Duke star Cooper Flagg is headed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The program announced Flagg’s move in a social media post Monday following a lone college season that saw the 18-year-old become only the fourth freshman named as The Associated Press national player of the year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Flagg had reclassified to get to Duke a year early, and his decision was expected all year, even as he generally declined to spell out plans about his professional future as the season pushed into March or mentioned how much fun he had playing in college.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals to lead the Blue Devils in each category. He’s a versatile threat who showed the ability to thrive as a scorer, playmaker and defender.

NCAA sets table for schools to pay players directly >> The NCAA passed rules that would upend decades of precedent by allowing colleges to pay their athletes per terms of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement expected to go into effect this summer.

The nine proposals passed by the NCAA board were largely expected but still mark a defining day in the history of college sports. An athlete’s ability to be paid directly by his or her university is on track to be enshrined in a rulebook that has forbidden that kind of relationship for decades.

For the NCAA rules to officially go into effect, the changes prescribed by the House settlement still have to be granted final approval by a federal judge, whose hearing earlier this month led to questions about potential tweaks before the new guidelines are supposed to go into play on July 1.

MLB

Braves pitcher Strider goes on injured list >> Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider strained his right hamstring while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list.

Atlanta made the move retroactive to Friday, two days after Strider returned from elbow surgery and made his first big league appearance since April 5 last year. Strider allowed two runs over five innings in a 3-1 loss at Toronto, and the 26-year-old right-hander was slated to make his home season debut on Tuesday against St. Louis.

NBA

Hawks fire GM Fields, promote Saleh >> Landry Fields was fired as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks after three seasons, with the team missing the playoffs in the last two of those.

The Hawks promoted Onsi Saleh to the GM role, while also announcing that they have opened a search for a president of basketball operations. Atlanta went 40-42 this season, then missed the playoffs after going 0-2 in the play-in tournament.

The Hawks haven’t won a playoff series since making it to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.

Bucks upgrade Lillard to questionable >> Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard is listed as questionable for Game 2 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers, another step forward for the seven-time All-NBA guard after missing the past month.

The Bucks had announced Thursday that Lillard was off blood-thinning medication and cleared for full basketball activity after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. The Bucks could use Lillard after they shot 9 of 37 from 3-point range in a 117-98 Game 1 loss at Indiana.

NHL

Kraken fire coach after one season >> The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dan Bylsma, ending his tenure after one season that concluded far out of playoff contention.

The Kraken regressed after Bylsma took over for Dave Hakstol, who coached them for their first four seasons of existence and got them to the playoffs in 2023. They finished 35-41-6 for 76 points — 20 back of the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference — after 81 the previous season.

NFL

Eagles, Pro Bowl center Jurgens agree to a 4-year extension >> The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens have agreed to a four-year contract extension through 2029.

The 25-year-old Jurgens made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season following a switch back to center after six-time All-Pro Jason Kelce retired. Jurgens was a backup as a rookie in 2022 after being drafted out of Nebraska in the second round and made 11 starts at right guard in 2023.

Philadelphia went 14-3 last season and dominated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in winning its second Super Bowl title.

Tennis

Ostapenko stuns world No. 1 Sabalenka to win Porsche Grand Prix >> Jelena Ostapenko upset No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-1 in the Porsche Grand Prix final.

Ostapenko beat Sabalenka for the first time in four meetings to win her first clay-court title since the 2017 French Open.

She also beat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals in her run to her ninth career title.