ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish team Besiktas said it is close to reaching a deal with locked-out NBA all-star guard Deron Williams.
Besiktas manager Murat Murtezaoglu told The Associated Press on Thursday that talks are underway with the New Jersey Nets player and U.S. Olympian.
Coach Ergin Ataman told the state-run Anatolia news agency that a deal was close. He also told The New York Times that an agreement had been reached.
Jeff Schwartz, Williams’ agent, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Flyers sign winger Simmonds
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms with right wing Wayne Simmonds on a multiyear contract.
Simmonds, 22, scored 14 goals and 30 points for the Los Angeles Kings last season.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning signed right wing Ryan Shannon to a one-year contract.
Shannon played in 79 games with the Ottawa Senators last season with 11 goals and 16 assists.
• The Nashville Predators signed forwards Matt Halischuk and Nick Spaling to two-year contracts and forwards Chris Mueller and Cal O’Reilly to one-year deals.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired center Ryan Russell from the Montreal Canadiens for right wing Mike Blunden.
Hall of Fame: Isner advances
NEWPORT, R.I. — Top-seeded John Isner continued his strong run at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, reaching the semifinals with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over No. 5-seeded Alex Bogomolov.
Isner had 21 aces — four in the tiebreak and three in the final game. Isner will face eighth-seeded Tobias Kamke, who beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
• Barbora Zahlavova Strycova reached the Swedish Open semifinals after ousting Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in Bastad.
Alabama’s Hart has knee surgery
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama running back Dee Hart had surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.
Coach Nick Saban said Dr. Lyle Cain performed the surgery and that Hart’s status for the season is unknown. The highly touted freshman, who enrolled in January, was hurt during summer conditioning.
• Alabama and Virginia Tech will play in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
Footnotes.
Kris Blanks birdied his final five holes to finish with an 8-under-par 63 and grab the first- round lead at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill.
• American rifle shooter Matt Emmons has qualified for the 2012 Olympics, less than a year after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
• Doctors treating Colombian cyclist Juan Mauricio Soler in Geneva say he’s showing signs of “serious cognitive deficits” after waking from an induced coma three weeks after crashing in the Tour of Switzerland.
• Sprinter Tyson Gay had surgery on his injured right hip and is expected to be sidelined six weeks.
• Basketball player Brian Oliver has transferred from Georgia Tech to Seton Hall.
The Associated Press
