Miami Heat All-Star guard Jimmy Butler has signed a four-year, $184 million contract extension with the team, his agent Bernie Lee told ESPN.

Butler is extending off of his $36 million salary for the 2021-2022 season, and holds a player option for $37.6 million in the 2022-23 season.

The deal will keep him under contract through the 2025-26 season.

"Jimmy is the anchor and face of our franchise along with Bam and Kyle," Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. "With Jimmy, we get an All-NBA player, an All-NBA Defensive player, tough as nails and a complete player across the board. He's very deserving of this contract as he continually puts himself at the top of the league at his position. Having him in the HEAT organization has been a great, great coup for us."

Butler, 31, is a centerpiece of the Heat's reshaped roster that will try to return to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years next season.

After Chicago hesitated on offering him a max contract, Butler was traded to Minnesota and then to Philadelphia. The 76ers ultimately worked a sign-and-trade to deliver him to Miami two years ago. Butler will have now had seven years and $287 million guaranteed to him with the Heat.

Butler was instrumental in recruiting his close friend Kyle Lowry to the Heat this summer. Lowry is signing a three-year, nearly $90 million deal to partner with Butler, All-Star center Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson.

Butler, a five-time All-Star, has made third-team All-NBA in each of his two seasons with the Heat since arriving from the 76ers in a sign-and-trade agreement. He averaged 21.5 points and career-highs in rebounds (6.9) and assists (7.1) last season. Butler made the NBA's second-team All-Defense for the fifth time in his career in 2021.

In his 10 years in the NBA, Butler has averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with teams making dramatic move after dramatic move in one of the most active deadlines we've seen in years.

Can the Yankees make a run at the AL East crown with Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo? Will the Dodgers' team full of superstars be enough to supplant the Giants at No. 1? How good are the Mets with Javier Baez?

Here is what our eight-voter expert panel decided based on what they have learned in the first four months of the 2021 season. We also asked ESPN baseball experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Joon Lee, Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with one Week 17 observation based on what they have seen recently for all 30 teams.

Previous rankings: Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Opening Day

1. San Francisco Giants

Record: 68-40
Previous ranking: 1

If you want to nitpick -- or maybe it's more than that -- you can say the Giants should have gone all-in for Max Scherzer to anchor the top of their rotation, even though their starters boast the fourth-lowest ERA in the majors. Or you can say they should have convinced the Angels to part with Raisel Iglesias, even though Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee have combined for a 2.10 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP while locking down the ninth inning. What they did do was acquire Kris Bryant, an impact bat who brings useful versatility that makes him a perfect fit for that lineup. Also what they did: ensure the National League West will provide a fascinating race down the stretch. -- Gonzalez

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 65-44
Previous ranking: 3

The Dodgers might have once again put themselves over the top. In one fell swoop, they picked up the best pitcher (Max Scherzer) and best position player (Trea Turner) available before the trade deadline, adding them to what was already a ridiculous ensemble of stars. Scherzer will help anchor a rotation, providing some needed depth with Trevor Bauer in legal trouble and Clayton Kershaw slowly recovering from forearm inflammation. Turner, a shortstop by trade, will likely get most of his plate appearances in center field and second base, spelling Cody Bellinger and, when he returns to health, Gavin Lux. The Dodgers' talent was jaw-dropping -- in 2019. Since then they've added Mookie Betts, David Price, Albert Pujols, Scherzer and Turner. Now it's ... unprecedented? -- Gonzalez

3. Houston Astros

Record: 65-43
Previous ranking: 2

With the Astros visiting Dodger Stadium this week, and facing the obligatory amount of derision while doing so, you have to wonder if vengeful opposing fans are hurting their own cause. Maybe, just maybe, their hoots and jeers and boos are only steeling Astros hitters against the effects of playing in hostile, pressurized environs. Since the beginning of last season, Houston is hitting 10 points higher away from Minute Maid Park (.262 to .252) with a 15-point edge in OPS (.767 to.752). If you combine the numbers of the four most targeted members of the reviled 2017 Astros -- Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and the now-departed George Springer -- the splits are thus: .787 at home and .815 on the road.-- Doolittle

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 65-44
Previous ranking: 5

Tampa Bay is a force to be reckoned with. The team struggled a bit in June, posting a 12-14 record before going 16-8 in July to re-cement themselves as one of the top teams in the American League, climbing ahead of the Red Sox for the lead in the AL East. The team also traded away Willy Adames, Rich Hill and Diego Castillo ahead of the trade deadline, emblematic of the team's commitment to opening up opportunities for young, talented players. -- Lee

