the championship pedigree that we have and obviously all of us still being in our primes," Green said. "Then you add in a young D'Angelo Russell, you add in Kevon Looney, who just got a new contract -- it is a lot of talent. Like I said, experience and also a lot of younger guys who are out to prove themselves."

Curry echoed a similar sentiment. The veteran guard believes both he and Green can raise the level of their play when needed as the group learns how to play without Thompson, who will be out most of the season as he rehabs from a torn ACL in his left knee.

"We know who's on our team still," Curry said. "Myself, Klay, Draymond, D'Angelo and obviously a lot of newcomers. We got a lot of pieces we got to put together. We understand it's going to look different -- a new building, a new roster -- but when you have the championship DNA that we have and the experiences that we have, we can bank on that."

Many around the league believe that because of the loss of Durant, the injury to Thompson and the uncertainty surrounding the youth on the back end of the roster, the Warriors are essentially entering a gap year as they wait to get healthy and get out of a hard-cap situation next season after acquiring Russell.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he isn't concerned about what the outside world might say about his team. He's trying to focus on developing the young talent alongside the future Hall of Famers on the roster.

"I think the expectation for our group should be to develop a young crop of players," Kerr said. "[What] we have to do this year is put so much of our time and energy into those young guys so that they can become key contributors to the next era of Warriors basketball. If we can do that, if we can get a couple of them [to] become rotational players, we're going to still be good going forward."

Whether this new group of Warriors succeeds or fails is contingent on a slew of variables, one of the largest being Russell's ability to pick up his new team's offensive system quickly. Like many on the roster, Russell is already drawing some motivation from the fact that many people have written off the group this season.

"If it starts out slow, if it's start out fast, it's just the process that we're going to have to enjoy," Russell said of the group's lofty expectations. "Instead of putting an expectation on it ASAP like that, I think we can just come in and come to work every day and live with the results when we're on that platform to showcase it."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors All-Star swingman Klay Thompson will be out until at least the All-Star break as he continues to recover from a torn left ACL, general manager Bob Myers announced Monday.

"He's doing fine," Myers said. "We'll have another update on him probably around the All-Star break. Don't construe that as if we think he'll be back by the All-Star break -- that just means we'll have an update then."

Thompson suffered the injury June 13, in Game 6 of last season's NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

The Warriors remain optimistic that Thompson, 29, will play at some point this season, but it remains to be seen exactly when he will return to the floor. Thompson said he has no issues with the organization's time frame and wasn't trying to rush back before then.

"I'm going to do what the team says," Thompson said. "And I've done my due diligence on rehabs and ACL injuries, and the last thing you want to do is rush back, especially for a player like me who wants to play until he's in his late 30s. I want to play at a high level until that point, too. As much as it kills me not to be on the court, patience is a virtue, and rushing back would be not very smart."

Thompson is pleased with the way his knee has responded at the outset of the rehabilitation process, but admits that the past couple months have been "tedious" on the road to recovery.

"I mean, the workouts, they're not fun. You're not on the court putting together dribble packages and getting up jumpers and playing one-on-one. You're doing a lot of tedious exercises just to build back strength and confidence and pass those mental hurdles that might hold you back. So for me, I'm still -- and I'm about to enter phase 2 of the rehab, and it's been a great -- I had surgery July 2, so I've made huge strides since then.

"I've become much more sympathetic to all athletes at all levels who go through a major injury or surgery. It's not fun, and it really tests your patience. But it's our job to come back even stronger, and the team has faith in me to do that. That's why I think they rewarded me with my [contract] extension."

Thompson said he is confident he will be able to work well with new addition D'Angelo Russell whenever he is cleared to return to the lineup.

"I think it'll be easy," Thompson said. "I think my style of play can adapt to anybody, and I've been watching D'Angelo for years now, and he's an amazing passer, and I don't think he's played with two shooters like me and Steph [Curry]. I think he's just going to have fun as far as playmaking and coming off those pick-and-rolls he did in Brooklyn so well, now with the space he has with us, I think it's going to be great. So I don't think it'll be very hard at all, honestly. I think we all know how to play at such a high level, and we're all very unselfish."

LeBron James' longtime friend and business partner, Maverick Carter, said the NBA star would have held off on entering the NBA draft right out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School had there been measures in place like bill SB 206 intends to implement.

