News

11:33 AM ET Associated Press LeBron James is considering a return to the Olympics. James — a two-time gold medalist and three-time Olympian — is among 44 players announced by USA Basketball on Monday as finalists for the team that will play in the Tokyo Games this summer. James played in 2004, 2008 and 2012,

12:06 AM ET HOUSTON — It surprised Bojan Bogdanovic that he was substituted back into the game for the final possession with the Utah Jazz needing a shot to send the game into overtime or win, much less coach Quin Snyder designed the final play with him as the primary option. It’d been a rough

9:09 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Ja Morant had 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double to help the Memphis Grizzlies overcome poor 3-point shooting in a 106-99 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. Morant scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter for Memphis, which

11:24 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Andrew Wiggins scored 24 points and had five steals in his debut for the Golden State Warriors during a 125-120 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. The veteran swingman went 8-for-12 from the field in 31 minutes. The 24-year-old showed some of the offensive prowess the

2:07 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors honored Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven other victims of the horrific helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Saturday, but after the game the Los Angeles Lakers were still talking about LeBron James’ unintended tribute to Bryant with his breakaway dunk in Thursday’s

6:36 PM ET The LA Clippers have officially waived guard Isaiah Thomas, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Saturday. Thomas, 31, was acquired Thursday as part of a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. The move frees up a second roster spot for LA as it eyes a playoff

1:07 PM ET The Charlotte Hornets are finalizing a buyout with forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon. The Dallas Mavericks have emerged as a possible destination once Kidd-Gilchrist clears waivers, sources said. The 26-year-old Kidd-Gilchrist, who was the No. 2 overall pick by the then-Bobcats in the 2012 draft, has

3:25 AM ET SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Veteran swingman Andre Iguodala says his trade to the Miami Heat got him “excited about basketball again,” and that he is looking forward to the opportunity to play with a young and hungry new group. “I kind of got excited about basketball again,” Iguodala told ESPN, when asked about

8:56 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — One day after the NBA trade deadline, Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand held a press conference addressing the state of the team. Brand said he believes in the team’s roster construction and stands behind coach Brett Brown, but expressed discontent with the team’s road record. “Brett is our head

12:57 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Celtics guard Kemba Walker will return to the lineup Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks after missing the prior three games with left knee soreness. “I feel pretty good,” Walker said Friday morning following the team’s morning shootaround. “It’s much improved. I’m going to try to give it

1:41 AM ET MILWAUKEE — Road games continue to be the Mount Everest the 76ers cannot summit. Days after Ben Simmons called the 76ers “soft” and Joel Embiid cited the team’s spacing issues, Philadelphia suffered its fourth consecutive road loss Thursday night in Milwaukee. “I think it puts a lot of things in perspective,” Al

7:05 PM ET NBA All-Star Weekend is Feb. 14-16 in Chicago, and this will be the third consecutive year in which captains will participate in a fantasy draft and select their own teams, compared to the traditional East vs. West format. And the All-Star Game draft between LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo is finally here!

12:27 PM ET The Miami Heat have agreed to trade Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to the Memphis Grizzlies for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday. Along with the trade, Iguodala has agreed to a two-year, $30 million extension with Miami, sources said. The

12:53 AM ET DALLAS — On the night he agreed to a three-year, $35 million contract extension, Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Dillon Brooks got another wish granted. The Grizzlies agreed to trade Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday, ending the 36-year-old former Finals MVP’s mutually agreed-upon absence

8:00 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose has dropped out of the Skills Challenge at All-Star Weekend in Chicago for reasons that are “injury-related,” a source tells ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. The 2011 MVP was scheduled to compete in front of his hometown crowd during the All-Star Showcase on February 15 in the

7:40 AM ET ANDRE IGUODALA SITS at a conference table inside the bustling San Francisco offices of Zuora, a public software company. He listens as the founder, Tien Tzuo, and leading executives sing the liturgical language of Silicon Valley — engagement and cadence, creating what we call pulse, customer journey, individual contributor function and muscle

3:05 AM ET LOS ANGELES — When Dwight Howard got word on his phone that Kobe Bryant had been involved in a helicopter accident while the Los Angeles Lakers were on a flight of their own cross country back to L.A., he notified teammates around him in the airplane cabin and then retreated to the

7:19 PM ET ESPN News Services The NBA is changing the format to this season’s 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday by adding a pair of deep shots that will be worth three points apiece, the league announced Tuesday. That change means each round will now be a total of 27 shots instead of 25, and

1:03 AM ET Andre Iguodala hasn’t played a minute for the surprising Memphis Grizzlies this season, and come Thursday’s trade deadline, there’s a good chance he never will. Dillon Brooks is among those on Memphis hoping that’s the case. With the trade deadline looming, the third-year guard didn’t mince words when asked about speculation that

1:56 AM ET The Phoenix Suns are in discussions to acquire Detroit Pistons guard Luke Kennard, league sources tell ESPN. The Pistons’ intrigue with a deal centers on the opportunity to land a future Phoenix first-round pick, perhaps as soon as the 2020 NBA draft, league sources said. Talks have gained traction, but there is

6:31 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James says “every game is going to be emotional” as the Los Angeles Lakers play out the season following the helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others on Jan. 26. Including the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago later this

9:31 AM ET The fun thing about the trade deadline is that it’s a deadline — which spurs activity. Just when you think it’s barren, seven trades come across Woj’s Twitter feed in a two-minute span. The lead-up has been a tad dull. Bradley Beal‘s extension took him off the market until the offseason, removing

8:21 PM ET The Houston Rockets are actively discussing several trade scenarios involving center Clint Capela, including with a host of Eastern Conference franchises, league sources tell ESPN. The Rockets are engaged in three-way trade possibilities that might allow for them to use Capela’s to gather the draft assets needed to acquire an impact wing

6:47 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN HOUSTON — In the early part of his NBA career, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has proven to be a force down in the post area. Whether it’s his offensive rebounding or touch around the rim, he’s proven a tough cover for opposing teams. That’s why after Sunday afternoon’s

3:34 AM ET SACRAMENTO — A day later and 380 miles up the I-5 North from Los Angeles, the Lakers were a part of a Kobe Bryant tribute once again. The Sacramento Kings, coached by a former Bryant teammate in Luke Walton and run by vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac, the man the

2:44 AM ET PORTLAND — Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard continued his historic streak of dominant play with his third 50-point performance in his past six games Saturday as the Blazers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 124-107 to win their fourth consecutive game. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, Lillard is the first player

3:42 PM ET Point guard Mike Conley will return to the Utah Jazz‘s starting lineup Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, league sources told ESPN. Conley will replace Royce O’Neale in the starting lineup, according to sources. The Jazz’s starting lineup without Conley, who has come off the bench since returning from an extended

9:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Al Horford became a five-time All-Star and developed a reputation as one of the NBA’s most underrated players in part because of one key attribute: versatility. Drafted as a power forward by the Atlanta Hawks, he became the rare center who could grab a rebound and lead the

1:37 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard put on a commanding performance in Friday night’s 127-119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 48 points, dishing out 11 assists and grabbing nine rebounds. On a night when the Lakers honored Kobe Bryant in the organization’s first game since the former

4:14 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, who was close with Lakers star Kobe Bryant, will not play in Friday’s game against Los Angeles for what the team is officially calling personal reasons. Friday’s game will be the first for the Lakers since Bryant’s death, and Anthony is still feeling