Romelu Lukaku has reiterated his desire to leave Manchester United despite a request from manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to stay and fight for his place, sources have told ESPN FC.

The striker is keen to move to Inter Milan this summer to link up with Antonio Conte.

Solskjaer has told Lukaku, who is with the squad in Australia, he is part of his plans for next season but the Belgian is still determined to leave if a fee can be agreed with the Serie A side.

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United are set to face Inter on the next leg of their preseason tour in Singapore on July 20.

Lukaku fears he has slipped behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order to be United's central striker next season.

United are not actively looking to sell the 26-year-old, who has scored 42 goals in 96 games since arriving from Everton in 2017, and would want an offer of around £80 million before allowing him to leave. Sources have told ESPN FC that any bid r from Inter that includes a loan or a player swap is likely to be rejected.

Meanwhile, midfielder Juan Mata has revealed Solskjaer held a meeting on the first day of preseason to remind the players of their responsibilities as United players.

Last season ended with just two wins from the final 12 games and Solskjaer is keen to get off to a flying start when the new campaign kicks off against Chelsea on Aug. 11.

"We had a meeting on the first day in which the manager and the staff spoke about what they expect from us, what they expect from Manchester United players and I think that is the right thing to do," said Mata.

"I think we all have to know what we represent, we have to know the level that people expect from us and I think it is good to do it the first day.

"Since then, they are trying to help the players, trying to improve in the way they want us to play and it is all fine so far."

It's barely remembered now, but the England ODI side was ranked No.1 in the world for five months in 2012.

They had beaten Pakistan in the UAE. They had beaten India and Australia at home. They had three men - Jonathan Trott, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen - who had, at one stage, been rated in the top three of the ODI rankings for batting and four men - Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn and James Anderson - who had been rated in the top four for bowling. They were a fine side.

But you probably don't remember. Because they didn't win a trophy. And, harsh though it is, they are now remembered as playing an out-dated brand of cricket that the world has left behind.

The point of all this? Trophies matter. Yes, bilateral series can be fun and significant. But it is global trophies that define reputations. And no global 50-over trophy defines reputations more than the World Cup.

This England team has achieved just about everything it can - world records, No. 1 status and respect from opponents and spectators - without winning a trophy. But, if they are to be remembered as the game-changing side they deserve to be, if they are to leave some sort of legacy, if they really are going to gain some traction in a mainstream media that, in the UK, seems more interested in football transfers (at least one paper led with a story about a footballer's dog on Wednesday) in the off-season than a cricket World Cup, they have to have some silverware to show for it.

They may never have a better chance. It's not just that this World Cup is played in their own conditions and, to some extent, in front of their own supporters. It's that they have been preparing for it for years and the No. 2 ranked side - England are back at No. 1 - has been eliminated. England have won 10 of their last 11 ODIs against Australia in England, they are playing at a ground where they have won their last 10 international matches across formats and where Australia have not won an ODI since 1993. While Australia are beset with injuries, England have their first choice 15 available. Not since 1987 (or perhaps 1992) have they had a better chance to win the World Cup.

You wonder for the future of 50-over cricket in England, too. Next year, the ECB will bring in The Hundred. It will be played at the same time as the domestic 50-over competition meaning the best 100 or so white-ball players will no longer be available to participate in it. Perhaps, if The Hundred inspires new followers to the game, we will look back and congratulate the ECB on their foresight and bravery, but it does seem bizarre to build towards a 50-over tournament for years and then undermine the format's future. It also seems inevitable that England's ODI future will be compromised. It would probably be a bit of an exaggeration to say 'it's now or never' for England. But only a bit of one.

There are further implications for England ahead of this match. Not least of them is that we now know, if England reach the final, the match will be broadcast free to air. That provides a tangible opportunity to reach the new audience the game's authorities have been targeting for years; a tangible chance for this wonderfully entertaining side to inspire a new generation; a tangible chance for the sport in this country to grow. And if any of that sounds like hyperbole, remember it would be the first England ODI (part of one Test was shown free to some customers in 2013) broadcast free to air in the UK since 2005. It really could be the first time many English people have ever seen their team play.