"I think if you got paid, you would have went to play college basketball," Carter said on the latest episode of "The Shop," the lively, barbershop-style discussion show produced by James' and Carter's media company, Uninterrupted.

"It would have been fun," James said in agreement.

It's too late for James to suit up for March Madness, but the Los Angeles Lakers star is focused on the next generation of athletes maximizing their earning potential during their time on college campuses.

California governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 206, commonly referred to as the Fair Pay to Play Act, while a guest on "The Shop" this week. Beginning in 2023, the law says colleges in California cannot punish their athletes for collecting endorsement money. James said on Twitter that he was "incredibly proud" to be a part of the groundswell supporting the bill.

I'm so incredibly proud to share this moment with all of you. @gavinnewsom came to The Shop to do something that will change the lives for countless athletes who deserve it! @uninterrupted hosted the formal signing for SB 206 allowing college athletes to responsibly get paid. pic.twitter.com/NZQGg6PY9d

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 30, 2019

James' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, appeared on the episode and said that beyond the compensation college athletes can earn, the basic business fluency that can be gleaned from the process behind negotiating deals is another benefit the players can take with them long past their school days.

James discussed the law and its implications after Lakers' practice on Monday while wearing a T-shirt with his slogan, "More Than An Athlete," printed on the front.

Here's what we had to say:

LeBron's response to the law:

"I think it's a great day. I think it's a win, obviously, in California. Like I said, I'm just honored to be a part of it and be with the governor and for him to understand what a lot of these athletes have been going through for so many years. So, it's a start of something that we believe is special."

Why this is an important issue for him:

"I was one of those underprivileged kids. Obviously, I was fortunate enough and talented enough to be able to skip college. But for sure I would have been one of those kids if I would have went off to Ohio State or if I would have went off to any one of these big-time colleges, where pretty much that 23 jersey would have got sold all over the place without my name on the back, but everybody would have known the likeness. My body would have been on the NCAA basketball [video] game 2004 and the Schottenstein Center would have been sold out every single night if I was there.

"And coming from just me and my mom, we didn't have anything and we wouldn't have been able to benefit at all from it, and the university would have been able to capitalize on everything that I would have been there for that year or two or whatever. So I understand what those kids are going through. I feel for those kids that have been going through it for so long, so that's why it's personal to me."

Why this is happening now:

"Well, listen, it's the opportunity. Timing is everything, and the timing is now. You don't sit back and say, 'OK, the beginning of the 2019-20 season is when we want to do it.' I think it's just timing, and the timing was right."

How Newsom got on "The Shop" and what's next:

"We have a pretty good platform these days. So that's how it came about. We have a pretty good platform. People respect what we're doing at Uninterrupted, so that's how it came about.

"I think it's just a mutual respect about what we're both trying to accomplish. And like I said, we have a platform that reaches a lot of people, and we've been trying to let people know that we have a place where athletes can be heard and athletes can become powerful in their own right. So it means a lot, and it was an honor to have the governor come on our show to sign such a -- what we believe -- a historical change in time.

"So, like I said, we're here at the Lakers facility, and I don't want to take away from what I'm here [for] now. This is the season, this is the Lakers, but it's a great day, we believe, going forward. And it's up to, now, it's the [NCAA's] turn to step up."

Boston Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said Monday there is a way for the team to keep stars Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez and stay below Major League Baseball's competitive balance tax, but it will be tough.

"There is a way, but obviously it will be difficult given the nature of the agreements and the contracts we have in place," Kennedy said Monday at Fenway Park.

"We have a very targeted and strategic plan that we're building now. Some of the dates related to contract decisions come right after the World Series. So we've had some time in September to focus on the offseason given where we were in the standings," he said. "It is going to be a challenging offseason, but we're ready to attack it head-on and do everything we can to put a competitive team out there not just for next year but 2021, 2022."

On Friday, owners John Henry and Tom Werner met with reporters and said they were prepared to cut payroll to get under the luxury-tax threshold next season. Boston has had baseball's highest payroll for two consecutive seasons, exceeding the competitive balance threshold of $208 million in both. If the Red Sox exceed the threshold for a third straight season, their taxes would go up astronomically.

"We need to be under the CBT," said Henry, the team's controlling owner.

Kennedy backed off that some on Monday, saying that is merely a "guidepost."

"We will continue to demonstrate a willingness to go over the CBT,'' Kennedy said. "It is going to be a challenging offseason, but we are going to attack it.''

