Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has stepped away from the team in order to help members of his family who were forced to evacuate due to the Southern California wildfires, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Leonard — who reportedly purchased a home in the hard-hit Pacific Palisades area in 2021 — will miss the Clippers’ Wednesday night contest in Denver, and it is unclear when he will return to the team.

NBA reactions to the fires

‘I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in (the) Palisades right now,’ Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said Tuesday. ‘My family, and my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated.

All things Clippers: Latest Los Angeles Clippers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘I know that a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. I know a lot of people are scared, so I just want to acknowledge that.’

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also spoke about the tragedy. ‘With everything I’m seeing and reading, it’s just terrifying what is happening,’ Kerr said.

Has the NBA postponed any games?

The NBA has yet to postpone any games due to the fires, but that could be coming soon. Already, the NHL has postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames. The NFL, meanwhile, is monitoring the fire to determine whether or not it needs to postpone or move the playoff contest between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, which is set for Monday.

The Clippers host games against the Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets this Thursday and Saturday respectively. The Lakers will host the Hornets on Thursday, then the Spurs on both Saturday and Monday.

Kawhi Leonard’s 2024 season

The Clippers currently have a 20-16 record and sit in seventh in the Western Conference.

Is it possible that Bill Belichick won’t even be one and done at UNC?

Multiple NFL teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, have checked in with the legendary football coach, who was hired by the University of North Carolina just last month. Tom Brady, who now owns a minority stake of the Raiders and was Belichick’s quarterback during the New England Patriots’ two-decade dynasty, has been gauging his former coach’s interest in an NFL return, per the report.

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after 24 years following the 2023 season. He interviewed multiple times with the Atlanta Falcons last year when they were searching for a coach, but they ultimately settled on Raheem Morris. Belichick spent the balance of 2024 working on various media endeavors while remaining around the game in other capacities.

The Raiders fired former coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday following a 4-13 season, his first full one at the helm. Pierce went 5-4 as the Raiders’ interim coach in 2023 after taking over for Josh McDaniels, who was dismissed following an embarrassing Monday night loss at Detroit.

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It’s not clear which other club or clubs might be pursuing him.

JARRETT BELL: Black head coaches face a triple standard, not double

Named the Tar Heels’ head man on Dec. 11, Belichick, who’s never worked as a college coach, has been putting together his staff ever since. His five-year contract includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves before June 1.

‘I had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really kind of a dream come true,’ Belichick said during his introductory press conference in Chapel Hill on Dec. 12.

Asked at the time about the possibility of an NFL return if circumstances changed, Belichick replied: ‘I didn’t come here to leave.’

The Raiders have not replied to a USA TODAY Sports request for a comment as it pertains to their coaching search.

Belichick, 72, who won a record six Lombardi Trophies with New England and earned two more rings as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator in 1986 and 1990, has 333 victories as an NFL head coach, second only to Hall of Famer Don Shula (347).

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

It didn’t matter what question was asked of UCLA coach Mick Cronin Tuesday night during a news conference in the aftermath of the Bruins’ 94-75 loss to Michigan. He was going to make sure his team heard exactly what he thought of them, even if it led him to sobering revelations that subsequently went viral.

For nearly 10 minutes in front of reporters in Westwood, Cronin unloaded on UCLA’s effort in what became a rant replayed throughout the college basketball world once the late night Big Ten game ended. Cronin made the theme obvious by bluntly calling his players ‘soft’ and ‘delusional.’

‘It’s really hard to coach people that are delusional,’ Cronin said. ‘The hungry dog gets the bone. We got guys who think they’re way better than they are. They’re nice kids. They’re completely delusional about who they are and the team whose mind is on the right stuff and hungry to get a win in conference play is the team that’s probably going to win.’

UCLA (11-4, 2-2) entered the game ranked No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but neither players nor Cronin’s assistant coaches escaped his wrath. He criticized many of the team’s key players by name, particularly given the defensive breakdowns the Bruins endured in their loss at Nebraska last Saturday and then again Tuesday against No. 24 Michigan (12-3, 4-0) in front of a home crowd. The Wolverines shot better than 62 percent from the field, hit 15 3-pointers in the game and got 36 points from big man Vlad Goldin. 

Cronin’s frustrations boiled over almost as soon as he got behind a microphone.

‘I have to run on the court to get guys to play hard,’ Cronin said. ‘It’s crazy and it’s every day and I’m tired of it. It’s every day. I have the most energy of anybody at practice any day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room – my assistant coaches and my players. I mean I don’t need to do anything else. I almost got 500 wins. I’m only 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers. I mean it’s a joke. It’s a joke. But yet I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody in there. That’s the problem. That is the truth right now.’

