Former Kansas State standout Dean Wade has earned the biggest contract of his NBA career.

The free-agent forward agreed to a four-year, $39 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN. Wade spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers after breaking into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

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Former Kansas State guard Nate Johnson quickly found an NBA opportunity after going undrafted Wednesday night, agreeing to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed NBA deal that includes a training camp invitation while allowing a team to retain a player’s G League rights if he is waived.

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Former Manhattan High basketball player Cameron Carr became an NBA first-round draft pick Tuesday night, selected No. 24 overall by the New York Knicks before his draft rights were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers acquired Carr’s draft rights in exchange for the rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea and cash considerations.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs nearly had to make one of their draft picks Thursday night while seeking shelter from a tornado.

Sirens sounded amid a tornado warning just before the Chiefs went on the clock with the second of their two first-round selections, forcing the front-office staff to huddle in their draft room. Reporters and other staff who were in the training complex retreated to an inner hallway away from windows, where a wall-mounted TV was showing the draft as it happened.

“The draft room is in the middle of the building,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “It’s actually one of the shelter spots.”

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach doesn’t usually spend the entire night in the draft room, though. He prefers to bounce between the hectic room full of coaches and scouts and his office, where he can watch the draft unfold in peace and quiet.

Veach wound up having to join everyone else in the draft room when Brian Shafar, the senior director of team security, told him that tornado sirens were blaring, and that a line of heavy thunderstorms was moving over the training facility.

“I don’t like staying in the draft room. I like going into my office,” Veach said. “He came in and said there’s a tornado warning, and we all have to go into the draft room. I was like, ‘There ain’t anything blowing this building down. This building is like concrete.

“It was a little different,” Veach said, “but we followed all the safety protocols for sure.”

The tornado siren ended about 15 minutes before the Chiefs went on the clock with the 29th overall pick. They used it on Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, adding him to LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, whom they chose with the sixth overall pick.

Both of them will soon become quite familiar with spring storms that pass through Tornado Alley.

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By Dave Skretta

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are moving from their longtime home at Kauffman Stadium to the downtown Crown Center area, partnering with Hallmark Cards on a $3 billion project that includes a mixed-used development with a new ballpark as its centerpiece.

Royals owner John Sherman was joined by Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with other local and state dignitaries, in making the announcement Wednesday near Hallmark headquarters.

While the finalized master plan has yet to be complete, Sherman said the $1.9 billion stadium would break ground next year in the middle of Crown Center as part of the first phase of an 85-acre project. Two-thirds of the funding will come from private sources and the remaining one-third from public partners, including money earmarked by the state for stadium projects.

“This is a partnership between two treasured Kansas City institutions,” Sherman said. “We are committed to creating a vision which honors our history, the rich past of both organizations, while reinvigorating and reimagining what our future can be together.”

The announcement came about a week after Kansas City officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal to help the Royals move downtown. Most believed the stadium would sit on Washington Square Park, which is next to Union Station, but it will instead be located just south of it, with the park featured in the development.

Hallmark intends to build a new headquarters in the area, which is connected by a streetcar to the Power & Light District, where the T-Mobile Center serves as its anchor. That part of downtown Kansas City will provide the backdrop beyond the outfield fence.

Officials touted the availability of public parking already in the area and convenient traffic flow from nearby highways.

Missouri’s contribution comes from a law enacted last year that authorized bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in the state, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

“We think it’s a great investment for our Missouri taxpayers, because this does not affect existing programs,” Kehoe said. “The ripple effect from this facility will truly be far-reaching into rural Missouri and other parts of the state.”

The Royals have insisted they would leave Kauffman Stadium when their lease expires at the Truman Sports Complex in 2031, and the intention of Sherman ever since purchasing the club in 2019 was to build a downtown ballpark as its replacement.

Yet reaching Wednesday’s announcement did not come without plenty of pitfalls.

