Housley’s Deal Makes Him Richest Capital

Free agent defenseman Phil Housley signed a three-year contract with the Washington Capitals Monday, saying the team might give him his last strong chance for a playoff run.

Housley, a six-time All Star, split last season between Calgary and New Jersey. Terms of his deal were not disclosed, but he reportedly will become the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Housley, a native of St. Paul, Minn., last season surpassed Bobby Orr to rank fourth in career goals scored by a defenseman, with 274. With 950 points in 990 games, the 15-year veteran is sixth on the career list for defensemen. Traded mid-season to the Devils in a five-player deal, he collected 17 goals and 51 assists.

“‘We are excited to add him to our roster because he will improve our team offensively, especially with his ability to score on the power play,” Capital General Manager David Poile said.

Housley joins a team that finished fourth in the Atlantic Division last season with a 39-32-11 record and scored 234 goals, the NHL’s sixth-lowest total.

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The San Jose Sharks re-signed free agent forward Chris Tancill. Terms of the contract weren’t disclosed. In 45 games with San Jose last season Tancill scored seven goals and 16 assists.

Pro Basketball

The Golden State Warriors re-signed free agent guard Latrell Sprewell. The San Jose Mercury News reported he will earn more than $32 million over four years.

Sprewell, entering his fifth season with the Warriors, was the team’s top scorer last season with 18.9 points a game.

Jim McIlvaine, a 7-foot-1 free agent who was a backup with the Washington Bullets last season, signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Seattle SuperSonics. McIlvaine, 24, who replaces Ervin Johnson, averaged nearly as many blocks (2.08) as points (2.3) last season as Gheorghe Muresan’s backup.

The deadline for point guard Rod Strickland to report for a physical examination with the Washington Bullets was extended to noon Wednesday. His apparent reluctance to take a physical has threatened to void the July 15 trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, in which the Bullets gave up forward Rasheed Wallace and swingman Mitchell Butler to the Trail Blazers for Strickland and forward Harvey Grant.

Portland reportedly will sign point guard Kenny Anderson to a seven-year contract worth $50 million if the four-player deal with Washington is not voided.

The Denver Nuggets re-signed guard Bryant Stith, who had career-bests in scoring, rebounding and assists last season. He averaged 13.6 points per game, along with 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Terms were not announced.

Cleveland center Brad Daugherty, who has not played since 1994, announced his retirement, allowing the Cavaliers to free his salary against the cap.

Free agent guard Lucious Harris will sign with the Philadelphia 76ers today, his agent said. Harris, who played at Long Beach State, averaged 7.9 points in 16.7 minutes with the Dallas Mavericks last season. To create salary cap room, the Sixers renounced the rights to forward Tony Massenburg.

Tennis

Prosecutors wouldn’t say if they will end a tax evasion investigation of Steffi Graf if she pays $2 million. The Hamburg-based news weekly Der Spiegel reported Graf will pay back taxes.

Spaniard Emilio Sanchez defeated local favorite Thomas Schiessling, 6-3, 6-4, at the Generali Open at Kitzbuehl, Austria. In another first-round match, Italy’s Omar Camporese beat Youness El Aynaoui of Morocco, 6-4, 6-4.

College Football

The NCAA cut one scholarship from Tennessee’s allotment next year for a secondary rules violation involving former assistant coach Steve Marshall.

Athletic Director Doug Dickey said Tennessee will have 24 initial grants-in-aid available when the next football signing period begins in February.

College Basketball

DePaul rejected Chicago high school star Ronnie Fields’ admission application, citing academic reasons. Fields qualified under the NCAA’s Proposition 48 and was expected to sit out his freshman year. He averaged 32.5 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and four blocked shots per game as a senior at Chicago’s Farragut Academy and was named Illinois’ Mr. Basketball.

Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn., is upgrading its athletic program to the NCAA Division I level. The announcement was accompanied by the hiring of former St. John’s assistant Joe Santis as the new men’s basketball coach.