5. Chicago White Sox

Record: 63-45
Previous ranking: 6

While we wait to see how the White Sox bolster their roster for October, an interesting dilemma looms a few weeks into Chicago's future: Who will be in its playoff rotation? It's a question more about surplus than necessity. Chicago's primary quintet of Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon has been one of baseball's most productive, durable and consistent units in baseball. Of those five, Keuchel has probably been the least good this season, but he's the highest-paid member of the rotation and has the most postseason experience. Because of those factors, it seems like Cease needs to end the season with a flurry in order to stake a claim. -- Doolittle

6. Milwaukee Brewers

Record:65-44
Previous ranking: 8

Milwaukee's offense is much improved from the first half. Over the past week, the Brewers rank eighth in OPS in the NL including a .246 batting average. That's quite a bit higher than their season total to date. Willy Adames and Avisail Garcia led the way without Christian Yelich in the lineup due to COVID-19. If Milwaukee can be middle of the pack in hitting then it becomes a very dangerous October team considering it can pitch with anyone. -- Rogers

7. Boston Red Sox

Record: 64-45
Previous ranking: 4

While the rest of the AL East made moves to improve their teams heading into the stretch run for the playoffs, Boston decided to lean on Chris Sale to improve its struggling rotation and the acquisition of Kyle Schwarber to fill the offensive black hole at first base, despite the fact that the former Chicago Cub and Washington National has never played first base at the major league level. -- Lee

8. San Diego Padres

Record: 62-48
Previous ranking: 7

The Padres have had a rough past few days. It began with missing out on a top starting pitcher -- first Max Scherzer, then everybody else -- and then it continued with Chris Paddack and Fernando Tatis Jr. both landing on the shelf. Paddack is nursing an oblique strain. Tatis, an MVP frontrunner, once again suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder, a circumstance that has the Padres pondering the possibility of season-ending surgery. The acquisition of Adam Frazier, which makes it easier for Jake Cronenworth to slide in at shortstop, can help alleviate Tatis' absence in the short term. But it's hard to see them topping the Giants and Dodgers -- let alone winning it all -- without Tatis over these next two to three months. -- Gonzalez

9. Oakland Athletics

Record: 61-48
Previous ranking: 9

Oakland made moves to push for a playoff spot, adding rental outfielder Starling Marte in exchange for Jesus Luzardo while also adding depth to the roster in Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison and Andrew Chafin. The decision to trade Luzardo -- a former top prospect and talented lefty -- at the valley of his value will be an interesting development to watch over the course of the next few seasons, given that Marte will hit free agency after the season. -- Lee

10. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 56-49
Previous ranking: 11

Toronto gave up a lot to add Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins in a move that will not only add to its rotation's strength this year, but for an additional season as well, with one season left of team arbitration control. Berrios joins Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray as Toronto makes a push for the playoffs this season, bolstered by the bullpen additions of Brad Hand and Joakim Soria. -- Lee

11. New York Yankees

Record: 58-49
Previous ranking: 12

The Yankees went out and acquired Joey Gallo, Anthony Rizzo and Andrew Heaney in hopes that their player additions at the deadline would shore up a struggling team. As of now, the team still finds itself closer to the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays in the division race than the second-place Boston Red Sox, but despite an inconsistent season out of the Bronx Bombers, general manager Brian Cashman felt the urgency to go out and makes some acquisitions to try to make a playoff run. -- Lee

12. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 57-51
Previous ranking: 14

The Reds continue to hang around the outskirts of the NL playoff race, but can a team with the worst bullpen in baseball really consider itself a contender? The latest meltdown came on Tuesday when Heath Hembree gave up a three-run, ninth-inning home run allowing Minnesota to complete a comeback. Cincinnati needing to use a player with over a 5.00 ERA in the ninth inning of a one run game tells the tale of their season. Amir Garrett has been awful, and pretty much everyone else the Reds have used has faltered as well. Perhaps the addition of reliever Mychal Givens will make a difference -- he pitched a clean inning on Tuesday -- but it might not be enough. -- Rogers