The biggest stumbling block came in April 2024, when the Chiefs joined the Royals in a plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and replace Kauffman Stadium. The plan hinged on the extension of a sales tax that had been paying for stadium upkeep, and voters in Jackson County, Missouri, overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, forcing the franchises to go their own way.

The legislature in neighboring Kansas aggressively pursued the Chiefs, committing last December to issuing $2.4 billion in bonds to cover 60% of the cost of a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. The NFL franchise ultimately decided to move across the state line, where it also will build a new training facility in the nearby suburb of Olathe, Kansas.

Officials in Kansas briefly pursued the Royals, too, but their interest in the MLB franchise had always been lukewarm.

The Royals had been weighing several options in recent months. But they ultimately rejected an option in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and allowed a deadline to pass for a site north of downtown and across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.

Economists have long concluded that subsidizing stadiums isn’t worth the cost for communities because the venues pull economic activity away from other parts of the area, rather than expanding the overall economy. Yet states and cities continually provide money to renovate stadiums or build new ones — 49 of the 60 used by MLB or NFL teams are publicly owned or sit on public land.

One of the stadiums that Sherman has cited as an example of what’s possible in Kansas City is Truist Park in Atlanta.

The stadium was a public-private partnership in which the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority issued up to $397 million in bonds, the county raised millions more from transportation taxes and businesses added millions in cash. The Braves contributed the remaining money for the park and The Battery, a mixed-used development, with a total cost of more than $1.1 billion.

“There are many great ballpark neighborhoods in Major League Baseball,” Sherman said, “but this is a bigger project with more land in downtown and in the heart of the city. We are bringing a modern, state-of-the-art ballpark experience to our fans, closer to our public transportation and where more people work and live.”

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The Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays said Monday they will have their local television broadcasts produced and distributed by Major League Baseball this season.

The six clubs — along with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels — terminated their deals after the Main Street Sports Group, which operates the regional FanDuel Sports Network stations, did not make scheduled rights payments.

The Braves, Tigers and Angels still have not made a decision about their local coverage plans.

“The Atlanta Braves are aware of the reports regarding Main Street Sports Group. While disappointed with this development, we have been actively preparing for this outcome and are well on our way towards launching a new era in Braves broadcasting,” the team said in a statement.

MLB will produce broadcasts for at least 13 teams this season. It also added the Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners during the offseason.

“Our focus, particularly given the point in the calendar, is to maximize the revenue that’s available to the clubs, whether that’s MLB Media or third party,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said last month. “The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now. I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”

MLB has touted expanded market reach when it takes over production of teams due to a combination of being on local cable systems, satellite and direct-to-consumer streaming.

Diamond Sports Group was the largest owner of regional sports networks when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2023.

At the time of the filing, Diamond operated 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner and had the rights to 42 professional teams (14 baseball, 16 NBA and 12 NHL).

The networks emerged from bankruptcy proceedings last March under the Main Street Sports Group with its networks rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network. However, the networks are on the verge of insolvency and going out of business if a new majority owner or investors are not found.

Main Street currently has 15 owned and operated networks under the FanDuel banner with the rights to 20 pro teams: 13 NBA and seven NHL.

The NBA and NHL teams have been crafting contingency plans if Main Street suddenly goes out of business, an increasingly possible scenario over the past three weeks even though the company has committed to carrying hockey and basketball through the end of the regular season.

“FanDuel Sports Network is continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games, and we appreciate the leagues’ engagement in ongoing discussions on our go-forward plans,” a Main Street Sports Group spokesperson said in a statement. “We appreciate the relationships we have had with these MLB partners and their fans over many years, and we wish them the best.”

MLB took over broadcasts of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2023 season and the Colorado Rockies in 2024. It added the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins last season.

Manfred said last month that local media provides more than 20% of industry revenue.

“The local media landscape is evolving very quickly. It’s still a very robust audience on the traditional cable model. But the economics are changing. They’re becoming more of a challenge,” Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said on Monday. “The bundle that fortified all of the large rights fees in the ecosystem of 15-20 years old is changing, and we’re adapting to it. The universe is going to be there. There’s going to be a local game element to baseball.