The team know all this, of course. In the last couple of days, two of them - Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett - have referred to this match as the biggest of their careers. So, much as they may talk about being relaxed and playing the aggressive brand of cricket which has earned them such success, it is hard to know how they will react for sure in the spotlight. The signs of recent days - the victories over India and New Zealand in what amounts to knock-out cricket - is encouraging. So is the relaxed air that has remained around the squad in training. But it is one thing to look relaxed in training; it's another to do it when the first Mitchell Starc yorker hones in towards your toes.

Of course it's Australia standing in England's path here. Australia, the old enemy. Australia, the reborn. Australia, the new-age, kid-loving, barefoot-walking wolf in sheep's clothing (as far as England are concerned). Australia, who are playing pressure-free cricket having already done better than they could have hoped a year or so ago. Australia, with their apparently unquenchable confidence. Australia, who England haven't beaten in a World Cup since 1992 and who have progressed in every semi-final they've contested. Australia, who are perfectly poised to exploit any diffidence and ruin the party. No team makes England more nervous. No team has caused them such misery. This game didn't need more on it, but the identity of Australia as opponents has provided it anyway.

Eoin Morgan, the captain who has instilled so much of the spirt in this England side, is not denying the magnitude of the occasion. But rather than shirking from it, he hopes his side relish it. Most of all, he is telling them not to worry about the result, but concentrate on the process. He didn't quite say 'it's not whether we win or lose, it's how we play the game,' but he might as well have done.

"The level of expectation in the team is to go and justify how we play," Morgan said. "If that means getting knocked or winning the World Cup, I think the guys will be happy. If we don't justify ourselves and give it everything we have done, I think the guys will be disappointed. Our strength is the way we play and sticking to that, no matter how long we have left in the tournament."

You know what he means. And, from his perspective, it's the right mindset. But you suspect, if England do lose, this will be a match that keeps these players up at night decades into the future. These are career defining days - perhaps even life defining - for many of those involved. They need a trophy to show for their improvement. They need tangible reward.

Maybe Jos Buttler put it more eloquently - certainly he put it more succinctly - when he wrote 'F*** it' on the top of his bat handle. Either way, England have to embrace the moment; enjoy the eyes upon them; revel in the consequences of the match in which they are involved and let their undoubted talent flow. Yes, they have to be able to adapt to conditions as required. But they also have to be bold and seize the day. They have to take the opportunity to show off their skills in front of a nation. These are the moments that every one of this team will have dreamed about being involved in as a child. They have to believe they are good enough to be here. And good enough to go a step further.

This game is played a year to the day since England's footballers were knocked out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage. Most onlookers agreed they had performed brilliantly to progress so far. But this England side wants more than that; needs more than that. They don't want to be Henry Cooper rocking Muhammad Ali; they don't want to be Tim Henman going a set-up on Goran Ivanisevic; they sure as hell don't want to be congratulating Carlos Brathwaite on an incredible innings. They don't want to be plucky losers. Sport is never really all about winning. But you could be forgiven for not knowing it at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Aftab Alam, the Afghanistan fast bowler, has been suspended from domestic and international cricket for one year for a code of conduct violation at the 2019 World Cup. His national contract also stands suspended for the mentioned period.

The decision came after an investigation by the Afghanistan Cricket Board's disciplinary committee, following a decision taken at the board's annual general meeting in Kabul last week.

Alam was withdrawn from the Afghanistan World Cup squad under "exceptional circumstances" - as announced by the ICC - on June 27. It later emerged that he was sent home following allegations of serious misbehavior with a female guest at the team hotel in Southampton.

Alam played his last game on June 22 in Afghanistan's 11-run loss to India in Southampton, where the alleged incident of misbehavior is said to have taken place. He was subsequently suspended for two matches by head coach Phil Simmons for not being present at an ICC anti-corruption unit meeting on June 23. It later emerged that Alam was in London with a relative and returned to the hotel only later in the day.