Betts, a homegrown talent, has one year left on his rookie deal and declined any overtures from the Red Sox to sign an extension before the season. The outfielder is likely headed to arbitration in the offseason. The Red Sox and Betts -- who turns 27 next week -- agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal before this season to avoid arbitration, the largest amount given to a second-time arbitration-eligible player.

"We absolutely love Mookie Betts as a player, as a person," Kennedy said. "We've gotten to know his family. You hope that he's a guy that is here for the long term."

Kennedy said he took no offense at the idea that Betts might like to test the free-agent market.

"I think it speaks to Mookie's confidence and how special of a player he is," Kennedy said. "He really does love it here. He told me he loves it here. ... You can see with the joy and energy and enthusiasm in which he approaches playing baseball at Fenway Park -- the fans love him."

Martinez, a middle-of-the-lineup force for the past two seasons, can opt out of the final three years of his contract this winter. Martinez, 32, needs to make his decision by five days after the World Series. Kennedy said the team is in wait-and-see mode and has not engaged in any specific discussions about his plans.

"You want J.D. Martinez in the middle of your lineup," Kennedy said. "He's a world champion and was a key part of last year's success, so we will see where it goes in the future."

With no playoffs, the Red Sox -- who fired general manager Dave Dombrowski on Sept. 8 -- embark right away on an offseason that will be full of difficult decisions.

In addition to the money it would cost to keep Betts and Martinez, the Red Sox also have $79 million a year tied up in contracts for starting pitchers David Price, Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi.

Even the players seemed to be resigned to the departure of Betts, the 2018 MVP.

"I think everyone knows we don't think they're going to be able to afford Mookie," Martinez told reporters Sunday. "It's one of those things. It's kind of hard to have three guys making $30 million on your team. He deserves it. He's earned it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein on Monday outlined the qualities he wants to see in his next manager, and confirmed that former catcher David Ross is among the team's "broad list" of candidates.

"We haven't called to ask for permission on anybody," Epstein said during an 80-minute news conference Monday, a day after the club announced it would not retain Joe Maddon. "We're full speed ahead. We're not going to drag this out any longer than it needs to be, but we're also going to be thorough."

Epstein stressed that the Cubs want to look forward not backward, downplaying Ross' connection to the team's past.

"David Ross has a lot of great things going for him," Epstein said of the World Series-winning catcher. "His connection to the players on this team, and especially his connection to the 2016 team, are not necessarily assets that distinguish him or are important to us. ... Ross is an attractive candidate, and he's going to be evaluated on the merits."

Ross, currently an ESPN analyst, said Sunday that he is interested in the job.

Without naming names, Epstein said the Cubs are interested in at least one member of a playoff team's staff and will look internally, as well. Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta and former big leaguer and current Cubs catching coordinator Mark Johnson could be candidates for the job.

Epstein wouldn't comment on former Cubs catcher Joe Girardi's status as a candidate. He also was delicate while speaking in regard to Maddon's legacy with the Cubs.

"Please don't take anything I say as far as what we're looking for [in] a manager, at this moment in time, as any kind of critique at Joe [Maddon] because it's not," Epstein said. "He was the perfect guy for this team at the perfect time.

"It's going to be important for the next manager to find a way to foster a team identity. Our routines tended to be more individualized. There wasn't a lot of work as a team. I think it's going to be important for this group to work as a team.

"At this moment in time, with this group, I think accountability is important. We were pretty mistake-prone this year. The next manager should be part of this. Helping to create a culture of accountability."

The Cubs led the majors in outs made on the bases and in errors this season, leading some outside the organization to believe that a firmer hand might be needed from the manager.

"You want to make sure you don't end up with the candidate that interviews the best," Epstein said. "You want to end up with the candidate who is going to be the best manager.

"Picking priorities and values to emphasize work is going to be important. For this group, at this time, we need to find a way to create a culture that compels every player to push himself to be the absolute best version of himself."

Though he gave some details, Epstein backed off diving further into his ideal qualifications for the Cubs' next manager.

"I don't want to answer too specifically," he said. "If I get into a long list of specifics, then every managerial candidate that comes in will list every single specific that we say and think they aced the interview process."

The Cubs finished 84-78 this season and did not extend Maddon's contract after five years. Almost by default, the Cubs are likely to hire someone with less experience, which could affect the decision.

"It's something you have to consider," Epstein said. "Lack of experience is a factor. It's not the determining factor."