13. New York Mets

Record: 56-51
Previous ranking: 10

One thing Javier Baez brings besides power and defense (and a low OBP) is some much-needed speed on the bases. The Mets had a goal to improve their baserunning in 2021, but it hasn't happened. They are last in the majors in FanGraphs' baserunning metric at 16 runs below average. As for Baez, he'll be a good fill-in for Francisco Lindor at shortstop, but let's see how much he produces at the plate other than an occasional home run. His strikeout rate is a whopping 10% higher from 2018, when he finished second in the MVP voting. -- Schoenfield

14. Seattle Mariners

Record: 58-51
Previous ranking: 13

After the controversial trade of closer Kendall Graveman -- and then the acquisition of Diego Castillo -- the Mariners' bullpen coughed up a couple games for the first time in weeks over the weekend. Castillo blew a 4-3 lead in the 10th inning on Saturday, and Erik Swanson blew a 3-1 lead on Sunday in the ninth inning. Seattle rebounded with a win in Tampa Bay on Monday, but now it has four tough games at Yankee Stadium to finish the road trip. -- Schoenfield

15. Atlanta Braves

Record: 54-54
Previous ranking: 16

The Braves remade their outfield on deadline day, acquiring Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall AND Eddie Rosario, along with Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez. Soler led the AL with 48 home runs in 2019 but was hitting just .192 for the Royals, although he had homered seven times in 14 games before the trade. He has started 46 games in right field after almost exclusively DHing in 2020, but his defensive metrics are poor. Let's see how Brian Snitker divvies up the playing time here, but he certainly has some platoon options now with the right-handed Soler, Duvall and Guillermo Heredia, and left-handed Joc Pederson and Rosario. -- Schoenfield

16. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 55-53
Previous ranking: 15

The Phillies added Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy at the deadline, and Gibson paid immediate dividends, allowing two runs over 6 2/3 innings in his first start to beat the Pirates. With Kennedy moving to the back of the bullpen, the Phillies then moved Ranger Suarez to the rotation, and he responded with three scoreless innings against the Nationals on Monday. Coming up: a big nine-game homestand against the Mets, Dodgers and Reds. -- Schoenfield

17. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 53-54
Previous ranking: 19

St. Louis probably didn't have a lot to trade from its team for prospects last month as Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright weren't going anywhere. Instead, the Cardinals added around the edges with Jon Lester and J.A. Happ coming onboard. Neither is having a good season, and Lester's debut in a Cardinals uniform wasn't very good. It's hard to know what St. Louis is thinking for the rest of 2021 other than playing out the string with the hope and prayer its 13 games against the Brewers has some meaning. It probably won't. -- Rogers

18. Cleveland Indians

Record: 52-53
Previous ranking: 17

If anyone had told you before the season that by early August, Cleveland would rank 27th in the majors with a rotation ERA on the wrong side of 5.00, you'd guess that Cleveland would be what it is, which is out of the race. The threesome of Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac, when they've been available, have combined for 23-10 mark and 3.72 ERA, with 24 quality starts in 44 outings. Everyone else has combined to go 5-23 with a 6.84 ERA and eight quality starts in 60 outings. Ouch. -- Doolittle

19. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 54-54
Previous ranking: 18

Angels:

The Angels mostly stayed course before the trade deadline, trading away a couple of less-heralded pending free agents -- starter Andrew Heaney, reliever Tony Watson -- and holding onto everyone else, most notably closer Raisel Iglesias. Angels general manager Perry Minasian said this group deserves a chance to compete over these next two months, but Anthony Rendon is slated for season-ending hip surgery and there's still no telling when Mike Trout will return from the strained calf he suffered way back on May 17. Of utmost importance for the Angels is to see what they have in the likes of Reid Detmers, Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh, all of whom are up with the major league club. -- Gonzalez

20. Detroit Tigers

Record: 52-58
Previous ranking: 21

Not only is Miguel Cabrera closing in on the hallowed 500-home runs milestone, but he's happily doing so amid a stretch of bonafide productivity. Since the middle of June, Cabrera has hit .326/.365/.508 with six homers and 27 RBIs over 37 games. No, it's not nearly enough to indicate that Cabrera's inexorable career decline has reversed itself. Time, as far as we know it, is a one-way proposition. But it does demonstrate that Cabrera is still capable of raking for stretches, and that matters given there is still a long way to go on his contract. -- Doolittle

