Harden healthy, back with Nets

James Harden was given the green light to play for the Nets on Wednesday night after missing more than a month with a strained right hamstring.

The Nets announced that Harden would be available for their game against the Spurs after listing him as probable earlier in the day. Coach Steve Nash said it hadn’t been determined if Harden would start.

Either way, it was set to be the All-Star guard’s first game since April 5, when he aggravated the injury in a game against the Knicks.

Harden had since missed 18 games. He also sat out the two before the game against the Knicks, when he attempted to play but left again after barely four minutes.

He then had a setback in his recovery, keeping him out longer than initially hoped.

The Nets were 27-7 in games in which Harden has played. The Nets have had their superstar trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the court together for only seven games. That won’t change Wednesday, as Irving was ruled out after having to leave a victory against the Bulls on Tuesday with a facial contusion.

College basketball: Five-star recruit Patrick Baldwin Jr. told ESPN that he committed to Milwaukee of the Horizon League, spurning offers from the likes of Duke, Georgetown and Virginia to play for his father Patrick Baldwin Sr., the Panthers coach since 2017.

NFL: The Packers plan to sign veteran QB Blake Bortles to a one-year contract, ESPN reported. Bortles, 29, the third pick in the 2014 draft by the Jaguars, is the first addition at the position since the news of Aaron Rodgers’ unhappiness with the organization broke last month. The Packers had only two QBs on their roster: Rodgers and 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. Bortles last played in 2019 for the Rams.

NHL: The expansion Seattle Kraken made center Luke Henman, 21, their first signed player. Henman signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the franchise, which begins play next season. The Kraken made the final payment of their $650 million expansion fee to the league on April 30. That made the team eligible to sign players, make trades, attend meetings and vote on any league business. The Kraken still has yet to hire a coach.