The San Antonio Spurs are signing free-agent forward Marcus Morris, his agency, Klutch Sports, announced via Instagram.

According to The Athletic, Morris will receive a two-year, $20 million contract, with the second year being a player option.

Morris was an unrestricted free agent after coming off a four-year, $20 million contract that many in the NBA considered the best bargain in the league.

The 29-year-old forward had spent the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics, who acquired him in 2017 as part of the Avery Bradley trade with the Detroit Pistons. 

In Boston, Morris excelled with his tough play and vocal leadership. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games (53 starts) last season, shooting a career-best 44.7% from the field. 

The eight-year veteran holds career averages of 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

The Houston Rockets are among the teams interested in trading for Oklahoma City All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, sources with knowledge of the team's thinking told ESPN.

One Rockets source, however, described trading for Westbrook as a "long shot" due to the challenge of finding pieces that fit with the Thunder or pulling off a complicated multiteam deal.

In the aftermath of the trade that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers, Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, engaged with Thunder general manager Sam Presti about the next step of the point guard's career, including the possibility of a trade before next season, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

Westbrook, 30, has spent his entire 11-year career in Oklahoma City, but the franchise seems primed for a rebuilding period after receiving a record haul of five future first-round picks and All-Rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the George deal. The Thunder also received forward Danilo Gallinari in the trade, but the veteran versatile scoring threat could be rerouted to another team.

The Athletic reported that the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons also have interest in Westbrook, who averaged 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.9 assists last season, marking the third consecutive campaign he averaged a triple-double.

The interest in Westbrook fits Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's pattern of aggressively pursuing superstars. Houston landed Chris Paul in a sign-and-trade deal with the Clippers two years ago and attempted to add Jimmy Butler under similar circumstances this summer. Butler, however, did not meet with the Rockets before agreeing to a deal with the Miami Heat. The Rockets also had interest in trading for Carmelo Anthony and George before the Thunder dealt for both during the 2017 offseason, and Houston signed Anthony for the veteran's minimum after he was traded to Atlanta and received a buyout last summer.

A source said that Paul would not necessarily need to be involved in a deal that delivers Westbrook to the Rockets, although his $38.5 million salary is a perfect match with Westbrook's. Paul has $125 million over three years remaining on his contract, while Westbrook has $171 remaining over four years, including a player option for $46.7 million in 2022-23.

Morey has acknowledged aggressively exploring the trade market this offseason but said recently that Paul and perennial All-NBA guard James Harden are the two players who will definitely return to the Rockets next season.

Center Clint Capela and shooting guard Eric Gordon in particular have been shopped and would have been traded to other teams to make room for Butler, according to sources. Capela, 25, is coming off a season in which he averaged career highs of 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds and is entering the second year of what is considered a team-friendly five-year deal worth $80 million plus incentives. Gordon is a proven scorer (16.2 points per game last season) and underrated defender who is due $14.1 million next season in the final year of his contract.

As unlikely as it may be, a trade that sends Westbrook to Houston would reunite him with Harden, his former Thunder teammate and fellow recent MVP. The Rockets acquired Harden, a sixth man in Oklahoma City, in a trade just before the 2012-13 season after the Thunder decided they did not want to give him a maximum contract.

Westbrook won the MVP in a close vote over Harden in 2016-17, when the Thunder point guard averaged a league-leading 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. Harden has won the scoring title the past two seasons and the MVP in 2017-18.

Tyson Chandler is also a likely target for the Rockets in their search for backup big, a source told McMahon.

Chandler, who turns 37 in October, was an effective defender and rebounder as a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He has a reputation as a great locker room guy and has a strong relationship with Paul from when they played together in New Orleans.

The Cleveland Indians have identified the specific type of leukemia that right-hander Carlos Carrasco was diagnosed with and said he has been cleared to resume workouts.

In a statement Sunday, the Indians said Carrasco was diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic "with chronic myeloid leukemia, a treatable form of leukemia and has since been cleared to resume strength and conditioning workouts and throwing activity to tolerance."

The team said that Carrasco is regularly being reevaluated and that there is no timetable for his return to pitching in a game.

Carrasco had revealed on Saturday that he was being treated for leukemia and that it was "under control." He said he expected to be back with the Indians "at the end of July."

The Indians put Carrasco on the injured list on June 5 with an unspecified diagnosed blood disorder, saying he was "stepping away from baseball activities to explore the optimal treatment and recovery options" and that they expected him to return "at some point this season."