21. Miami Marlins

Record: 46-62
Previous ranking: 23

The three main players the Marlins picked up in deadline deals should get a chance to play the final two months -- starter Jesus Luzardo, catcher Alex Jackson and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. Jackson is interesting as a former Mariners first-rounder who hit 28 home runs at Triple-A in 2019 and was raking in Triple-A this year, with a .287/.366/.694 line in 30 games. De La Cruz, 24, came over from Houston and was also hitting well at Triple-A at .324/.362/.518, although, like the Marlins, he doesn't walk much. -- Schoenfield

22. Washington Nationals

Record: 49-59
Previous ranking: 21

An 8-18 record in July helped Mike Rizzo make the decision to purge the roster at the trade deadline. Gone are Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Brad Hand, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Harrison, Daniel Hudson, Yan Gomes and Jon Lester. What's left: the contracts of Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia will get a chance to play regularly down the stretch and prove they will be key parts of the 2022 team. -- Schoenfield

23. Kansas City Royals

Record: 46-60
Previous ranking: 24

Dayton Moore had some interesting comments on Kansas City radio this week that were summarized by Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star. In essence, Moore declared that because of Adalberto Mondesi's incessant inability to stay off the injured list, he has reached the point that the Royals can no longer think of him as an everyday player when plotting out next year's roster. It's a sobering thought about a player who is still just 26 years old and has in stretches shown he can produce at an elite, MVP-type level, or as close to it as an offensive player can without a hint of plate discipline. It's also potentially a challenge to Mondesi himself to figure out a way to stay in the lineup. -- Doolittle

24. Chicago Cubs

Record: 52-57
Previous ranking: 20

The dealing at the trade deadline means tryouts for the final two months as the Cubs attempt to identify the next group of players who can return them to playoff contention. The most important moments will be on the mound, where young draft picks Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele along with rookie Adbert Alzolay will be watched closely. The Cubs acquired their pitching through free agency over the past few years, which got costly. They wouldn't mind doing it a different way this time around. -- Rogers

25. Colorado Rockies

Record: 47-61
Previous ranking: 26

The Rockies were the talk of the trade deadline -- and that wasn't a good thing. For some reason, they chose to hold on to their star shortstop, Trevor Story, a pending free agent who has no interest in resigning with the team. The organization ultimately felt the compensation pick in next year's draft -- a result of Story declining the qualifying offer that the Rockies will extend him this offseason -- was more enticing than the return on a potential trade. The returns on rentals such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez make that hard to believe. The Rockies seem rudderless. These next few months are all about charting a course. -- Gonzalez

26. Minnesota Twins

Record: 45-63
Previous ranking: 25

As the Twins turn the page on their abysmal 2021 campaign and start to look to the future, you can't help but wonder what kind of role Miguel Sano will play in it. Cot's Contracts estimates Sano's payroll figure next season at about $10.6 million, followed by a $14 million club option for 2023 with a $2.75 million buyout. Since the beginning of the 2018 season, Sano is hitting .219/.308/.484 for a 113 OPS+ and minus-27 defensive runs saved. That translates to a four-year total of 2.6 bWAR with two months left to go in this season. Sano hits the ball as hard as anyone. In fact, his career .253 isolated power figure ranks 26th all-time among players with at least 2,500 plate appearances, one point behind the Hall of Fame threesome of Joe DiMaggio, Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas. At what point does that power simply not show up often enough to offset his other shortcomings? -- Doolittle

27. Texas Rangers

Record: 39-69
Previous ranking: 28

The Rangers experienced a double-digit losing streak recently, and that was before trading Joey Gallo and Kyle Gibson. Like most teams who subtract at the deadline, the rest of the way is about figuring out what they have moving forward. Spencer Howard was a key pickup from the Phillies at the deadline but so were the two middle infielders they acquired from the Yankees for Gallo. Howard is in the majors now and will be given every chance to be a top or middle-of-the-rotation pitcher in Texas. -- Rogers

28. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 41-67
Previous ranking: 28

Pittsburgh's ERA keeps climbing as the team is a mess on the mound. And the Pirates' ability to play the spoiler role probably is out the window after the trades of Adam Frazier and Richard Rodriguez. The Pirates are in their seemingly perennial "see what we have for next year" mode, which might give them plenty of information going into 2022 but not many wins. -- Rogers

29. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 38-69
Previous ranking: 29

