en years and needs now only to be ratified by players and owners in the coming weeks. The deal was struck a day before the sides faced a deadli

PRO BASKETBALLMIAMI -- The NBA and its players agreed to keep the most lucrative era in league history rolling.The sides agreed in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement, one that could last up to seven years and needs now only to be ratified by players and owners in the coming weeks. The deal was struck a day before the sides faced a deadline for opting out of the current deal.If approved by votes of players and owners -- likely to be formalities -- there will be no lockout next summer and no labor issues for years to come.If the deal is ratified, the season will start a week earlier, preseason games would be capped at six and one of the most dreaded elements of the schedule -- the four-games-in-five-days stretches -- may be eliminated.Other details of the new proposed CBA include increases in values of rookie-scale contracts, minimum salaries and exceptions, with a 45 percent increase in minimum salaries across the board in the first year of the new agreement. The rookie deals will be proportionate to the salary cap, either rising or falling as that does. The average player salary is expected to hit $8.5 million next season and rise to $10 million by 2020-21 under the new terms.NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton was fined $15,000 by the NBA for verbally abusing a game official and not leaving the court in a timely manner after an ejection.Upset after Sacramentos DeMarcus Cousins wasnt called for a foul against Julius Randle, Walton was called for two technical fouls and tossed with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter of the Lakers 116-92 road loss Monday night.PRO FOOTBALLTampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and the woman who accused him of rape while both attended Florida State University have settled the civil lawsuit she brought against him.Federal court records show that the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner and his accuser, Erica Kinsman, reached a compromise with contingencies with joint motions for dismissal anticipated within 20 days.Terms of the settlement are confidential. Blaine Kerr, one of the attorneys representing Kinsman, said the case has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties.The trial had been scheduled to begin April 3 in U.S