Cronin is in his sixth season at UCLA after a successful 13-year run at Cincinnati. He took the Bruins to the Final Four in 2021, made the Sweet 16 the next two seasons, and won the Pac-12 championship and coach of the year honors in 2023. UCLA did not make the NCAA Tournament last season when it finished with a 16-17 record.   

Despite significant roster turnover in recent years due to the transfer portal, UCLA started this season with wins in 10 of its first 11 games. The Bruins’ résumé already includes wins over Oregon, Gonzaga and Arizona. But they’ve lost three of their past four games after the setback against Michigan and a cross-country road trip to Maryland and Rutgers in the new-look Big Ten awaits over the next week. 

If Cronin’s players didn’t know how he felt before, he left no doubt Tuesday.

‘The only chance we have, and I told them this on July 8th, is to be the toughest team and have a great defensive team,’ Cronin said. ‘We don’t have anybody that was an all-league player last year in any league – and we got guys from a lot of leagues.

‘The toughest guy in the room can’t be me every day,’ he added. ‘You can only do so much.’

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Ice hockey may not evoke thoughts of beaches, sunshine and palm trees but that did not stop the NHL from announcing on Wednesday that, for the first time, it will hold outdoor games in Florida next season.

The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the Jan. 2 Winter Classic at the home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins while the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Boston Bruins in a Stadium Series game on Feb. 1, 2026 at the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup championship in 2024 while the Lightning have won three championships in their history, including back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.

‘Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey throughout the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed,’ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release.

‘Outdoor NHL games in the Sunshine State? Never let it be said that our league isn’t willing to accept a challenge.’

In the more than 30 years since the NHL expanded into Florida both franchises have enjoyed significant success, most recently with each of the last five Stanley Cup Final series featuring one of the Florida franchises.

Outdoor games have become a staple of the NHL’s regular season schedule with contests being staged in some of baseball’s and football’s most iconic stadiums.

The NHL has even held outdoor games in warm-weather climates before, notably Los Angeles, Dallas and Nashville.

The 2024-25 NHL season’s Winter Classic was held on Dec. 31 in Chicago while Columbus will host a Stadium Series game in March.

The Baltimore Ravens are riding a four-game winning streak into the NFL playoffs. The AFC North champions will begin their postseason campaign at home against divisional foe Pittsburgh in a third game between the two teams this season.

However, the Ravens may face the Steelers without Zay Flowers, their top wide receiver from the regular season.

The second-year wideout led the team in receptions and receiving yards but suffered a leg injury in the second quarter of Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns.

After medical personnel helped him on the field, Flowers walked to the sideline under his own power and headed back to the locker room. He did not return to the game.

His status is up in the air for the wild card playoffs. Here’s the latest on his availability:

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Zay Flowers injury update

Flowers did not practice on Tuesday, per the team’s injury report, and was not seen on the field for Wednesday’s practice.

The Ravens have one more practice on Thursday before Saturday night’s game against Pittsburgh.

Flowers has been an integral part of the Ravens’ offense this season. He notched his first career 1,000-yard season and led the pass-catching corps in first downs (48).

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the win over Cleveland that Flowers would have an MRI on his leg on Sunday morning after the game. Harbaugh confirmed on Monday that the injury was not season-ending.

‘It’s just going to be day-to-day,” Harbaugh said. “Try to do everything he can do to get back as soon as he can and we’ll see where that takes us.”

Ravens WR depth chart

Here’s who makes up the rest of the Ravens’ wide receiver corps with Flowers potentially out for Saturday’s game:

Rashod Bateman
Nelson Agholor
Steven Sims
Devontez Walker
Tylan Wallace

Baltimore also has wide receivers Malik Cunningham, Keith Kirkwood, Dayton Wade and Anthony Miller signed to the practice squad.

Zay Flowers stats

In 17 regular season games, Flowers had 74 receptions for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. He also had nine carries for 56 rushing yards.

Who are the Ravens playing in playoffs?

Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, AFC wild card No. 2)

The Ravens and Steelers will match up for the third time this season. They split the season series with Pittsburgh winning 18-16 in Week 11 and Baltimore winning 34-17 in Week 16.

This is the first time the two teams will meet in the playoffs since the 2014 NFL season. Baltimore won that game 30-17.

Boxer Claressa Shields is preparing for a world title heavyweight bout against Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2, but she’s happy to discuss fighting someone else.

Jake Paul.