Entering his start on Wednesday, Matt Harvey found himself on a roll, throwing 18.1 scoreless innings in his past three starts, all victories. The Orioles signed the former ace of the New York Mets before the season on a minor league deal, and he largely struggled until his recent stretch of games. -- Lee

30. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 34-75
Previous ranking: 30

The D-backs, as expected, didn't make any monumental changes before the trade deadline, parting with a trio of pending free agents in Eduardo Escobar, Joakim Soria and Stephen Vogt. Now the D-backs need to figure out how quickly they can become competitive in that division, a decision that could steer their approach with Madison Bumgarner, who has a 1.80 ERA over his past four starts. -- Gonzalez

Athing Mu and Sydney McLaughlin win second Olympic gold as Allyson Felix makes history in Tokyo on Saturday

USA won the 4x400m in the fifth fastest time in history of 3:16.85 in the final women’s track event of the Tokyo Games on Saturday night.

They did so with only one real 400m specialist – and even then you could argue she has been a far better 200m runner over her long brilliant career. That athlete is Allyson Felix and she won a record 10th Olympic medal, although she was actually probably the weak link of an incredible quartet.

The world 400m hurdles record-holder and Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin led them off with a 50.2 opener and that was joint first with a stunning run from Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland, who ran half a second quicker than she had ever done before (50.72).

Netherlands got a great start too with Lieke Klaver (50.6) just ahead of Jamaica’s Roneisha McGregor (50.6), Canada’s Alicia Brown (50.9), Cuban Zurian Hechavarria (51.5) and Belgium’s Naomi Van den Broeck (51.9). In last place, though, things didn’t go as planned for GB who brought in individual semi finalist Ama Pipi who had run a near PB 51.17 in her Tokyo heat but here was a disappointing 52.3.

Britain had Olympic finalist Jodie Williams on leg two and she blasted the opening 200m to try and bring Britain back and probably overdid it as her two sub-50 individual efforts took their toll, but she did move the team up to fifth with a blinding 49.4 leg.

However the medallists were in the distance. Felix ran a controlled 49.3 to hand over ahead in 1:39.59, five metres up on the inspired Poles (1:40.20) after a 49.9 by Iga Baumgart-Witan.

Jamaica were third on 1:40.71 after a 50.0 by Janieve Russell, just ahead of a surprising Canada on 1:40.90 (Madeline Price with 49.9) and despite Williams’ heroics Britain were seven metres adrift in 1:41.74 but they had passed Belgium (1:42.03), Netherlands (1:42.60) and Cuba (1:42.89).

Hurdles silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad stretched USA’s lead with a 48.94 and they handed over on 2:28.53, well over 10 metres clear of Poland (Malgorzata Holub Kowalik 49.89) on 1:40.20 and they still had a good gap on Canada (Kyra Constantine 49.98), who were still in a medal position but had Jamaica an inch behind after a slightly disappointing 50.18 by the Olympic 100m medallist Shericka Jackson.

The ultra reliable Emily Diamond kept Britain in the mix with another strong leg of 50.41 but they were 10 metres back in 2:32.15 but with a good margin on Belgium (2:33.07), Netherlands (2:34.77) and Cuba (2:35.16).

Though she had a clear lead, 800m champion Athing Mu, who could easily have challenged for a 400m medal had she contested the shorter event, did not ease back at all and flowed beautifully with her long graceful stride down the straight to complete a 48.32 last leg and give the USA a near four-second winning margin.

Incredibly, Poland had never won an Olympic women’s 4x400m medal despite world successes and European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic put that right with an assured 50.44 leg after holding back considerably over the first half and Poland’s 3:20.53 was a clear national record.

Candice McLeod closed with a 50.35 which saw off Canada’s Sage Watson 50.96 as Jamaica took bronze in 3:21.24 by around five metres.

Experienced NCAA relay competitor Nicole Yeargin ran a controlled and solo final leg of 50.44 to complete Britain’s third fastest ever 4x400m as they ran a fine season’s best of 3:22.59.

Closing fast in sixth were the Netherlands thanks to 400m hurdles bronze medallist Femke Bol, whose 48.97 – the third quickest of the race – brought home the Dutch in a national record 3:23.74.

They had a great battle with Belgium who ran a national record 3:23.96 with Cuba a tailed-off last.

Pipi said: “It’s the fastest we’ve run in a long time and I think we have a lot of potential. This Olympics has been amazing. It’s my first one and we’ve made the final so lots to look forward to.”

