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7:30 PM ET LOS ANGELES — When the curtain comes up on the new NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers expect all of their performers to be on stage. “On opening night when we play the Golden State Warriors, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster, on that night, will be

5:25 PM ET Zach LaVine was excited by the Chicago Bulls‘ aggressive offseason, but says this season is crucial in determining the direction for the team and himself as he enters the final season of his contract. “At the end of the day it’s a business,” LaVine told ESPN on Thursday. “They did what was

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who finished just shy of a place among the top five superstars in the NBA? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin

3:25 PM ET Gersson Rosas is out as the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations. In a statement announcing the move Wednesday, team owner Glen Taylor said the Wolves “remain committed to building a winning team that our fans and city can be proud of.” Minnesota hired Rosas, a former Houston Rockets executive, in May

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who is on the verge of breaking into the superstar tier? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin Durant vs. James Harden,

4:28 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN If his team had to practice today, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said some players would be unable to participate because of New York City’s vaccine mandate. “Regarding if they could play today, I can’t comment on who could play and so forth,” Marks said Tuesday in the team’s

9:31 AM ET Associated Press JJ Redick, the sharpshooter who was The Associated Press Player of the Year at Duke before embarking on a 15-season NBA career, announced his retirement Tuesday. Redick, 37, played with six NBA teams — the Magic, Clippers, 76ers, Pelicans, Bucks and Mavericks. He averaged 12.8 points in 940 regular-season games,

11:49 AM ET Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons will not report to the opening of training camp next week and intends to never play another game for the franchise, sources told ESPN. Simmons hasn’t spoken to the team since a late-August meeting when he communicated this message to Sixers officials. Simmons is clearly aware of

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which rookies are making their debuts on our annual list? Which young stars are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Which players dropped after disappointing 2020-21 campaigns? Here’s who made the cut as we break down the league’s top 100. To get

8:16 PM ET Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson is making “good progress” in his rehabilitation from a right Achilles injury and will participate in “controlled drills” during training camp, but his return within the season will be made at a later date, the team announced Monday. Thompson, who tore his left ACL during Game

Sep 15, 2021 Andre SnellingsESPN The storylines this season are almost endless. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a career path rivaling the best players in NBA history, including both “His Airness” as well as “King James,” yet somehow no one seems to realize it. I’ve been predicting and noting his progress for years, but the majority

12:08 PM ET William Ricks In a hot real estate market countrywide, Orlando, Florida, home prices continue to surge. That is unless, apparently, the home was customized for a 7-foot-1 Hall of Fame center, 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat — Shaquille O’Neal, whose Orlando-area mansion was

2:26 PM ET William Ricks Portland Trail Blazers guard, and hip hop artist, Damian Lillard, who performs as Dame D.O.L.L.A. released the new music video for his song “Him Duncan” on Friday. 2 Related The title of this song is a play on NBA legend Tim Duncan’s name but isn’t the only reference he uses.

8:15 AM ET LA Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer initially was content to play at Staples Center — in the same building as the Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings — when he bought the franchise for $2 billion in 2014. But within a year, Ballmer said he realized the Clippers needed to

9:28 PM ET Associated Press DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks signed free agent Frank Ntilikina on Thursday, adding the guard picked one spot before their selection of Dennis Smith Jr. in the top 10 of the 2017 draft. Ntilikina spent four years with the New York Knicks, who drafted him eighth overall four years ago.

2:22 PM ET Associated Press ATHENS, Greece — NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo was in Greece for a meeting with the country’s prime minister Thursday and a special ceremony to bestow Greek citizenship on his mother, Veronica, and younger brother Alex. Antetokounmpo, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA championship in July, attended the ceremony

9:11 PM ET Brianna Williams Dennis Schroder made headlines when he signed with the Boston Celtics, but it wasn’t about the money he gained. It was for the money he lost. Last season, the guard turned down a four-year, $84 million contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers in order to become an unrestricted

6:40 PM ET ESPN News Services The Milwaukee Bucks have named Lisa Byington as the team’s new television play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Wisconsin, making her the first woman to handle full-time TV play-by-play duties for a major men’s professional sports team. Byington replaces longtime Bucks announcer Jim Paschke, who retired after the 2020-21 season

5:15 PM ET Eric GomezMexico writer The NBA G League announced its first Latin American expansion team, the Mexico City Capitanes, will debut this November amid a format change to the competition’s schedule. Because of concerns stemming from international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capitanes will play their home games in Fort Worth, Texas.

1:37 PM ET Baxter Holmes Close ESPN Senior Writer Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times. Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined

4:29 PM ET Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension, his agent, Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports, confirmed to the Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears Tuesday. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic, includes a player option for the fourth year in 2025-26, his agent told ESPN.

2:24 PM ET The Houston Rockets and John Wall have agreed to work together in an attempt to find a trade destination for the veteran point guard, as the franchise is committed to moving forward with Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green as its starting backcourt, sources told ESPN. The commitment to the 20-year-old Porter

8:40 PM ET Tory BarronESPN Editor Close Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports. The Met Gala, which typically happens on the first Monday in May, was canceled in 2020 due

4:50 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Former NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk Contest champion Cedric Ceballos tweeted Monday that he’d been moved out of isolation and was “COVID-19 free” but was still in the intensive care unit and dealing with several things relating to the virus. Thanking those wishing him well in recent days, Ceballos said

11:46 PM ET Associated Press Nine teams passed on Paul Pierce in the 1998 NBA draft, and if you think he doesn’t remember each and every one of them, then you don’t know Paul Pierce. The newly inducted Basketball Hall of Famer called out by name — in order — the teams with the first

5:20 PM ET Indiana Pacers guard Edmond Sumner tore his left Achilles tendon during an offseason workout on Thursday and will be out indefinitely, the team announced. Sumner, 25, was a second-round draft pick in 2017. He played the most games of his NBA career last season for the Pacers, averaging 7.5 points in 16

4:46 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — The Raptors have gotten approval from the Canadian government to play games at their home arena this season, a team spokesperson said Friday. Toronto played last season in Tampa, Florida, because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not clear whether the team will be allowed