After an eventful holiday season, the NBA now enters its middle third. With Christmas in the rearview, teams and players will push forward to the All-Star break over the next month-and-a-half. Over the last two weeks, many of the candidates for the year’s awards turned in performances that could help or hurt their positioning. Joel
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1:51 AM ET The Golden State Warriors waived forward Marquese Chriss after their 111-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. His contract would have become guaranteed on Tuesday. Golden State plans to complete a deal with guard Damion Lee to keep him on the 15-man roster, a league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After over a decade, former Dunk Contest winner Dwight Howard is returning to the event next month, making his fourth appearance in the annual showcase This has been a season of rejuvenation for Dwight Howard. After a number of years bouncing around the league with no team particularly eager to have or hold on to
12:50 PM ET Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kevin Porter Jr. is expected to miss two weeks because of a sprained left knee, the team announced Monday. Porter suffered the injury in Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His knee buckled awkwardly in the third quarter when he tried to change directions, and he had to
Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
7:49 AM ET HIS FINISHING MOVE was probably unnecessary, but Trae Young knows he wouldn’t be here watching the play otherwise. Young, his Atlanta Hawks jerseys on display all around him, is sitting in a folding chair inside the locker room of the team’s shimmering, new practice facility. The Hawks call this area their “flex
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 01: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks over Robin Lopez #42 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Fiserv Forum on January 01, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
12:12 AM ET ESPN News Services Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kevin Porter Jr. exited Sunday’s 118-103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves early with a left knee injury. The 30th overall pick in last year’s draft was injured in the third quarter when his knee buckled awkwardly while he tried to change directions. The slender guard immediately
11:31 PM ET NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are sliding. After holding a 16-point first-half lead, the Nets lost to the Toronto Raptors 121-102 on Saturday night at Barclays Center. It was Brooklyn’s fifth consecutive loss and sixth in its past seven games. Brooklyn’s overall record fell to 16-18. On Saturday, the Nets were
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is expected to miss at least eight weeks secondary to a severe knee sprain and bone bruise. It all began as a routine fastbreak for Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac. The lanky 6-foot-11 defensive menace out of Florida State gathered a loose ball and attempted to bypass his defender, Bradley
12:21 AM ET ESPN News Services CLEVELAND — Kevin Love has been the subject of trade speculation all season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers star showed his frustration several times during Saturday night’s 121-106 loss to Oklahoma City. Earlier in the day, Love yelled at Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman over a recent fine, according to
Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
12:47 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — As speculation regarding his future abounds, Pistons big man Andre Drummond reiterated that he wants to spend the rest of his career in Detroit. Drummond, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the organization, did not hesitate when asked why he would like to stay in Detroit. “I’m
Yes, the Phoenix Suns are experimenting with Deandre Ayton and Aron Baynes in the starting lineup. Is Ayton at the 4 viable or even survivable? In the 3-point heavy, pace-and-space NBA, traditional positions of old are fading into legend. Switchability is king, seven-footers who can do more than just post up are labeled as mythical
5:54 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for making inappropriate contact with a game official. Thomas received a technical foul and was ejected early in the Wizards’ 122-103 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Thomas was
Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
2:36 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Two words came to mind for Dwight Howard when he was asked to compare Anthony Davis‘ first game against his former team five weeks ago to Davis’ performance Friday in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 123-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “No stress,” Howard said. It’s a phrase Lakers
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1:17 AM ET HOUSTON — Coach Brett Brown attempted to take a positive approach after the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 118-108 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. It was the 76ers’ fourth consecutive loss, their longest losing streak since December 2017, but Brown said he liked the way his team competed by pulling within five
Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
4:14 PM ET The Cleveland Cavaliers say forward Larry Nance Jr. will miss 1-2 weeks due to left knee soreness. Nance missed Cleveland’s win against Atlanta on Dec. 23, due to the knee, but had played in the Cavs’ four games since. The team said he underwent further testing on Friday and now will undergo
After two seasons of questions, Markelle Fultz has proven himself a useful NBA player. What have we seen so far and what does it mean for his ceiling? After a meandering first two seasons that included mysterious injuries, conspiracy theories, a disappearing jumpshot and plenty of missed games, former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz
8:39 AM ET R.J. Hampton has been medically cleared for full contact in the Australian NBL, while LaMelo Ball remains out for the indefinite future, sources told ESPN. Hampton, No. 7 in ESPN’s top 100 draft prospects for 2020, has been cleared by doctors to resume full basketball activity after recovering from a hip injury
Injuries are never something that NBA teams want to deal with, but they’re an unfortunate part of the game — ask any franchise, they’ll agree. But when NBA teams get hit with injuries, it usually opens up opportunities and playing time for other players to step up and contribute. The Washington Wizards are currently in
12:40 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LA Clippers star Paul George was ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons with tightness in his left hamstring. George went back to the locker room with 3:45 remaining in the second quarter. At the end of the half, the team said the guard was questionable
There’s a number of ways NBA players show their admiration for each other. Here are some of the stranger ones. In a recent story on ESPN, several players and coaches speak about the strategy of double-teaming James Harden as soon as he crosses the floor, with many seeing it as a sign of respect. Harden
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a collection of young players that will serve of the cornerstones of their rebuild soon. How are they doing so far? We’re only about 40 percent of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season, but for some teams, it’s pretty clear that the truly competitive portion of the year is over.
6:05 PM ET Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is out indefinitely after an MRI on Thursday revealed a severe sprain and bone contusion in his left knee. The team said in a statement that Isaac will be re-evaluated in eight-to-10 weeks. “While this certainly is disappointing news, there was no damage to his ACL, MCL and
The Utah Jazz have had an interesting season, to say the least. Prior to their roster changes, they were 18-12. This mark was certainly impressive, all things considered, but it left a lot to be desired considering all the win-now moves they made in the offseason — like the acquisitions of Mike Conley and Bojan
4:07 PM ET David Stern, the NBA commissioner who oversaw the sport’s biggest stage for three decades, has died, the league announced Wednesday. He was 77. Stern died as a result of the brain hemorrhage he suffered three weeks ago. His wife, Dianne, and their family were with him at his bedside, the NBA said.