9:28 AM ET San Antonio Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan said he was “not intending on being disrespectful” to Russell Westbrook when he associated the word “bricks” with the Los Angeles Lakers star. In a social media video that went viral over the weekend, Sochan and fellow Spurs rookie Malaki Branham are shown participating in a
Impending climate chaos is going to dictate a new reality, defined by events we’ve never seen before. Just like the trend of NBA mega-trades. “The trend is there and it is real.” So said James Kossin, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researcher, regarding satellite data that shows warming ocean temperatures have helped increase the
10:48 PM ET Marc J. Spears Deandre Ayton says he gained generational wealth that can help his family and many others after signing a four-year, $133 million maximum contract extension to return to the Phoenix Suns on Monday. But there was also a business lesson involved, too, for the young center as the contract initially
The Portland Trail Blazers won the NBA Summer League championship on Sunday, and players actually received rings. The NBA Summer League has concluded, as all teams got a look at the prospects they selected in the draft, as well as some undrafted free agents. The final game was for the Summer League Championship, with the
Kyrie Irving seems to have accepted the fact he is likely playing for the Brooklyn Nets this year. In what has been a tumultuous offseason for the Brooklyn Nets, they might actually be able to count on one thing: Kyrie Irving is probably coming back to the team. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said on his podcast
4:30 PM ET Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams has agreed on a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension, sources told ESPN on Monday. The deal, negotiated by Pensack Sports, is a remarkable punctuation for an undrafted player who had no Division I scholarship offers out of high school. Williams has often told people that he
If the New York Knicks can successfully acquire Donovan Mitchell, a trade for Russell Westbrook could be in the cards. The Utah Jazz have let everyone know that they were open for business following the trade of Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shortly thereafter, reports indicated that the Jazz would listen to offers for
12:12 PM ET James Harden isn’t playing hardball in contract talks with the Philadelphia 76ers; he just wants “whatever is left over.” “I had conversations with [team president] Daryl [Morey], and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster,
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and his long-time former agent Thad Foucher are going their separate ways after working closely together over the last 14 NBA seasons. It is over between Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and his long-timer former agent, Thad Foucher. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news on Friday night that Foucher
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The shadow of a Kevin Durant trade still looms over the NBA offseason and Adrian Wojnarowski added an extra dose of chaos last night with a report that the
4:31 PM ET The Utah Jazz have agreed to a two-year, $6.25 million guaranteed deal with Italian forward Simone Fontecchio, his agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Sunday. Fontecchio, 26, is considered the best available international small forward prospect. He averaged 11.9 points for Baskonia of the Spanish ACB last season and
Kyrie Irving didn’t play in the Drew League on Saturday, which disappointed some fans. But he had a damn good reason that Lakers supporters will love. On Saturday, July 16, NBA fans were excited to hear that players like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was set to participate in some Drew League action. Another
With news that the Jazz are willing to trade Donovan Mitchell a world of trade possibilities have opened, including a hypothetical Collin Sexton deal. In the immediate aftermath of the Rudy Gobert trade, the Utah Jazz were reported to be standing pat and preparing to build around Donovan Mitchell. However, Adrian Wojnarowski’s reporting earlier this
5:27 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Brandon Williams scored 22 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to an 85-77 victory over the New York Knicks in the NBA summer league championship on Sunday. It marked the third time Portland played in the championship game since 2017, and its second title since. The
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: NBA player LeBron James attends Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Home Run Derby rules, explained by Noah Yingling Yankees demolish Red Sox: 3 things you missed in Saturday
8:00 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN After 10 days of play in the desert, the NBA 2K23 Summer League championship game will take place Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas (3 p.m. ET on ESPN). This year saw the debut of several lottery picks for the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, and the return of the Golden
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. As Summer League winds down and the NBA offseason questions funnel to Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and, maybe, Donovan Mitchell, it’s time to step back and assess. As rosters
10:52 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James scored 42 points in a successful return to the Drew League while teaming up with DeMar DeRozan for a 104-102 win in L.A.’s famed pro-am basketball league Saturday. Longtime Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley told ESPN he expected Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to play in the
The Knicks and Jazz are discussing a Donovan Mitchell trade but so far New York’s asking price has been way too high. Since the news broke that the Jazz were willing to listen trade offers for Donovan Mitchell, rumors have swirled around the New York Knicks. They were rumored to be the frontrunners but their
Damian Lillard made a comment over loyalty, possibly throwing shade Kevin Durant’s way. With Damian Lillard’s comment hinting about being loyal to one franchise, he may have thrown some shade at Kevin Durant and other NBA superstars who have regularly switched allegiances. Lillard has spent his entire professional career with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was
Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images Cubs: David Ross gets ejected for arguing Mets pitcher balked by John Buhler The Miami Heat have been linked in trade rumors to Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell. But would they settle for Kyrie Irving instead? The Miami Heat are watching and waiting, hoping for a chance to add Kevin
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images The Suns decided to keep DeAndre Ayton, derailing the plans of the Pacers. If that ruffled the feathers of Myles Turner, Indiana may have to make a trade. In what was a surprisingly fast-paced process with the NBA frozen from Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving/Donovan Mitchell trade anxiety, the DeAndre Ayton free
With or without DeAndre Ayton under contract, the Phoenix Suns will have a tough time trading for Kevin Durant this summer. Ayton signed a record offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, which the Suns seem inclined to match, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. While that may seem like good news initially, as Phoenix will avoid
The Phoenix Suns had no choice but to pay DeAndre Ayton in the end, especially after he took an offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers tried to make Ayton a rich man in Indianapolis. Instead, the Suns made sure he stayed put in Phoenix. Ayton sweated it out for over two weeks while
1:31 AM ET The San Antonio Spurs and forward Keldon Johnson have agreed to a four-year, $80 million extension, his representative Klutch Sports Agency announced Friday night. Johnson, 22, started 74 games for the Spurs in his third season, averaging a career-high 17.1 points while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range. Friday’s agreement comes two
The Miami Heat will need to get a third team involved if they want to be the franchise that ends up dealing for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in a blockbuster trade. Even if the Miami Heat are interested in acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, they do not have the assets presently to orchestrate
10:25 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook and his longtime agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, have parted ways, Foucher told ESPN on Friday night. In a statement to ESPN, Foucher, one of the league’s prominent player representatives, cited “irreconcilable differences” and suggested that there was no longer full alignment with Westbrook about whether
The New Orleans Pelicans took a shot at LeBron James and Russell Westbrook on Twitter. While the New Orleans Pelicans players seem to like each other, the same thing cannot be said for Los Angeles Lakers teammates LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. An NBA fan took a screenshot of the Lakers’ Twitter header and compared it
The Brooklyn Nets would prefer to keep Kevin Durant as opposed to trading him at this point. While it has been a few weeks since Kevin Durant requested a trade, it is the Brooklyn Nets‘ preference to keep the disgruntled superstar as opposed to dealing him for less than market value. NBA insider Brian Windhorst
12:51 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The G League Ignite said Friday that the team has struck a multiyear deal to relocate to Henderson, Nevada. The Ignite had been training in Walnut Creek, California, since their inception and played home games this past season in Las Vegas, about 15 miles from their new