FOOTBALL

JETS TRADE FIRST-ROUND PICK FOR RAIDERS’ JOLLEY

The Raiders agreed to a trade with the Jets yesterday that will send tight end Doug Jolley to the Jets and give Oakland a first-round pick in this weekend’s NFL draft after all.

Jolley, a fourth-year tight end out of Brigham Young University, goes to New York along with a second-round pick in exchange for the Jets’ 26th overall pick, one Raiders source and one NFL source said, both speaking on condition of anonymity. The swap is contingent on Jolley passing a physical.

“There are a couple things that need to happen,” the Raiders source said, including finalizing which other draft picks Oakland would receive.

The Raiders traded their first-round draft selection – seventh overall – to Minnesota for Randy Moss in March and weren’t scheduled to make their first pick until sixth in the second round, 38th overall.

Jolley, a second round draft pick out of BYU in 2002, had 27 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns last season. In 47 career games, Jolley has 90 catches for 972 yards and five scores. The Jets needed help at tight end after losing starter Anthony Becht as a free agent earlier this offseason. Chris Baker was the only player on the roster with any significant game experience at the position.

BASEBALL

YANKEES OWE $30M IN LUXURY TAX

The struggling Yankees will be hit with a record luxury tax this year. Initial projections by the commissioner’s office based on opening-day rosters have the Yankees owing $30,637,531, according to information obtained this week by the Associated Press. The only other team projected to owe a tax is the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, who would pay $969,177.

For the luxury tax, payrolls are based on the average annual values of contracts for all players on the 40-man roster and include benefits. Under that formula, the Yankees opened with a payroll of $204.6 million, followed by Boston ($131.2 million), the Mets ($116.4 million), the Angels ($111.2 million), and the Mariners ($109.3 million). Teams with payrolls above $128 million owe tax this year. The Yankees are spending more than the $187 million total of Tampa Bay ($29.9 million), Kansas City ($36.9 million), Pittsburgh ($38.1 million), Milwaukee ($40.2 million), and Cleveland ($41.8 million).

The Yankees pay at a rate of 40% for the amount they are over because they will be exceeding the threshold for the third time under the labor contract that began in 2003. The Red Sox, projected to be over for the second time, pay at a 30% rate.

HOCKEY

BETTMAN: SEASON WON’T START WITHOUT AGREEMENT

The NHL won’t start next season on time if a new collective bargaining agreement hasn’t been reached with the players’ association. Commissioner Gary Bettman said yesterday he is committed to playing hockey in the fall, but a deal must be in place before then.

Representatives from all 30 NHL teams met in New York for the second time in seven weeks. The idea of replacement players was discussed as an option should the lockout continue, but that possibility has apparently lost steam.

Both the NHL and the players’ association said Tuesday that no progress was made during a six-hour negotiating session.

– Associated Press