Ilya Kovalchuk leaves L.A., agent continues talks with Kings

Free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, who arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday for meetings with Kings executives, left town Tuesday afternoon without a new contract, but his agent stayed behind to continue negotiating a long-term deal for the dynamic left wing.

Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk’s New York-based agent, met with members of the Kings’ hockey operations department before leaving Los Angeles on Tuesday night. It’s not clear if Grossman and Kovalchuk made any concessions on their initial $100-million price. General Manager Dean Lombardi, who declined to comment, has said the club can’t pay Kovalchuk a $10-million average annual salary, retain core players and add the pieces he still needs for the Kings to become Stanley Cup contenders.

Kovalchuk reportedly has received offers from a team in Russia’s KHL and from the New Jersey Devils, but the Devils’ offers have not been confirmed.

— Helene Elliott

PRO BASKETBALL

Charlotte trades Tyson Chandler to Dallas

The Charlotte Bobcats completed a wild 24 hours of trade discussions with a deal Tuesday that does include center Tyson Chandler after all.

He’s just not heading to the team he thought a day earlier.

After a potential trade with Toronto fell apart, the Bobcats sent Chandler and fellow center Alexis Ajinca to the Dallas Mavericks for center Erick Dampier, forward Eduardo Najera, shooting guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.

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Zydrunas Ilgauskas is following LeBron James to the Miami Heat.

The veteran center, who started playing for Cleveland in 1997 and has never suited up for another NBA team, expects to sign a two-year contract with the Heat this week, agent Herb Rudoy said. The two-year deal would come with a player option for the second season, Rudoy said.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to send power forward Al Jefferson to the Utah Jazz for two future first-round draft picks and center Kosta Koufos, the teams confirmed.

ETC.

UCLA football trio free to play elsewhere

Paul Richardson, Shaquille Richardson and Joshua Shirley, the three UCLA football players arrested on suspicion of theft in June, have had their letters of intent ruled null and void.

The three are free to be recruited by other schools and can play immediately.

The three could face felony charges for allegedly stealing a female student’s backpack with contents worth about $1,200. At the time, they were told that they could no longer attend summer school at UCLA and could not enroll in the fall. Whether they could enroll in the winter quarter would be “determined at a later date,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

— Chris Foster

The Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle were selected to play in Major League Soccer’s All-Star game.

The forwards were among four members of the Galaxy chosen for the match. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and defender Omar Gonzalez were also selected.

Chivas USA did not have any players selected, but the roster will be expanded to 23 before the game is played on July 28 in Houston.

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Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor pleaded not guilty to an indictment that alleges he had sex with a 16-year-old girl in a New York hotel room.