The Indians put Carrasco on the injured list on June 5. He was 4-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 starts this season before going on the IL.

Carrasco, 32, has developed into one of the AL's steadiest pitchers in recent years. He won 17 games last season and went 18-6 in 2017, when he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

He signed a four-year, $47 million contract in December. In 10 seasons, all with the Indians, he is 83-68 in 219 appearances (183 starts).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON -- Nationals ace Max Scherzer has determined that resting his ailing back is more important than pitching in the All-Star Game.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star, Scherzer struck out 11 over seven shutout innings on Saturday against Kansas City. Hours later, Major League Baseball announced he would be replaced on the National League roster by Sonny Gray.

Scherzer experienced back tightness after beating Detroit on June 30. He worked through it against the Royals, but his back stiffened after the appearance.

Scherzer, manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo emerged from a postgame discussion with this conclusion: It would be in the best interest of Scherzer and the Nationals that he excused himself from pitching Tuesday night in Cleveland.

"Our season matters so much more than the All-Star Game," Scherzer said Sunday. "I know my body pretty well. I just know I'm not going to be at my best if I try and pitch on two days' rest and I'd really be jeopardizing our season if I were to try and do something like that."

He plans to represent the Nationals from the sideline on Monday and Tuesday night.

"It's a really cool honor. It's a really cool 48 hours," he said. "I still wanted to go and partake in everything that's there and especially be there for the Home Run Derby and the game and I get to take my daughter, so it's going to be fun."

With Scherzer leading the way, the Nationals have rallied to get back into the hunt in the NL East following a 19-31 start. The plan now is to keep the momentum going by watching the 34-year-old's health.

"The All-Star break couldn't come at a better time for him," Martinez said. "He'll get eight days now to recoup and get ready for the next start."

Scherzer won't get the ball again until Washington wraps up a three-game series in Philadelphia next Sunday.

"I need some rest right now to let this thing fully heal up so that I'm completely good to go in the second half," Scherzer said.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta has bone spurs in his right elbow and will be checked during the All-Star break to see whether surgery is needed, manager Gabe Kapler said Sunday.

Kapler said the 33-year-old Arrieta recently told him about the trouble.

Earlier Sunday, a source had told ESPN's Buster Olney that the Phillies had been operating under the assumption that Arrieta could wait for surgery until after the season.

Arrieta has previously undergone surgery for the same issue, including a season-ending procedure in August 2011. He returned for the start of the 2012 season.

He was cagey about his health after Saturday's 6-5 loss to the New York Mets.

"Physically, I'm not in a great spot," he said. "I think we'll have a better idea over the next couple of days where I'm at."

Arrieta also hinted that he lacked a feel for his pitches during the outing.

It was a contentious outing for Arrieta, who hit three Mets batters, including Todd Frazier, then challenged the New York third baseman in his postgame comments.

"If Frazier's not happy about it, he can come see me and I'll put a dent in his skull," Arrieta said.

Frazier was unavailable for comment after the game, according to the Mets.

Arrieta underwent knee surgery early in 2019 but was ready to pitch by the start of the regular season. He is 8-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 18 starts this year.

He gave up a season-high 11 hits in the loss to the Mets.

"Overall I feel all right," Arrieta told reporters. "But we'll see. We'll see in the next couple of days."

NEW YORK -- Todd Frazier is tired of being plunked by pitches from the Philadelphia Phillies. And he's got no use for that tough talk from Jake Arrieta, either.

The tension between the Phillies and New York Mets escalated Saturday night when Arrieta threatened that if Frazier was still steamed about getting hit, "he can come see me and I'll put a dent in his skull."

"A little overboard," Frazier said before Sunday's series finale.

Frazier has been hit seven times by Phillies pitchers in the last two seasons, three this year and twice this weekend. The latest drilling came on a changeup by Arrieta and led to Frazier getting ejected.

Frazier said there was no bad blood between him and Arrieta, offering, "I know him really well."

"He can say what he wants," the Mets third baseman said. "I'm just sick of getting hit, especially by this team."

"We'll see what the commissioner wants to do. He saw what people are saying," he said. "The commissioner has his hands full. We'll see."

Major League Baseball is reviewing Arrieta's remarks to see if discipline is warranted.