“Whether that evolves from the typical RSN model to solely streaming or a hybrid or other forms, to be determined. I think the fans will have optionality for local games. There’s so many games that we deliver — 162 — there’s plenty for everybody. I feel good about the future, even though I can’t predict where it’s actually going to land and when it’s going to land.”

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs said in a statement Wednesday night that they were aware of domestic violence allegations made in a series of social media posts by a former girlfriend of wide receiver Rashee Rice and had been in communication with the NFL.

The Chiefs did not mention Rice by name in their statement and said they would have “no further comment at this time.”

Dacoda Nichole Jones also did not mention Rice by name when she posted a series of photos on Instagram earlier in the day that appeared to show signs of physical abuse. Jones did say the person involved was the father of her children, and the woman has two children with Rice, whom the Chiefs selected in the second round of the 2023 draft.

No police reports were available in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, where Jones alleges the abuse occurred.

Rice missed the first six games this season following an NFL suspension for his role in causing a crash on a Dallas highway that left multiple people injured during the 2024 offseason. Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years’ probation after pleading guilty to third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

Rice finished with 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns as Kansas City went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Daniel Carlson, a pending free agent, might have earned himself a contract either with the Raiders or another NFL team.

He made a career-long 60-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give Las Vegas a 14-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and end the Raiders’ 10-game losing streak. His previous long was 57 yards.

Carlson and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker each made four field goals, with Butker hitting a 41-yarder with 1:01 left to give the Chiefs a short-lived 12-11 lead.

“For all the guys in the locker room, it’s been a tough season,” Carlson said. “There’s no way around that, but to end it like this, I think it was really cool to send everyone to the offseason on a good note.”

This was the first victory for the Raiders (3-14) over the Chiefs (6-11) at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas also ended its 11-game skid against AFC West opponents.

The Chiefs, who had won all five previous meetings in Las Vegas, lost their sixth straight game and eighth in 10.

Las Vegas’ Ashton Jeanty rushed for 87 yards, giving him 975 for the season that is second among Raiders rookies to the 1,150 yards Josh Jacobs gained in 2019. Jeanty’s 1,321 yards from scrimmage broke the club rookie record set by Jacobs (1,316).

“I thought he had a great year,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said of the sixth pick in last year’s draft. “I think he maximized the opportunities that he had. He came through in so many ways. It shows you not just the toughness, but the endurance, too.”

Much of the intrigue about the outcome was eliminated before kickoff when the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-17, guaranteeing the Raiders the top pick in this year’s NFL draft. A Giants loss would have meant that Las Vegas would get that selection only with a loss to the Chiefs.

Less certain is Carroll’s future. He was hired about a year ago with the hopes that his championship pedigree of a Super Bowl title in Seattle and two college championships at Southern California would translate to Las Vegas. There was no immediate indication whether he would return, but the typical coach’s day-after news conference was not on the club’s media schedule.

Carroll was tight-lipped about his future, only to say he would like to return and shoot down reports about a potential retirement.

This also could be have the final game for Kansas City’s Travis Kelce. The 36-year-old, who became the third tight end to reach 13,000 yards in his career, has not said if he will retire after playing all 13 seasons in Kansas City.

Both teams in large ways treated the finale like a preseason game.

Whether for injuries or other reasons, the Chiefs sat wide receiver Xavier Worthy, running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive ends George Karlaftis and Tyreke Smith among others, and the Raiders had a number of players hurt that included running back Raheem Mostert, guard Dylan Parham and defensive tackle Adam Butler.

Kansas City entered the game without quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew, each out with knee injuries. The Chiefs hope to get Mahomes back by early next season in what they hope is the return to becoming more like the team that appeared in five of the previous six Super Bowls, three ending in championships.

