Saturday, March 30th, provided a lot of attractive news regarding the latest affairs in the NFL, NHL, and NBA. Here are the top headlines of the day.
Former Raiders, Texans punter Lechler retires | ESPN
One of the NFL’s best punters ever, Shane Lechler, announced his retirement after playing professional football for 18 seasons. The 42-year-old punter earned seven Pro Bowl honors during his stint with the Oakland Raiders between 2000 and 2012. He also spent time with the Texans and his former teammate, JJ Watt, was among the first ones to congratulate Lechler on Twitter.
A retirement party fit for a GOAT.
The best punter ever & an even better person. Last night was a testament to that as family, friends & teammates flew in from all over to celebrate Lech & his unbelievable career. We’ll do it all again when they put that gold jacket on him too! pic.twitter.com/5LaTZETKIg— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 30, 2019
LeBron James to sit out the rest of the season | ESPN
LeBron James will sit out the final six games of the regular season. Despite the disappointing first season with the Lakers, and missing the postseason for the first time since the 2004-2005 season, James had expressed his hopes to play the remainder of the regular season. However, after consulting the Lakers medical staff, management decided to sit James and give his groin time to fully recover.
“After consulting with our team doctors and medical staff, we have decided to hold LeBron out of games for the remainder of the season.
"This decision will allow his groin to fully heal, and is best for the future success of both LeBron and the Lakers."https://t.co/6Z5DsXMFKt
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 30, 2019
Coyotes sign Schmaltz to 7-year contract extension | Associated Press
The Arizona Coyotes and forward Nick Schmaltz agreed on a seven-year contract extension, the team announced. Schmaltz spent his first three years in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks and recorded a career-high 21 goals and 31 assists in 2017-18 before the Blackhawks traded him to Arizona in exchange for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini.
The 23-year-old forward got off to a hot start in the current campaign as he had five goals and nine assists in 17 games but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in December.
Nick Schmaltz hasn't played since suffering a knee injury at the end of December, but he has resumed skating after rehabbing with Bill Knowles of HP Sports and the Coyotes training staff. The Coyotes obviously view him as a key part of their future.
— Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) March 30, 2019
Rondo hoping to return to Lakers: ‘I’m only 33’ | ESPN
Rajon Rondo expressed his desire to stay with the Lakers for a while after his excellent display in a win over the Charlotte Hornets, becoming the first Laker since Magic Johnson who recorded 17 assists and five steals in a game.
“Absolutely,” Rondo told ESPN when asked if he wanted to come back to the Lakers next season. “Absolutely. I mean, the only way we can go from here is up. So, I don’t know what the future holds as far as the summer — if I come back, or who else comes back or if I don’t come back. Those things are out of my control. But at the same time, it’s a great organization. I can’t say enough about the staff and the people who work here. They’re really kind and helpful, so I want to continue, if I can, help this organization grow.”
His $9 million deal with the Lakers is expiring this season but there were discussions between his agent Bill Duffy and Los Angeles about a multiyear contract.
New story: Rajon Rondo tells ESPN he "absolutely" wants to return to the Lakers next season — "I mean, the only way we can go from here is up" https://t.co/XRZY1BM1Uu
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 30, 2019
Raiders sign former Seahawks tight end Willson | ESPN
The Oakland Raiders announced that they signed former Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions tight end Luke Wilson a few days after Jared Cook moved to the New Orleans Saints. The 29-year-old played for the Seattle Seahawks for his first five years in the NFL before moving to the Detroit Lions last year.
Wilson won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks and has 102 receptions for 1216 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career, but the previous campaign was forgettable as he recorded just 87 yards on 13 receptions in 14 games for the Lions.
The Raiders have signed tight end Luke Wilson, who played last season for the Lions and caught 13 passes for 87 yards while starting eight of 14 games for Detroit. Wilson was drafted by the Seahawks in 2013 and caught four TDs for them in 2017. https://t.co/llpWjuxSSM
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) March 30, 2019
Raptors’ McCaw out 3 weeks with thumb injury | ESPN
Toronto Raptors forward Patrick McCaw sprained his right thumb and will miss the next three weeks, the team announced. The injury occurred in Thursday’s victory over the New York Knicks and McCaw will have to wear a splint while he is out. He is averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds through 26 games this season.
Patrick McCaw will be in a splint for his sprained thumb for three weeks and will then be re-evaluated. So take him out of your round one rotation hypotheticals, I guess.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 30, 2019