The Phillies, meanwhile, are reviewing Arrieta. The right-hander has bone spurs in his right elbow and will be checked during the All-Star break to see whether surgery is needed.

Arrieta didn't speak to reporters before Sunday's game.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said the 33-year-old Arrieta recently told him about the trouble. Arrieta had season-ending surgery for bone spurs in 2011 while with Baltimore.

Arrieta is 8-7 with a 4.67 ERA. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner is in the second season of a three-year, $75 million contract he signed after leaving the Chicago Cubs.

Arrieta gave up a season-high 11 hits in just 4 1/3 innings during a 6-5 loss to the Mets. He also hit three batters.

Phillies pitchers have hit 12 Mets batters this year; Mets hitters have been plunked six times by the Phillies.

Umpire Tripp Gibson issued warnings to both teams after Frazier was hit. Mets manager Mickey Callaway was ejected after Arrieta later nailed Amed Rosario.

"If you're going to hit our guys, we get our chance," Frazier insisted.

Umpire crew chief Brian Gorman didn't issue warnings before Sunday's game.

Callaway said he didn't think there would be any, adding, "I didn't expect them to put out warnings last night."

The Phillies and Mets played a day before the All-Star break, then get time to cool off. They don't meet again until Aug. 30 at Citizens Bank Park.

Frazier drew a walk in his first at-bat, with Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola keeping the ball on the outside part of the plate.

Young Italian ends Night of the 10,000m PBs on a high, while third-placed Briton surges to national title and helps his country to European Cup team silver

Yeman Crippa brought another tremendous Night of the 10,000m PBs event to a close as he shone in the soggy conditions to clinch victory in the men’s A race in London.

The talented 22-year-old Italian won bronze at the Parliament Hill track last year but this time he jumped to the front of the 25-lap queue, holding off the attentions of Germany’s Amanal Petros to hit the line first and help his nation to European Cup team victory.

European bronze medallist Crippa wore a broad smile in the immediate aftermath of his success, albeit his winning time of 27:49.79 was outside the IAAF World Championships qualifying standard of 27:40.

Petros, a European U23 silver medallist in 2017, clocked 27:52.25 while Britain’s Ben Connor was roared to third place by the sizeable crowd, taking 17 seconds off his personal best as he finished in 27:57.60.

“I’m delighted,” said the newly-crowned British champion. “British Champs, third overall, sub 28 – it couldn’t have gone much better, really. I’ve blown up here before and I was wary of that, so I just stuck on the back of everyone and moved my way through.”

“It couldn’t have gone much better, really!” Chat with @bdconnor following his 27:57.60 PB for third and the British title at last night’s @NightOf10kPBs. @euancrumley pic.twitter.com/XD2wHbuNZw

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 7, 2019

After a day of near-perfect weather conditions for all the preceding races, the rain began to fall steadily just as the starting gun was fired on the final event of the meeting not long after Steph Twell’s memorable win in the women’s A race.

For much of the first half, the field was headed by the quartet of Belgium’s Soufiane Bouchikhi, Crippa, Turkey’s Aras Kaya and Norway’s former European marathon record holder Sondre Moen.

Happy to sit behind the pacemakers, and the trackside ‘WaveLight’ technology that was being used for the first time at the event, there was some catching up for the leaders to do by halfway if the tough world qualifying standard was going to be met.

It was former European cross country champion Kaya who moved to the front after 5000m, which was passed in 14:02.49.

Kaya began to fade, however, and it was Bouchikhi and Crippa who edged away as they picked up the pace with around 3000m left to go, while Connor began to make his presence felt.

After his Night of the 10,000m PBs win, Yemane Crippa is now targeting Salvatore Antibo’s Italian 5000m record of 13:05.59 at the London Diamond League. @atleticaitalia @London_DL pic.twitter.com/amVK0yKEIy

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 7, 2019

The Briton was edged out of third spot by Petros but the pair began to haul in the weakening Bouchikhi and it looked clear, with two laps to go, that the race for top spot would be between the German and the Italian.

It was Crippa, who intends to return to London for the Muller Anniversary Games later this month, who won that contest, while Connor showed impressive strength to battle his way on to the podium.

Bouchikhi was ultimately fourth in 28:04.09, while there was a personal best of 28:06.27 for Moen in fifth.

The British team took silver, with the in-form Nick Goolab clocking 28:10.49 for eighth place on his 10,000m track debut and Matt Leach 21^st with 28:47.24.