The 26-year-old pacer also ran into trouble during the India-Pakistan game at Old Trafford on June 16, when he turned up at the game unannounced and requested VIP access for himself and his friends. Using his player's accreditation pass, he made his way to one of the hospitality rooms and then refused to leave. When security was summoned, his friends left but Alam stayed. Eventually, however, he was removed.

In all, Alam featured in three of Afghanistan's eight games, picking up four wickets.

India lost the World Cup semi-final in the first 45 minutes of their chase against New Zealand, and will now return home "heartbroken", according to their captain, Virat Kohli, who nevertheless insisted that his team had done a "commendable" job in the course of the tournament.

The several hundred India fans, who had opted to stay back for the second day of the rain-interrupted contest, were left aghast as Matt Henry and Trent Boult reduced their side to 5 for 3 and then 24 for 4 in the first Powerplay. And despite a spirited comeback, led by Ravi Jadeja and MS Dhoni, the damage proved too much to overcome in an 18-run defeat.

"The game pretty much changed in those first 40 minutes when we were batting," Kohli said after the match. "The pressure created was immense in those first 40, 45 minutes. And when you lose 3 for 5 it is very difficult to come back into the game."

Kohli admitted that India had clearly not been ready for the challenge presented by New Zealand's seamers, who had been given a total of 239 to defend after adding a further 28 runs to their overnight 211 for 5. While that did not look like a substantial total at the time, a pair of hard-worked half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor had made it clear that the surface was not easy for run-scoring.

"New Zealand, the way they bowled, they did not provide any opportunities for us," said Kohli. "For the first seven or eight overs we didn't get a ball to drive. That shows the kind of control they bowled with and they put the fielders in the right positions and that was a perfect spell of fast bowling with the new ball, which really put us under a lot of pressure.

Watch on Hotstar: How India's wickets fell in dramatic run-chase

"We are not shying away from accepting that we didn't stand up to the challenge and we were not good enough under pressure. We have to accept that and accept the failure as it shows on the scoreboard."

According to some reports, New Zealand prepared for the contest by watching videos of Pakistan's victory over India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final - another match which featured key early wickets in India's run-chase.

"I wasn't surprised with how New Zealand played, to be honest," said Kohli. "If there is a low total, we knew there's probably only one or two sides in world cricket that will put seven fielders in the ring and one was going to be New Zealand.

"We knew they were going to attack more. They will not let the game go to the end, they won't take it deep, they will go all out and play the game. Today, also, third man was up in the ring. In the one-day game you had five catching fielders. So they know how to put pressure because they play very consistent cricket."

At 5 for 3 after 19 balls, India's soft underbelly - their middle order - was brought into play earlier than at any other stage of the tournament. In each of their previous contests, at least one of the top three had endured to drop anchor into the middle overs, not least Rohit Sharma, who had notched five hundreds in his eight previous innings.

"I don't think that I would like to break things down immediately, but in time we'll have to sit down and analyse where we went wrong and the things we could have done right in this game particularly," said Kohli.

He did, however, add that a "couple" of batsmen might have reason to question their shot selection. He didn't name names, although both Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya fell to rash aggressive shots after digging in hard to rebuild the innings. Pant opted to slog-sweep Mitchell Santner and bring to an end a dogged 47-run partnership, before Pandya, too, lost his head to a mow across the line and picked out Kane Williamson in the deep.

Immediately after Pant's dismissal, TV cameras caught Kohli swiftly walking out of the Indian dressing room to have a chat with head coach Ravi Shastri. Was he furious at the youngster's shot selection?

Kohli categorically said that was not the case, claiming instead that he wanted to discuss with Shastri the mini-targets that the team needed to set during such a chase. As for Pant, Kohli said he already understood his mistake but it was all part of the learning process for a 21-year-old player who had not even been an original selection in this, his first World Cup.

"He is an instinctive player and did well to overcome that situation and stringing a partnership with Hardik," said Kohli. "The way they played after the loss of four wickets rather, was quite commendable. He's still young. I made many errors when I was young in my career and he will learn, he will look back and think, yes, he could have chosen a different option in that situation and he realises that already.

