Sports Briefs July 13, 2010

Basketball

Although Derek Fisher thought about joining that burgeoning superteam in Miami, he's staying in the Los Angeles Lakers' own collection of stars.

The veteran point guard said Monday he'll re-sign with the Lakers, sticking with Kobe Bryant and the defending two-time NBA champions after speaking with several teams as a free agent.

"I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles," Fisher said in a statement on his website. "While this may not be the most lucrative contract I've been offered this offseason, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin."

The five-time NBA champion said he considered contract offers from several teams in the past two weeks after playing a key role in the Lakers' championship repeat. He spoke with the Heat in South Beach last weekend, entertaining the prospect of running an offense for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who all left free-agent money on the table to sign teammates of Fisher's ability.

The idea was enticing, but not enough to uproot his family and career from Los Angeles, where he has spent 11 of his 14 NBA seasons.

"At the end of the day, there's one person I could not turn away from," Fisher said. "Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me even when others had doubts."

• The Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat completed their trade that sends Michael Beasley to Minnesota for two second-round picks and cash considerations.

The Heat made the move Monday to clear cap room to re-sign Dwyane Wade and bring in Chris Bosh and LeBron James. The Heat get Minnesota's second-round picks in 2011 and 2014.

• The NCAA unveiled its plans for the expanded 68-team men's basketball tournament, opting for a format that involves the lowest seeds and last at-large qualifiers in a "First Four" round.

Beginning next March, eight teams will play early in the first week, with the winners advancing to games on Thursday or Friday.

The NCAA decided against picking the lowest eight seeds for the new round. Instead, two of the early games will match the tournament's lowest seeds, Nos. 65 through 68, with the winners advancing to play a top seed. The other two games will match the last four at-large qualifiers.

The format probably will prevent mid-majors from being over-represented in the first round, and could also mean that two teams from bigger conferences - those generally seeded between 11th and 13th - will be out before the tournament really gets going.

Football

Brett Favre has yet to tell the Minnesota Vikings if he will return for a 20th season in the NFL, but most people with the team and around the NFL would be stunned if he did not come back.

Favre had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in May and has been throwing to receivers at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., for a few weeks, lending an air of inevitability to yet another sequel to the summer blockbuster "Favre-a-palooza," as Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe likes to call it.

• Two University of Montana football players - Chase Reynolds and Andrew Selle - are on the initial 2010 Walter Payton Award watch list.

The Sports Network gives the award to the top offensive player in the Football Championships Subdivision.

Reynolds rushed for 1,502 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior, finishing 13th in Payton voting last year. Selle passed for 3,043 yards and 28 touchdowns as Montana advanced to the FCS title game last season.

Eastern Washington running back Taiwan Jones is among other players on the watch list.

- The Associated Press