Williams said: “It’s been a crazy Olympics. I’d have loved to have come out here and medalled with these girls as I know there’s potential to and we will do in the future. 

“Oregon (venue of World Champs in 2022) is right by my second home, so I’m used to that kind of weather, I’m excited to run on that track, but I know that next year we’ll come out here and we’ll represent, and we’ll be on that podium.”

Diamond said: “It was bittersweet. We have such a strong team at the moment and we knew we were in a great position to turn a place in the top three and we went out there fighting today and all of us put everything on the line.”

Yeargin said: “It’s crazy how fast the 4×400 goes by. There will always be next year, so we’ll just come back even stronger. I came out here knowing that it wasn’t going to be like NCAAs, where you can probably catch a big gap, so I just tried my best to hold on and I’ll continue to do that for next year. “

Lionel Messi will give a farewell news conference on Sunday at noon CET (6 a.m. ET) at the Camp Nou, hours before Barcelona play the Joan Gamper trophy.

Sources had told ESPN the 34-year-old had reached an agreement to sign a new five-year deal at Camp Nou, which included a considerable wage reduction, extending his 21-year link with the club. However, Barca announced on Thursday that Messi will not continue at the club, with his contract having expired on June 30.

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The club's financial problems prevented Barca from completing the signing of the new contract for the Argentina captain, who earlier this month won the Copa America -- his first major trophy with his country.

Barca president Joan Laporta said in a news conference on Friday that Messi was devastated that he will not remain in Barcelona.

"Leo wanted to stay, so he's not happy," Laporta said. "We all wanted him to stay, but now, like us, he is facing the reality of what's happened. A reality that can't be changed."

Messi has remained silent since the announcement was made. Barcelona players past and present have made tributes to Messi, who, sources have told ESPN, has been offered a three-year deal by Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi had first expressed a desire to leave Barca in August 2020 after the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. His relationship with then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu had reached a breaking point. In an interview the next month, after Barca had blocked his departure, Messi called Bartomeu a "liar" and said the board had been "making things up as they go along" and "plugging holes" for years.

Bartomeu, facing a vote of no confidence, resigned last October and was eventually replaced by Laporta in March. Laporta has a good relationship with Messi and his family. He was Barca's president when Messi made his first-team debut and when he signed his first professional contract.

Despite all efforts in recent months, Messi's contract could not be completed.

Barca take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus at the Gamper on Sunday evening at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. The annual Gamper trophy allows Barca to present the squad for the upcoming season and welcome their new signings.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to the practice field Saturday, participating in his first full-team practice of training camp.

Jackson missed the previous 10 days of camp, which is the NFL rule for unvaccinated players who receive a positive result. The former NFL MVP was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday after undergoing testing at the team facility that morning.

Jackson's return comes seven days before the Ravens' preseason opener and five weeks before their Sept. 13 regular-season opener at the Las Vegas Raiders.

"We still have plenty of time ... and I think we have enough time," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said this week on Jackson getting back up to speed. "The big thing is to get him healthy, get him right and make sure he's in a good place."

This marked the second time in eight months that Jackson had tested positive for the coronavirus. On Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan urged Jackson to get vaccinated. The only other Ravens player to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this year was running back Gus Edwards, who came back on Friday.

After missing the first eight full-team practices, Jackson is looking to gain chemistry with his new receivers and a rebuilt offensive line. To upgrade the NFL's No. 32 passing attack, Baltimore added wide receiver Sammy Watkins and guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency and drafted wide receiver Rashod Bateman in the first round.

Roman indicated the team has a plan for Jackson to catch up with the rest of the offense.

"The train has already left the station," Roman said. "It's going to be a little bit of a game of, 'We're staying on schedule, but these are certain things we need to hit. So, we'll get that done. [It's] very realistic."

The return of Jackson is desperately needed for the Ravens' offense, which struggled mightily this week against the defense. Backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley were under relentless pressure, and Huntley was picked off three times Wednesday.

Even with Jackson back, the Ravens' offense is not at full strength. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and tight end Nick Boyle (knee) are on the physically unable to perform list. Wide receivers Bateman (abdominal), Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (hamstring), and Miles Boykin (hamstring) as well as Zeitler (foot) have missed multiple practices this week with injuries.

Jackson is not scheduled to speak to reporters after practice.