"All these guys have a lot of pride and passion to play for their country and they are the ones who feel the most disappointed when a mistake happens. On the outside it looks like it was an error but the person who makes it, trust me, they are the ones who suffer the most with it.

"I'm sure he will reflect on it and he will come out stronger. The talent is there for everyone to see and the character is there, but, as I said, yes, a few shots, not just Rishabh, but that happens in sport. You make errors, you make decisions which are not right at that time and you have to accept it."

The defeat will be doubly painful for Kohli because, once again, he failed with the bat in a crucial knock-out contest. In his three World Cup semi-final appearances, he has made scores of 9 (2011), 1 (2015) and 1 again today. Even in the Champions Trophy final in 2017, he made just 5.

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Today he chose to review his lbw decision after being struck on the pad by Boult, but was sent on his way after the umpire's call was upheld by the replay. Kohli flung his bat in anger and disappointment as he left the crease.

He admitted afterwards that he had been unable to control his emotions in the moment, but owned up to failing when it mattered most for his team. "It is very disappointing not turning up when the team wanted me to. Obviously, it feels bad. Everyone gets disappointed when they get out so it was a natural reaction."

Leading India at a World Cup for the first time, Kohli's dream of making the final has been shattered despite India finishing top in the group phase. He did not hide his disappointment. "Of course, very disappointed," he said, "to just go out on the basis of 45 minutes of bad cricket is saddening and it breaks your heart also, because you have worked so hard throughout the tournament to build momentum.

"You finish No. 1 in the table and then a spell of bad cricket and then you are out of the tournament completely. But you have to accept it.

"We are sad, but we are not, you know, devastated because of the kind of cricket that we played in this tournament. We know where we stood as a team and today we were not good enough and that is the nature of this tournament. A bad day in the knockout stage [and] you are out of the tournament

"But having said that, we have qualified to the semis and we have played some really good cricket, so we should be also proud of the way we have played and look at the positives also, because there were a lot throughout this tournament, especially Rohit's performance was standout, Jasprit [Bumrah] with the ball and Jadeja given the opportunities. So there are many things that we can take back as positives."

Australia A 373 all out & 0 for 12 (Harris 12*) beat Sussex 263 & 120 all out (Kapil 33, Pattinson 3-12) by 10 wickets

Winning momentum is a priority for Australia A and Test captain Tim Paine after the A side needed just six balls on day four to wrap up a 10-wicket thrashing of Sussex at Arundel.

Australia A required just 11 runs to win after Sussex were bundled out for just 120 in their second innings at stumps on day three.

Marcus Harris, fresh off a century in the first innings, blasted three boundaries in the first over of the day to send everyone home early.

Paine, who is captaining the Australia A team in preparation for the Ashes, said there was only one goal in these tour matches.

"Winning, that's what we're here to do," Paine said. "Great to get the tour off to a winning start. All our bowlers were quite impressive by the end of the game and we saw some great hundreds from Harris and Joe Burns.

"It's what we want to see. I think we're in a really good position at the moment as a Test team where we've got a lot of guys who have had good summers and some others are over here playing county cricket and playing well and obviously this game we've had two guys score hundreds. So we've got plenty of options and plenty of guys in really good form so that puts us in a really good place."

Five of Australia's top seven from their last Test match are in the Australia A side. Incumbent Test openers, Harris and Burns put on 214 in the first innings to set up the win as the pair continue their battle to see who will partner David Warner in the first Test.

The batting did fall away thereafter with Australia A losing 10 for 159 against the second new ball. Travis Head (34) and Paine (20) were the only other players to get decent starts. Paine said there was room for improvement in the match against the England Lions starting on Sunday at Canterbury.

"We didn't quite nail it after that big partnership but there are guys here who haven't played a game of cricket for months and there's still a bit of rust and lack of time in the middle and that can happen," Paine said.

"Now we've got a game next week and what we want to see is continuing improvement coming into the first Test."

