Durant headed to Suns; Westbrook sent to Jazz

SCOTTSDALE—Top-ranked Rory McIlroy, fresh off a victory in Dubai, says he’s playing the best golf of his career as he prepares to tee off Thursday at the PGA Phoenix Open.

The 33-year-old Northern Ireland star beat Patrick Reed by a stroke two weeks ago for his third career Dubai title, then came home to push his game to a peak level.

“I don’t feel like I’ve ever been as complete of a player as I am right now,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “I feel like my base level now is just a little bit higher and a little more consistent.”

World number two Scottie Scheffler, the reigning Masters champion, and Spain’s third-ranked Jon Rahm, who won two PGA events last month, can overtake McIlroy for the top spot with top-two efforts this week.

“I don’t like being number two,” Scheffler said. “I’d rather be number one.”

But McIlroy says he feels like he’s the world’s top player right now.

“I’m playing well. I feel like consistency-wise, I’ve been as good as I’ve been ever in my career,” McIlroy said.

LOS ANGELES—NBA superstar forward Kevin Durant is headed to the Phoenix Suns in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, US media reported on Wednesday.

ESPN, citing unnamed sources, was among the outlets reporting that the Nets were trading Durant and TJ Warren in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round draft picks.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are poised to trade Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal that will bring Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell to the Lakers, US media reported on Wednesday.

ESPN reported that the Lakers will also land Minnesota’s Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while the Timberwolves will receive Jazz guards Mike Conley and Nickeil AlexanderWalker as well as draft picks. The Jazz will receive Westbrook along with Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a future Lakers first-round draft pick, ESPN reported, saying all players had been notified of the deal.

The deal, reported on the eve of the NBA trade deadline, will end Westbrook’s rocky tenure in Los Angeles after one and a half seasons.

The Lakers traded several role players to the Washington Wizards for Westbrook, the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player and a nine-time AllStar, but he has never been the contributor they envisioned alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and is now coming off the bench with the Lakers in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

The Los Angeles Times cited unnamed sources as saying the Lakers are “excited” to get a trio of young players who could help with the shooting issues they have battled all season.

In Russell the Lakers regain the player they made the second overall pick in the NBA draft in 2015. He is averaging 17.9 points and 6.2 assists for Minnesota this season and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season when his $31.4 million contract expires. AFP