Chris Thompson, who wasn’t running as part of the GB line-up, came 14^th in 28:28.55.

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – On Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, it was an underdog team with a powerhouse manufacturer that emerged as victors in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

For the first time since 2016, Rebel Rock Racing returned to the Pilot Challenge full time this season after running select races in 2017 and 2018. Co-drivers Robin Liddell and Frank Depew paired up to bring the program back to life, with Depew as team owner and Liddell as team manager.

That combination reached its pinnacle of success at CTMP, winning overall in the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R and earning Rebel Rock’s first victory in the Pilot Challenge. Liddell was able to keep the determined No. 60 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 of Kyle Marcelli at bay to cross the finish line first by .587 seconds.

The win halts a rocky start to the season that, before last week’s finish of fifth at Watkins Glen, didn’t see a result within the top 20.

“To finally get here, and with Frank especially, in his first season – he’s had a very difficult start to the season, as I’m sure you’ve seen, and that puts a lot of pressure on him,” said Liddell. “But he’s a true sportsman and he’s a team player. He hasn’t wavered his support. He’s focused his mind on getting better.

“I’ve worked very hard with him and he’s worked very hard to get better. I think you saw the results of those efforts. It’s easy to overlook from the outside looking in, the amount of effort that any of these guys put into their racing. But without these guys, we wouldn’t have a series, especially in this championship, so we need to look after these guys and we need to give credit where credit’s due. Hats off to him, because he’s done a mega job.”

“I’ve never driven this track, so Robin and I came here in a rental car and drove around to show me the track,” added Depew. “We went pretty slow, but then I showed up here with the Camaro and I’d never been on this track. It’s a pretty daunting track. It took me a while and I was making pretty big jumps. I was about two seconds off the leader for this race, which I was pretty happy with.

“I kept the car where I needed to and then Robin did all the hard work. I think that, to be at this point and to actually win a race at this point, especially at a track I’ve never driven – because I’ve got a lot of experience at other tracks – is a tall order and an amazing accomplishment.”

Marcelli looked to defend his 2018 CTMP victory with co-driver Nate Stacy, looming large in Liddell’s mirror for the final 15 minutes of the race following a restart. The team ultimately wound up second place, the team’s best performance of the year thus far.

Another Canadian representative in the field, Montreal-based team Motorsports In Action, finished third on the podium with drivers Jesse Lazare, also from Montreal, and Corey Fergus.

In TCR, Mikey Taylor and Britt Casey Jr. overcame a pit road issue to collect the victory in the No. 17 JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS3 LMS.

The fire extinguisher was accidentally set off during a pit stop, creating confusion amongst the team as Taylor and Casey swapped spots. Then as Casey proceeded to exit the pit box, a tire blocked his path and forced the Audi up and over the equipment.

A drive-through penalty was assessed for the car that had led the entire race up until that point, dropping it down the charts and down a lap.

Casey was able to fight back through the field in outstanding fashion, skillfully navigating the top cars in the final 15 minutes of the race to come door-to-door with teammate Stephen Simpson in the leading No. 54 JDC-Miller Audi. The two bounced off each other, with Casey eventually able to pull away for the win by 3.854 seconds.

“It was super wild,” said Casey. “I think it all started as soon as the driver change happened…The only reason we were able to pit when we did was because Mikey was able to drive it for, like, and hour and 10 and no one else could do that. We led the whole first stint and managed the gap the entire time and it made my job a lot easier. I had more tools to work with at the end with tires, and we came back from a lap down, P10, and just methodical from there. It was like focus forward.”

“Overall, the car was quite a dream to drive, so it wasn’t too difficult,” added Taylor. “But pity about that whole pit stop issue. We’ll work on that for the next one. I’m just happy we came back from it. I didn’t think we could win. I thought we could maybe podium if we got back on the lead lap, but yeah, a win is awesome.”

Similar to how Casey made his way up the field, Colin Mullan – who co-drives with Max Faulkner in the No. 52 L.A. Honda World Racing Honda Civic – snuck into second place as the top cars jockeyed for position amongst themselves and erred with either drives through the grass or contact that derailed the lap.

Jonathan Morley was an example of the latter, after making contact with Simpson’s Audi skidding far off the track line. Only with a monumental save did Morley hold onto third place for him and co-driver Gavin Ernstone to round out the TCR podium.