The international experienced attack of Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Michael Neser and Jon Holland excelled against Sussex. Australia A also has Chris Tremain available and may rotate one of their quicks against the Lions.

"(The bowlers) had a light second innings I guess, so if required they'll be good to go again," Paine said. "We'll have to manage them and see what best suits and what guys we need to have a look at."

Paine is eyeing off an opportunity to claim some early bragging rights ahead of the Ashes.

"We expect the intensity to go up next week and our intensity will be going up next week. We want to come on this tour and win every game we're playing in. Potentially there's going to be guys in that team that play in the first Test so any opportunity we get to put some doubts in their minds, we've got to take."

Dom Bess, the offspinning allrounder who played two Tests for England in 2018, has re-joined Yorkshire on loan for bulk of the Vitality Blast.

Bess will play the first 10 of Yorkshire's 14 group stage games in the Blast, before returning to Somerset in time for their four-day game away at Warwickshire on August 18.

After first breaking into the Somerset side in 2016, and taking five wicket-hauls in five of his first six Championship games, Bess has found his opportunities at Somerset limited over the past twelve months - by Jack Leach in red-ball cricket, and Roelof van der Merwe and Max Waller in the shorter forms.

He joined Yorkshire on loan in May, after struggling for playing time this season, and took seven wickets in his four Championship games for them. He has since found his way back into the Somerset side alongside Leach, taking 11 wickets in his two recent Championship appearances.

Coincidentally, the two counties play each other in a crucial Championship game on Saturday, and Bess is likely to be picked for Somerset with Leach on England Lions duty.

Bess admitted last winter that he would be open to a loan move in order to gain more white-ball experience, and after playing only twice in Somerset's victorious Royal London Cup campaign, was deemed surplus to requirements for the Blast. Over the course of his short career, Bess has played more List A games for the Lions than for his county.

Yorkshire's first-team coach Andrew Gale told the Yorkshire Post that the club would do "everything we can" to secure Bess' signature on a permanent basis after his initial loan.

But Somerset remain hopeful of keeping him, and coach Jason Kerr said he could "not envisage Dom going anywhere in the near future" after their win against Hampshire.

The club hope that the situation with their spinners does not begin to mirror that of their wicketkeepers in 2013. Jos Buttler had left his boyhood club back then after becoming increasingly frustrated by a lack of opportunities behind the stumps, with Craig Kieswetter taking the gloves ahead of him in all formats.

"I've got to look at my personal development and I think it's a great opportunity for me," Bess said about the move. "I'm very thankful for Yorkshire for taking a punt on me. I've done some good stuff in red-ball [cricket] but recognise that T20 is a completely different game.

"I'm always pushing to be a three-dimensional cricketer, to do well with the ball, bat and in the field. I think T20 in particular brings all three of those skills in. For me as a player, I've definitely got something to bring and also a point to prove as well.

"It's a great opportunity for me in a different competition and group stage. I've come back here, done well for Somerset and I've got a year left. I've got to see how things go.

"A lot of things can happen within a year, as I know. Probably the greatest example I can give is that I got to the top of Mount Everest with the Test stuff and then fell off and then came back again. So I think it will be a very similar answer to last time, I just want to play my 10 games, contribute and push hard and then see what happens."

Yorkshire will hope for an improved showing in the Blast this year, after finishing one win short of the quarter-finals in both of the last two seasons. They have signed Nicholas Pooran, the explosive middle-order hitter who starred for the West Indies during the World Cup, for the first five group games, and hope to have Adil Rashid available if he misses out on Ashes selection.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon admitted that signing Bess was "tough on our back-up spinners" - notably Josh Poysden, the legspinner who signed from Warwickshire last year - but said: "When someone of Dom's ability becomes available, then if we're serious about trying to win the competition, we've got to look at it".

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Tennessee Titans star defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, 38, is suffering from kidney failure and has taken to Instagram to announce that he is in "dire need" of a donor for a transplant.

