News

9:05 PM ET Associated Press METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says Zion Williamson‘s athleticism and physical stature would make the Pelicans rookie and top NBA draft choice an intriguing NFL prospect at a handful of positions, starting with the defensive line or tight end. But Williamson is making a case for

2:44 PM ET More than a billion dollars in contracts were agreed to in the first 24 hours of the NBA’s new league year, but free agency isn’t a feeding frenzy for all players. “Every year it gets harder,” free-agent point guard Jeremy Lin said of his uncertain NBA future. “In English there’s a saying

9:56 PM ET The NBA has announced a five-year extension of its deal with Tencent, the league’s digital partner in China. Tencent is the NBA’s largest digital partner outside the United States and has been connected with the league since 2009. The current deal, which now runs through the 2024-25 season, includes live NBA games,

Jul 22, 2019 This summer, NBA stars — well, some of them — are taking on the world in China. With players such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal withdrawing from Team USA participation, who remains on the roster to challenge powerhouses Spain, France and Serbia? Team USA also is looking

12:10 PM ET When the NBA’s board of governors convened earlier this month in Las Vegas, the owners’ heads were spinning from a league-shaking flurry of deals that reshaped their realities in a matter of days. The powerful men and women, some through clenched teeth and others with open arms, asked themselves two basic but

6:59 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN For the first time in years, the NBA does not have an odds-on favorite to win the title. The dual impact of the Golden State Warriors falling in the NBA Finals then losing Kevin Durant in free agency (along with the expected loss of Klay Thompson for most of next

12:38 PM ET Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The ex-wife of slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has agreed to a deal in which she pleads guilty to facilitation to first-degree murder and receives a 30-year prison sentence. Sherra Wright entered the plea Thursday during a hearing in Shelby County Criminal Court in Tennessee. Lorenzen

2:23 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Speaking publicly for the first time since trading stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti expressed appreciation for both players, but he also disagreed with George’s claim that the decision to deal him was “mutual.” “I think the world of PG. I think

4:00 PM ET Only a few minutes into his introductory news conference, Russell Westbrook said something Friday that would’ve caused a collective spit take around the NBA just a few weeks ago. “I only care about one team,” Westbrook said, “and that’s the Houston Rockets.” After spending his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City

12:48 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday that he won’t be able to accept the invitation to join the depleted USA Basketball roster for the FIBA World Cup in September. Redick, who spent the past two seasons in Philadelphia, said Thursday he was eager to be a

9:59 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Steve Ballmer was at his coastal home about two hours outside Seattle when he got the phone call he had been waiting for. Dennis Robertson, Kawhi Leonard‘s trusted uncle and adviser, called the LA Clippers owner around 11 p.m. to inform him that Leonard was joining the Clippers. Ballmer

6:01 PM ET A blockbuster offseason that saw multiple superstars on the move has left the NBA without a consensus title favorite and put some oddsmakers in a conundrum of trying to figure out how the season will unfold. Caesars Sportsbook posted season-win totals for each team Thursday afternoon. Seven teams opened with win totals

1:15 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Wizards forward C.J. Miles will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot. The team said the operation is set for Thursday in New York and that he is expected to be reevaluated in six weeks. Washington acquired Miles, 32, from the Memphis Grizzlies this summer

11:23 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Throughout Kawhi Leonard’s free agency we heard and talked a lot about his desire for secrecy and discretion in his negotiations. The three teams involved mostly abided by those wishes, lest they risk losing the two-time NBA Finals MVP over a careless leak or slip up. But on the

5:50 PM ET The mother of a Grand Rapids G League player who collapsed on the court and died from sudden cardiac arrest last year reached a settlement in her federal lawsuit against the NBA and the Detroit Pistons Wednesday. Zeke Upshaw, a guard/forward for the Pistons’ Grand Rapids Drive, died March 26, 2018, two

9:19 AM ET Kawhi Leonard nudging Paul George out of Oklahoma City with two years remaining on George’s contract will go down as a watershed moment in the NBA — for the teams it built and tore apart; for the bounty the Thunder received; but mostly for what it signified about the degree to which

12:07 PM ET After hearing concerns from owners and fielding inquiries from top agents over the last several weeks, the NBA has opened an investigation into how free agency operated this summer, multiple league sources told ESPN. The scope of the investigation is still being determined, but sources say it will likely focus on some

1:11 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After months of deliberating a handful of offers, New Orleans Pelicans rookie and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Zion Williamson has signed a multiyear shoe deal with Jordan Brand. “I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Jordan Brand family,” Williamson said. “Since I was a kid,

1:17 PM ET The San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday promoted longtime general manager R.C. Buford to CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, moving assistant general manager Brian Wright to the GM position. Buford, a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, had served as general manager since 2002 and was given the title of president of

3:18 PM ET ESPN News Services EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers have been awarded the rights to Kostas Antetokounmpo on a waiver claim. The Lakers announced the move Monday to acquire the 21-year-old brother of 24-year-old Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kostas Antetokounmpo played in two games last season for Dallas. The

5:28 PM ET Tim Duncan has returned to the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant on coach Gregg Popovich’s staff, the team announced Monday. “It is only fitting, that after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan’s assistant, that he returns the favor,” Popovich said in a statement. Duncan, 43, played his entire

11:47 AM ET Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has pulled out of playing with Team USA in the World Cup this summer, agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN. Beal is expecting his second son during World Cup preparation and competition, which led to the decision. He is the fifth player to withdraw from the team in

9:09 AM ET Who are the upcoming NBA free agents to watch? Nearly half the league hit free agency in 2019, and through mid-July almost every major player has signed. Plenty of stars changed teams, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Kemba Walker. The 2020 class won’t have the same star

9:34 AM ET Thanks to a wild summer featuring a slew of superstars switching teams, the NBA is a very different place than it was just one year ago. Just ask the Las Vegas sportsbooks. Last season, the top of the futures board included an odds-on favorite in the Golden State Warriors, plus outside contenders

3:12 PM ET Free-agent guard Justin Holiday has agreed to a one-year, $4.8 million deal with the Indiana Pacers, a league source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Holiday, a defensive-minded wing, split time between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies last season, averaging 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds over 82 games. In Indiana, Holiday will team

3:52 PM ET The Sacramento Kings have hired former Duke and WNBA star Lindsey Harding as an assistant coach. “Lindsey is a rising star and I’m so excited to have her join our incredibly experienced team of coaches,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “Her basketball IQ and proven success on the court will be a

12:08 PM ET Free-agent guard Kyle Korver has agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, his agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports told ESPN. Korver had a tough decision between the Philadelphia 76ers and Bucks, but his relationship and history with coach Mike Budenholzer played a major factor in the decision. The most

9:08 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Washington Wizards have made Tommy Sheppard their permanent general manger, league sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday. Sheppard has held the job on an interim basis for the past three and a half months, after his longtime predecessor, Ernie Grunfeld, was fired in early April. Sheppard has been with

7:54 PM ET James Harden says he tries to come up with something innovative every offseason, something more creative than his latest move. Two years ago, Harden perfected the step-back. Last summer, the Houston Rockets guard then perfected the side step-back. In a Q&A session Friday with young fans at a promotional event attended by

12:37 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After his strong summer-league performance helped earn him a four-year contract with the Boston Celtics, rookie point guard Carsen Edwards has landed a multiyear footwear-and-apparel endorsement deal with Adidas. The Celtics selected the former Big Ten scoring leader, who averaged 24.3 points during his final season at Purdue, with the