Browsing: dismiss

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors have mutually and voluntarily decided to dismiss a lawsuit filed in 2023, which most people around the league thought should never have been filed, a story broken by Baxter Holmes for ESPN. A spokesperson for the teams gave ESPN this statement:

“The Knicks and [Raptors owner] Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future.â€

The lawsuit was over something seen as commonplace in NBA circles (sources who had been in similar jobs told NBC Sports at the time that this was no big deal and the suit seemed “very James Dolanâ€). New York was seeking $10 million in damages from Toronto for the alleged “theft of trade secrets†when the Raptors hired away New Yorkâ€s director of video/analytics/and a player development assistant coach, Ikechukwu Azotam. In the suit, the Knicks alleged that the Raptors organization — at the behest of rookie head coach Darko Rajakovic — took more than 3,000 confidential, proprietary files, including video scouting files and play frequency numbers. Part of the Knicks†argument was that Rajakovic didnâ€t have the depth of background to build a team structure, so he stole that from New York. That despite the fact that Rajakovic had been a legendary head coach in Serbia, was head coach of the Tulsa 66ers of the G-League, and was an assistant known for player development with the Thunder, Suns and Grizzlies.

Torontoâ€s first counterargument was that this had to be decided by the NBA league office and commissioner Adam Silver, not the courts. Toronto reached out to the NBAâ€s general council and pointed out that the NBAâ€s constitution (Article 24, bylaw “Dâ€) states: “The Commissioner shall have exclusive, full, complete, and final jurisdiction of any dispute involving two (2) or more Members of the Association.†Dolan, who has had a long-running feud with Silver, did not feel the commissioner would be an unbiased arbiter of the situation.

In the end, both sides just decided to drop the issue and move on.

Source link

• 

  Baxter HolmesOct 10, 2025, 06:01 PM ET

  Close

  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors agreed to voluntarily dismiss a 2023 lawsuit involving the alleged theft of thousands of confidential files, according to a court filing Friday that was obtained by ESPN.

Spokespersons representing the teams issued the same statement to ESPN: “The Knicks and [Raptors owner] Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future.”

The Knicks filed the lawsuit in August 2023, seeking more than $10 million in damages. The team alleged that the Raptors poached Ikechukwu Azotam, who worked for New York from 2020 to 2023, and ordered him to provide a trove of internal information after Toronto began recruiting him in the summer of 2023. The Knicks argued that this effort was geared toward giving the Raptors a competitive advantage.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

The Knicks specifically alleged that Azotam — who worked for the Knicks as an assistant video coordinator, then as a director of video/analytics/player development assistant — sent the Raptors thousands of confidential files, including play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files and opposition research.

The Knicks also alleged that Azotam did so at the request of the Raptors, whom they said were trying to “organize, plan, and structure the new coaching and video operations staff,” the August 2023 complaint stated.

The Raptors, Azotam, Toronto head coach Darko Rajaković, player development coach Noah Lewis and 10 “unknown” employees were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

In an October 2023 court filing, the Raptors called the Knicks’ allegations “baseless” and a “public relations stunt.” The Raptors also argued that the “alleged ‘theft of data’ involved little more than publicly available information compiled through public sources readily accessible to all NBA Members.”

The Raptors repeatedly called for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to step in and settle the dispute, and a judge in the U.S. Southern District Court in Lower Manhattan agreed.

The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, meaning it is dismissed permanently.

Source link

J.J. McCarthy has struggled at points during his first season as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback, to the point that some people have questioned whether his current injury isn’t quite as serious as the team has suggested and instead is a covert demotion.

But The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Sunday that she’s “been told by multiple sources that McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer. I’m told, ‘Nothing to see here.'”

The “secret demotion” theory sort of falls apart when you consider that McCarthy hasn’t been practicing. Keeping McCarthy out of games is one thing, but not letting a young, developing player practice makes zero sense.

And Russini reported that McCarthy “hasn’t returned in any capacity, not even on a limited basis” as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

In two games, the second-year quarterback has thrown for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, completing just 58.5 percent of his passes while taking nine sacks. The Vikings went 1-1 in those games.

So it’s been a bit rocky after Sam Darnold—now with the Seattle Seahawks—was such a revelation last year. But for now, we can all put those tinfoil hats away.

Source link

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies announced Wednesday that general manager Bill Schmidt will not return after one of the worst seasons in baseball history.

A search is underway for his replacement.

Schmidt has been with the organization since 1999, including the past four seasons as general manager. The Rockies turned in their third straight 100-loss season as they missed the postseason for a seventh year in a row.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

The Rockies finished 43-119, narrowly avoiding the distinction of being the worst team since baseball adopted a 162-game schedule in 1961. The mark still belongs to the 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121).

“We are setting our sights on finding the right leader from outside our organization who can bring a fresh perspective to the Rockies and enhance our baseball operations with a new vision, innovation, and a focus on both short and long-term success,” Walker Monfort, the team’s executive vice president and the son of owner Dick Monfort, said in a statement. “This change delivers an opportunity to shape the future of our club and move forward into a new era of Rockies baseball.”

Schmidt originally joined the Rockies on Oct. 1, 1999, as the director of scouting. He steadily worked his way up the ranks until being hired as the fourth GM in team history in 2021.

“After a number of conversations, we decided it is time for me to step aside and make way for a new voice to guide the club’s baseball operations,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Better seasons are ahead for the Rockies and our great fans, and I look forward to seeing it come to life in the years ahead.”

The new GM will make a decision on the managerial role. Warren Schaeffer has been the interim manager since stepping into the position when Bud Black was fired in May. He went 36-86 in a season that went sideways from the start.

The Rockies boast a young nucleus, but there are plenty of areas to shore up. They finished with a differential of minus-424, the worst since 1900, surpassing the minus-349 of the 1932 Boston Red Sox.

The starting rotation turned in a 6.65 ERA, the highest mark since it became an official stat in both leagues in 1913.

Dick Monfort said of the front office change: “A new voice will benefit our organization as we work towards giving our fans the competitive team they deserve.”

Source link

Sep 14, 2025, 07:34 PM ETHONOLULU — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, moved to…

India bowled United Arab Emirates out for 57 to begin the defence of their Asia Cup title with a rapid…