"Well, this is hard for me to say, but my doctors said I should reach out to my family, friends and fans," Haynesworth wrote. "Some of you may know I've been battling kidney disease for a few years ... now the time has come family, friends and fans, I'm in dire need of a kidney ... mine have finally failed me on July 7 2019. It's hard to believe from being a professional athlete to only 8 season in retirement that my body has taken another major blow.

"First with the brain aneurysm 3 seasons out of the NFL to now my kidneys failing me," the post continued. "But the bright side of this latest ordeal I can ask for help by asking for someone to generously donate a kidney. If you are interested in giving this precious gift please call Vanderbilt at 615-936-0695 and hit option 2. GOD BLESS thank you for your prayers and thanks for sharing this message."

View this post on Instagram

Well this hard for me to say but my doctors said I should reach out to my family, friends and fans Some of you may know I've been battling kidney disease for a few years now the time has come family, friends and fans I'm in dire need of a kidney mine have finally failed me on July 7 2019. It's hard to believe from being a professional athlete to only 8 season in retirement that my body has taken another major blow. First with the brain aneurism 3 seasons out of the NFL to now my kidneys failing me. But the bright side of this latest ordeal I can ask for help by asking for someone to generously donate a kidney. If you are interested in giving this precious gift please call Vanderbilt at 615-936-0695 and hit option 2. GOD BLESS thank you for your prayers and thanks for sharing this message. #VFL #TITANUP

A post shared by Albert Haynesworth (@haynesworthiii) on Jul 10, 2019 at 4:30pm PDT

Haynesworth was selected by the Titans with the 15th overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft after a standout career at the University of Tennessee. He played seven seasons for the Titans and was named first-team All-Pro in 2007 and '08. In 2009, Haynesworth signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins.

Haynesworth played two seasons for Washington before being traded to the New England Patriots in 2011. The Patriots released him after six games, and he finished his 10-year career having played seven games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011. In his career, Haynesworth posted 30.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 347 tackles.

This isn't the first health problem Haynesworth has faced since leaving the NFL.

Haynesworth told a Nashville radio station in 2016 that he dealt with a brain aneurysm in November 2014 that caused him to spend time in intensive care. Haynesworth referenced that issue in his Instagram post.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DeMarcus Cousins knows what he can do alongside Anthony Davis after being teammates on the New Orleans Pelicans.

But throw LeBron James alongside the big man duo, and Cousins is excited about the possibilities for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"That's part of the reason why we wanted to become teammates again," Cousins said of teaming up with Davis on a conference call with Lakers media Wednesday. "We realized how much better we made one another and how much we made the game easier for each other. We both appreciate each other's presence.

"To add LeBron James to the mix, his résumé speaks for itself. One of the greatest players ever to play the game, added to that, it should be an exciting season."

Cousins signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers in free agency and is reunited with former Pelicans teammates Davis and Rajon Rondo. With the Lakers surrounding James and Davis with the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee, Rondo, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley, Cousins sees a powerful squad.

"The roster is incredible," said Cousins, who could start at center with Davis at power forward. "I think we got a lot of talented pieces on paper. On paper we look legit, we look like we have a great chance of competing for a title. It's obvious that the game isn't played on paper. It's our job to come together and mesh and get on the same page and build a chemistry and go out and win games. As far as on paper, we look great."

Cousins knows all about how incredible a team can look before the season starts. The big man signed a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors last summer to form what many thought would be an unstoppable superteam once Cousins recovered from an Achilles tendon tear suffered Jan. 26, 2018.

He returned from surgery this past January and averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in 30 regular-season games. He began to hit his stride in March and April. But in the second game of the first round against the Clippers, Cousins suffered another setback, tearing his left quadriceps while going after a loose ball.

"Actually, the game that I tore my quad ... that day [I was] saying how amazing I felt," Cousins said. "I really started feeling like myself again, and some unfortunate things ended up happening that night. I was really feeling good at the time. That is kind of a good thing because I know it's possible to get back to that place. That is the positive I took out of it."