“Nobody wants a season like this,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But they’re obstacles. They come into play, and you’ve got to work through those. There’s a learning curve here that you can set with some of the experiences we had for all of us and then never do it again, right?”

Chris Oladokun started for the Chiefs and completed 11 of 17 passes for 58 yards before giving way to Shane Buechele in the second half. Buechele was 7 of 14 for 88 yards.

The Raiders were without quarterback Geno Smith, out with an ankle injury that also might have ended his playing days in Las Vegas after just a season. Kenny Pickett started and was replaced by Aidan O’Connell in the second quarter as expected. Pickett was just 1 of 4 for 3 yards with an interception, and O’Connell completed 10 of 22 passes for 102 yards.

O’Connell produced the game’s key offensive play with a 21-yard pass to tight end Michael Mayer to help set up of Carlson’s winning kick. This was O’Connell’s first appearance this season after being on injured reserve most of the year because of a broken wrist.

“I’ve been through a lot and I’m not the only one,” O’Connell said. “Basically, everyone has. When you lose like this, it wears on teammates, coaches, family — all of it.”

Tyree Wilson had two sacks of the Raiders’ season-high eight sacks, including a fourth-quarter safety for an 11-6 lead. He also forced two fumbles.

Chris Jones recorded two sacks to give him 86 1/2 for third most in Chiefs history.

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The Kansas City Chiefs now know their opponents for the 2026 NFL season, with the schedule set through the league’s rotating divisional format and the team’s 2025 third-place divisional finish.

Kansas City will play eight regular-season home games at Arrowhead Stadium, hosting AFC West rivals Denver, Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs will also face the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts at home.

On the road, the Chiefs will travel to Denver, Las Vegas and Los Angeles for their divisional matchups, along with trips to the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. Kansas City will also visit either the Atlanta Falcons or New Orleans Saints, depending on which team finishes third in the NFC South standings in 2025.

The NFL’s scheduling formula requires teams to play home-and-away series against division opponents, one full division from each conference on a rotating basis, and teams that finished in the same place within their divisions the previous season. For 2026, that rotation matched the Chiefs with the AFC East and NFC West, as well as the third-place teams from the AFC South, AFC North and NFC South.

Dates and kickoff times for the 2026 season are usually released around mid-May.

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By  DAVE SKRETTA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that he plans to return next season, batting away any thought of an impending retirement by making a tongue-in-cheek joke about his status with a franchise he has led to three Super Bowl titles.

“I mean, I think I’m coming back, right?” Reid told local Kansas City reporters on a Zoom call. “If they’ll have me back, I’ll come back. You never know in this business. That’s a tough one. But I plan on it, yeah.”

The 67-year-old Reid is accustomed to answering questions about his future in February, after the Chiefs have played in the Super Bowl, which they had done each of the past three years. But he’s less familiar with facing those questions in the final days of December, when the Chiefs have long since been eliminated from postseason contention.

Kansas City is 6-10 as it prepares for its season finale this weekend in Las Vegas.

Reid, who signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Chiefs in April 2024, spent his first 14 seasons as an NFL head coach in Philadelphia, where he led the Eagles to 130 regular-season wins and 10 more in the playoffs. That included four seasons that ended in the NFC title game and another that ended with a loss in the Super Bowl.

Reid’s past 13 years have come in Kansas City, where he has won at an even greater clip.

With Alex Smith at quarterback the first five years and Patrick Mahomes under center since, the Chiefs have piled up 149 regular-season wins and gone 18-8 in the playoffs. This season will end streaks of 10 consecutive playoff trips, nine straight AFC West titles, seven consecutive AFC title game appearances and the past three years in the Super Bowl.

In five trips to the big game, Reid and Co. have brought three Lombardi Trophies back to Kansas City. Bill Belichick is the only coach with more Super Bowl rings, capturing six of them with Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Reid has 307 wins overall. He needs 18 to pass George Halas for third on the NFL’s career list behind Belichick and Don Shula.

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