Sports
Report: DP World Tour declined LIV attempts to settle player fines
Sep 15, 2024; Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA; Jon Rahm of the Legion XIII holds the team trophy after winning the LIV Golf Chicago tournament at Bolingbrook Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Before Jon Rahm appealed the fines the DP World Tour assessed him for playing in LIV events that conflicted with the tour’s own tournaments, LIV Golf tried to strike a deal of sorts, Sports Illustrated reported Monday.
Representatives of the Saudi-backed LIV circuit met with the group formerly known as the European Tour in August, per the report. In seeking to eliminate the fines assessed to Rahm and other golfers, LIV “proposed schedule adjustments” to keep certain LIV events and DP World Tour events from overlapping.
LIV also offered 6 million Euros for DP World Tour purses and said it would create an exemption category for DP World Tour players into 10 specific events on the Asian Tour, an official partner of LIV.
“We met with them and listened to their proposal but did not accept it, as our view remains that the focus should continue to be on all stakeholders working together to reach an overall solution that benefits our sport,” a DP World Tour spokesman told Sports Illustrated.
At issue for Rahm is his status for the 2025 Ryder Cup. He is not eligible for Team Europe unless he plays in four DP World Tour events in 2024. His participation in the Paris Olympics counted as one, so he’s seeking three more starts.
But Rahm was fined for participating in LIV events this year held concurrently with DP World Tour events, and those outstanding fines were standing in the way of his eligibility.
Rather than pay the fines, Rahm’s agent last week requested an appeal. Under tour regulations, Rahm is eligible for the Spanish Open later this month until the appeal is resolved one way or the other.
Rahm joined LIV Golf in December and claimed the league’s 2024 individual title Sunday after winning LIV Chicago, the penultimate event of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hanwha Life sweeps opener in Mid-Season Invitational bracket stage
Gen.G advanced in the League of Legends competition at the Esports World Cup on July 19, 2025 Hanwha Life and G2 Esports earned wins on Friday as action in the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational bracket stage got underway in Daejeon, South Korea.
Hanwha Life swept Secret Whales in a Round 1 upper-bracket match, winning in 26, 28 and 30 minutes. Geon-woo “Zeka” Kim of South Korea paced the victors with a 20-2-13 kills-deaths-assists ratio.
G2 Esports had to rally for a 3-2 win against Top Esports, who took a 2-0 lead with wins in 34 and 32 minutes. G2 answered with wins in 27, 41 and 36 minutes, led by Rasmus Borregard “Caps” Winther of Denmark with a 34-19-33 KDA ratio.
All matches are best-of-five in the $2 million tournament, which concludes on July 12 with a top prize of $500,000. The winner of the grand final also qualifies for this fall’s 2026 World Championship.
Play continues in the double-elimination bracket stage Saturday with two more Round 1 matches: LYON vs. FURIA and Bilibili Gaming vs. T1.
2026 Mid-Season Invitational prize pool:
1. $500,000
2. $300,000
3. $240,000
4. $200,000
5-6. $160,000
7-8. $110,000
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Hornets acquire Dorian Finney-Smith, 3 picks from Rockets
Jan 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (2) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Charlotte Hornets are acquiring forward Dorian Finney-Smith and three second-round picks from the Houston Rockets, ESPN reported on Friday.
The Hornets are receiving the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2027 second-rounder as well as the Rockets’ 2028 and 2033 second-round selections.
The move gives Houston some roster flexibility and creates a $13 million trade exception, while Charlotte now has stockpiled 20 second-round picks over the next seven years, per ESPN.
Signed in June 2025 to a four-year, $53 million deal, Finney-Smith was largely ineffective during his lone season with the Rockets. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 37 games (one start) in 2025-26.
Finney-Smith, 33, has averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 628 career games (445 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Rockets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Wizards acquire C Deandre Ayton from Lakers
Oct 26, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, ESPN reported Friday.
The picks are in 2031 and 2032, per the report.
Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 72 games (all starts) in his lone season with the Lakers in 2025-26.
Ayton, who turns 28 on July 23, has averaged 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in 470 career games (463 starts) with the Phoenix Suns (2018-23), Portland Trail Blazers (2023-25) and Lakers.
Hardy, who turns 24 on Sunday, split the 2025-26 season with the Dallas Mavericks and Wizards and averaged 9.2 points in 57 games (four starts).
A second-round pick in 2022, Hardy has averaged 8.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 235 games (19 starts) with the Mavericks (2022-26) and Wizards. He has canned 38.6% of his career 3-point attempts (324 of 839).
–Field Level Media
Hanwha Life sweeps opener in Mid-Season Invitational bracket stage
Report: Hornets acquire Dorian Finney-Smith, 3 picks from Rockets