Despite the initial fear that he would miss the entire postseason, Cousins returned to play in the NBA Finals in a limited role. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 2 and 14 points and 6 rebounds in Game 5 -- both victories for the Warriors.

"I'm working my tail off every single day," Cousins, 28, said of his health. "My quad is 100 percent healed. I'm building it up every day and building up my lower body every single day, and I'm getting stronger, getting in better shape. My plan is to come into training camp in tip-top shape. My goal is to play 82 games this season. I want a full season of health and going to the playoffs, and whatever happens happens."

Cousins is excited to be reunited with Davis. Cousins was traded to New Orleans from Sacramento during the 2016-17 season. During the 2017-18 season, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games playing alongside Davis before tearing his Achilles.

During that season, Davis and Cousins played 1,095 minutes together before Cousins' season-ending injury, and the Pelicans outscored their opponents by 5.3 points per 100 possessions when both were on the floor, according to NBA Advanced Stats.

Cousins said he doesn't know what his exact role will be, but he will do whatever head coach Frank Vogel asks of him. Cousins is ready to prove himself all over again and establish a market for the big man next summer after trying to do that last season on a one-year deal with the Warriors.

"I've kind of been doubted my whole life, and I use that as fuel to continue to push every single day," Cousins said. "One of my biggest fears is to be proven wrong by somebody that doesn't agree with me or doesn't have my best interest in heart.

"So with that being said, I'm always seeking to prove those type of people wrong."

Lamar Odom's attempt to reboot his basketball career lasted one game.

The two-time NBA champion, whose career and life unraveled due to drug addiction, was one of four former NBA players "deactivated" for the season Wednesday by the Big3, the 3-on-3 league created by Ice Cube.

Per those with knowledge of the situation, Odom, Jermaine O'Neal, Bonzi Wells and Baron Davis were all deactivated for competitive reasons and not due to any off-the-court issues. Odom was not "up to it from a competitive standpoint," per a source.

Last year, Odom announced that he would play in this year's edition of the Big3. The 39-year-old last played in the NBA for the LA Clippers during the 2012-13 season. He was hospitalized after being found unresponsive at a Las Vegas brothel following a drug overdose in 2015. By then, his high-profile relationship with reality TV star Khloe Kardashian had fallen apart.

Per Odom, he had six strokes and 12 heart attacks while he was in a coma following the overdose.

The Big3 did not specify a reason for the deactivations, saying only that the moves were tied to the league's desire to "maximize competition, protect the health of the players, and to raise the level of the professionalism of the Big3."

Entering the season, Odom said he was a ready for a comeback after being named a co-captain of The Enemies squad. But after struggling in his first game, Odom said in a televised interview that "once I got my rhythm back, it should be no problem." He didn't play again.

In its third season, the Big3 has increased the level of competition and graduated from being a pickup league for over-the-hill former pros to an organization that's giving players such as Royce White, a former first-round pick, a possible springboard back into the NBA.

Joe Johnson, a seven-time NBA All-Star, has been a force this season, leading the league in scoring.

Restricted free agent Kelly Oubre Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal to stay with the Phoenix Suns, agent Nima Namakian of BDA Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal gives the 6-foot-7 small forward financial security now, with an opportunity to return to the marketplace as a 25-year-old unrestricted free agent in 2021. The Suns had the right to match any offer he received from another team.

Oubre thrived in Phoenix after a December trade sent him and Austin Rivers from the Wizards to the Suns for Trevor Ariza. In 40 games (12 starts) for Phoenix, Oubre posted career highs in points (16.9), field goal percentage (45.3), rebounds (4.9) and assists (1.6).

He was even better after moving into the starting lineup following the All-Star break, averaging 20 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-high 2.1 steals.

The only negative for Oubre in his stint with the Suns was a thumb injury that required a minor procedure and ended his season in March. 

That didn't temper Phoenix's feelings for the 23-year-old ahead of free agency. 

"I've said before: We love Kelly," Suns general manager James Jones told reporters in April. "We want Kelly here."

Oubre, the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, spent his first four seasons in Washington, posting averages of 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game.