“I don’t know if it’s something that can happen, but I know that I can whip Jake Paul’s (expletive) and people who are against that are just sexist and they don’t know boxing,’ Shields, the most decorated female boxer in history, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s very strange to me that they think that a YouTuber can beat a woman boxer who has two Olympic gold medals, (multiple) world titles and fought as a heavyweight. …

“He does not have the experience. They talk about power. You can have power, but you got to have the skills to land a punch.’’

A representative for Paul did not immediately respond to requests for comment made by voicemail and text message.

Shields, 29, is 15-0 as a pro with three knockouts. She is 5-foot-8 and is expected to weigh in at about 175 pounds for her second consecutive heavyweight bout.

Paul, 27, is 11-1 with seven knockouts and has fought mostly as a cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound maximum at weigh-in. He is coming off a victory over Mike Tyson by unanimous decision – which did not impress Shields.

“Jake Paul showed that he has not gotten better with his skills,’ she said. “He needs to train harder and better. And honestly, I think the girl that I’m getting ready to fight against, Danielle Perkins, can beat Jake Paul, too.’

Shields’ beef with Paul appears to stem in part from Paul having picked Savannah Marshall to beat Shields in 2022. The only defeat of Shields’ career came against Marshall as an amateur in 2012 at the world championships.

Shields avenged the loss by beating Marshall by unanimous decision.

“(Paul) tried to apologize and all that other type of stuff after he picked Savannah to beat me in a fight,’ Shields said. “But (expletive) that apology. Fight me.’

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The MLB season is coming up quick. In fact, pitchers and catchers report in a little over a month. However, despite the short timeline, there are still numerous free agents and trade targets ripe for the picking, ready to help improve your favorite team.

Game-changers like Roki Sasaki, Alex Bregman, and Anthony Santander remain unsigned. Players like Nolan Arenado are actively seeking trades as well. With so many talented players still up for grabs, trying to predict the outcome of the 2025 season seems an impossible task. Hopefully, as the offseason progresses, we’ll see more of those-high end players wind up on contenders across the league, rather than waiting deep into spring training like last year.

Here are the latest free agency and trade rumors form around MLB.

Bregman is Red Sox desired third baseman?

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Fortunately for the Red Sox, this sounds like a ‘rich get richer’ problem, where they’d have too much of a good thin.

Nolan Arenado seeking trade to Red Sox

Arraez headed to the Yankees?

With Gleyber Torres headed to Detroit, the Yankees are thin at second base, and are eyeing potential replacements. A name that has consistently come up is San Diego’s Luis Arraez. The soon-to-be 28-year-old just won his third consecutive batting title, but his lack of versatility on offense and defense makes him a tough sell for the Yankees according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

As of right now, it appears moving Jazz Chisholm back to second base and moving either DJ Lemahieu or Oswaldo Cabrera to third is their top option.

Padres emerging as favorites for Roki Sasaki?

Although many people believe Sasaki has already chosen the Dodgers, MLB executives have started shifting their opinions elsewhere in Southern California. The Padres appear to be one of the top teams for Sasaki, who have yet to spend any money in free agency – not that Sasaki would cost much this year given his situation.

Sasaki was mentored by Yu Darvish and the possibility of playing with one of his idols could sway Sasaki to join up in San Diego rather than opting for the bright lights of Los Angeles.

The Padres are in dire need of pitching. They will not have Joe Musgrove all season and could lose both Michael King and Dylan Cease to free agency following 2025.

Anthony Santander’s market heating up?

After hitting 44 home runs in 2024, it has been shocking just how slow the market for Anthony Santander has been. He’ll be 30 in 2025, but he still boasts immense power and has consistently improved his OPS in each of the last four seasons.

Well, it appears teams are finally starting to check in on him. KPRC’s Ari Alexander reports that the Toronto Blue Jays have made an official offer to Santander. Given Toronto’s desperate need for power after only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was able to pop 20 homers in 2024, Santander would be an incredible fit who could slide into the outfield right away.

Pete Alonso might get forced into short-term deal

Reports from both ESPN’s Bob Nightengale and Jeff Passan hint that Alonso may not get the deal he wants in free agency, instead having to opt for a short-term deal with multiple opt-out clauses. Nightengale elaborates, noting that there are eight teams that have expressed interest in Alonso, including the Blue Jays and Red Sox, but the fact that Alonso remains unsigned hints that one or both sides are unhappy with the other’s offer.

Given that Guerrero Jr. has expressed interest in joining the Red Sox if Toronto fails to give him an extension before spring training this year, the Red Sox are likely less willing to throw the kitchen sink at Alonso. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will likely wait to see if they can’t get a deal done with Guerrero before making a better offer to Alonso. This small game of chicken could open the door for another team to snag Alonso if they are willing to offer him a longer-term contract.