The U.S. women's team dominated the 4x400-meter relay to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, giving Allyson Felix the most medals for any American track athlete ever.

Felix ran the second leg along with Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu to finish in 3 minutes, 16.85 seconds and win by nearly 4 seconds over Poland (3:20.53). Jamaica (3:21.24) took bronze.

Minutes later, the U.S. men also claimed their first gold in a track race at these Games in the final event on the Olympic oval with a victory in the 4x400-meter relay.

There were no bad exchanges this time. The U.S. men didn't reach the final of the 4x100-meter relay, but the 4x400 team of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin was never really in trouble as they completed four laps of the Olympic oval in 2:55.70. It was a fifth gold for the U.S. men in the 4x400 since 1996.

The Netherlands took silver in a national-record 2:57.18, and Botswana won bronze in 2:57.27.

Felix's 11th career Olympic medal broke a tie with Carl Lewis for the U.S. record. Paavo Nurmi of Finland holds the world mark with 12 medals from 1920 to 1928.

Felix won bronze in the 400 meters on Friday. Of her 11 medals, seven are gold.

The win came on McLaughlin's 22nd birthday and gave her another gold to go with the one she captured when she set a world record (51.46) in the 400-meter hurdles earlier in the week. Muhammad, who finished second in the hurdles, and Mu, the teenager who won gold in the 800, also added to their medal tally.

It wasn't so much the win that was in doubt but the world record of 3:15.17, set at the 1988 Seoul Games in the last relay the Soviet Union ran as an Olympic team.

By the time Mu collected the baton from Muhammad for the anchor lap, the record was out of reach. But the win was in the bag.

The four sprinters huddled and hugged. Felix is 35 and has detailed her long struggle simply to make the Tokyo Olympics. Mu turned 19 this summer, and there's a chance she will need a mighty big medals case when it's all over.

The U.S. has won a total of 26 track and field medals -- seven gold -- with only the men's marathon remaining Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SAITAMA, Japan -- Patty Mills scored 42 points to carry Australia to its first Olympic medal in men's basketball with a 107-93 victory over Slovenia in the third-place game on Saturday.

Mills, the team captain and emotional leader of a veteran core that knew its time had to be now after so much heartbreak, shared long hugs with teammates in a postgame celebration that finally came after four fourth-place finishes.

Joe Ingles added 16 points for the Australians, who were fourth in 2016 but couldn't be denied this time.

"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Mills said. "I don't know whether to laugh, cry, smile. It's a lot of emotions."

Luka Doncic had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, but committed seven turnovers as Slovenia dropped its second straight after winning its first 17 games in competition with Doncic in uniform.

In its first Olympics, Slovenia cut a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to 83-80 when Doncic hit a 3-pointer with 6:18 remaining.

But the Australians, who couldn't hold a 15-point lead against the U.S. in the semifinals, wouldn't let this one get away. They scored seven straight to push it back to double digits, then blew it open down the stretch.

They finished it off in front of the U.S. and France, who came back to Saitama Super Arena during the game for the medal ceremony after the Americans beat the French 87-82 earlier Saturday.

It was a ceremony that Mills desperately wanted the Australians to be a part of this time. He refused to talk about his own NBA future, even after agreeing to sign with the Brooklyn Nets during the week, because he insisted his team stay locked in on only one goal.

He scored 26 points in the first half, making sure there would be no lingering disappointment for Australia after a 97-78 loss to the U.S. two days earlier.

Doncic had a memorable first Olympics, having come into the game averaging 24.2 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He scored 48 points in Slovenia's opener, tied for second-most in the Olympics by a men's player, and had just the third triple-double in men's Olympic history when he had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 18 assists against France in the semifinals.

But the Slovenians couldn't pull that game out, falling 90-89 when Nicolas Batum blocked Klemen Prepelic's drive with 2.4 seconds left. They tried to put that behind them to add an Olympic bronze to their 2017 European championship, but Mills and the Australians were just too good and too determined.

The most recent failure may have been the cruelest for the Aussies, an 89-88 loss to Spain in Rio when Sergio Rodriguez made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left after Mills was called for a foul on what appeared little or no contact.

Mills wouldn't let this one be close enough for a repeat.

He scored 10 points during a 17-4 surge that gave the Australians a 45-35 lead and at points seemed to be targeting Doncic, calling teammates over to set a pick so the Dallas Mavericks star would have to switch onto him.

Doncic couldn't stop him and neither could his teammates.

Jock Landale added 14 points for Australia and Dante Exum had 12. Matisse Thybulle, starting in place of veteran Matthew Dellavedova, finished with 11 points and his usual strong defense.

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- A Japanese team of All-Stars fulfilled a determined national mission to win the Olympic baseball gold medal for the first time, beating the United States 2-0 Saturday night behind Munetaka Murakami's third-inning home run.

Masato Morishita and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Japanese men (5-0) matched the accomplishment of the women's softball team, which upended the Americans for its second straight gold medal.

Several hundred people who appeared to be Olympic volunteers cheered on Japan in a largely empty 34,000-capacity Yokohama Stadium, some wearing orange Japan jerseys and matching face masks on the warm and humid night.

America, the nation that introduced baseball to Japan in 1872, finished 4-2. Teams were denied access to all 40-man roster players and many eligible top prospects by Major League Baseball and its clubs, hindering the U.S. and other countries whose top players are in MLB.

Murakami, at 21 the youngest player in Japan's starting lineup but already a two-time All-Star in four seasons with the Central League's Yakult Swallows, reached out for an 85.2 mph off-speed pitch with a 2-2 count from Nick Martinez (1-1). He drove the ball to the opposite field, over the 16-foot wall in left-center, and Martinez winced as it landed in the fourth row of the empty blue seats.

Japan added an unearned run in the eighth when Masataka Yoshida singled off reliever Scott McGough and center fielder Jack Lopez heaved the ball past the plate for an error that allowed Tetsuto Yamada to score. The Japanese beat the U.S. for the second time in six days, having rallied in the ninth to win 7-6 in 10 innings on Monday.

Morishita (2-0), a 23-year-old right-hander on the Hiroshima Toyo Carp who is the reigning Central League Rookie of the Year, held the U.S. to three hits over five innings, struck out five and walked none.

Kodai Senga, a 28-year-old right-hander on the Pacific League's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks viewed as a possible future MLB pitcher, followed with 98 mph heat in the sixth.

Hiromi Itoh pitched the seventh and gave up a leadoff single to Tyler Austin in the eighth.

Suguru Iwazaki, a 30-year-old lefty with the Central League's Hanshin Tigers, relieved and struck out Boston prospect Triston Casas, retired Todd Frazier on a popup and got Eric Filia to ground into a forceout.

Ryoji Kuribayashi, a 25-year-old first-time All-Star for Hiroshima, finished with a perfect ninth for his third save, gave up a one-out single to Nick Allen, then retired Lopez on a forceout.

Japanese players streamed onto the mound, the relievers running in from the bullpen. At one point, manager Atsunori Inaba was hoisted into the air by players and thrown up and down on the mound as if on a trampoline. Players also lined up on the third base line and bowed to their supporters.

Martinez, a 31-year-old former Texas right-hander in his fourth season pitching in Japan, allowed five hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was denied in his attempt to match the feat of his mentor, late Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who led the U.S. to a baseball gold medal in 2000.

Frazier fell short in adding gold to the Little League World Series title he won with Toms River East American in New Jersey in 1998.

And while second baseman Eddy Alvarez became just the third American and sixth athlete overall to win medals at the Winter and Summer Games, he failed to gain gold and matched the silver he earned as a speedskater in 2014.

Baseball was contested in the Olympics for just the sixth time, the first since 2008, restored at the request of Japan as the host nation. It already has been dropped for the 2024 Paris Games but may return for 2028 in Los Angeles and 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.

Japan stopped its major league season on July 17 and allowed top players to assemble for the Olympics. MLB executives scoffed at the concept of sending top players to the Olympics, saying it was impractical and uneconomical to stop the season and many GMs rejecting out of hand the thought of risking players to injury for any game other than with the club that pays their checks.

While the Japanese team lacked MLB stars Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, they still had enough might to twice beat the resulting U.S. roster that was a dubious mix of prospects from Double-A considered not close to big league ready, released major league veterans and career minor leaguers.

The U.S. started a lineup that had a 2.9 career WAR with the exception of Frazier at 25.2. The only others with major league experience were Martinez (2.1), Austin (1.0) and Alvarez (-0.2).

Alvarez hit an inning-ending groundout with two on in the fifth, Jamie Westbrook flied out with two on in the sixth and grounded out, stranding a runner on second in the seventh.