News

7:45 PM ET The San Antonio Spurs suddenly waived 2021 lottery pick Joshua Primo on Friday, the team announced. “It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua,” Spurs CEO RC Buford said in a statement. Primo, the No. 12 overall pick

1:45 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS — Russell Westbrook came off the bench in a regular-season game for the first time since his rookie year in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and impressed his team by taking to the role. “He was great,” said LeBron James, who said Westbrook’s energy “catapulted” L.A.’s

12:03 AM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai issued a statement Friday night condemning guard Kyrie Irving‘s decision to promote an antisemitic film and book on his social media accounts. “I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation,” Tsai tweeted. “I want to

2:54 PM ET The NBA is pursuing the implementation of an upper spending limit in its negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association, a systemic change that has been met with significant union resistance, sources told ESPN. In the wake of large-market contenders Golden State, Brooklyn and the LA

12:43 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN NEW YORK — As the final seconds of regulation ticked down Thursday night with the score tied between the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets, the entire Brooklyn defense converged on Mavericks star Luka Doncic, clearly convinced he’d try to win the game himself. But with two guys on him, and

5:25 PM ET ESPN News Services Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has a Grade 1 strain of his right calf and will be reevaluated in 1-2 weeks, the team announced Thursday. An MRI taken Thursday confirmed the strain. Lillard suffered the injury with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss

8:00 AM ET HIGH ABOVE THE Bay of Naples, Paul George stood in his white paisley tuxedo jacket and black pants with the breathtaking Amalfi Coast behind him. As Daniela Rajic, George’s bride, walked down the aisle past a star-studded NBA guest list that included Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, Karl-Anthony Towns, Patrick Beverley and Lou

2:55 AM ET DENVER — With the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 0-4 start being the first time his team has lost four straight games to begin a season since he was a rookie nearly 20 years ago, LeBron James vowed to tweak his personal approach moving forward. “I wasn’t aggressive enough in a lot of my

12:15 AM ET ESPN News Services PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard left the Portland Trail Blazers‘ 119-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night because of a strained right calf. Lillard, a six-time All-Star, came up limping with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter and headed straight for the locker

3:03 PM ET Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will miss Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of lumbar management, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. There is optimism he could be back for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz. A back injury limited Porter to nine games in 2021-22, and he underwent

12:30 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN PHOENIX — Warriors guard Klay Thompson was ejected for the first time in his career after picking up two consecutive technical fouls during a chippy third quarter in Golden State’s 134-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. It was the five-time All-Star’s first career ejection in 759 regular-season

8:10 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald both announced Tuesday night that they are leaving Donda Sports, the agency founded by the artist formerly known as Kanye West, due to antisemitic comments he recently made. The announcements came hours after Adidas terminated its relationship

8:00 AM ET Brian Windhorst and a team of ESPN’s Insiders sort out life and the news from in and around the NBA world. The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-3, have roster construction issues and eventually will have to make a trade — probably, but not certainly, involving Russell Westbrook. For now, let’s focus on

1:40 AM ET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons called several of the whistles he received “bulls—” following a 134-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, noting that “refs make mistakes too.” While Simmons, who fouled out for the second time in three regular-season games, was frustrated with many calls, the

8:00 AM ET NBA Insiders The first week of the 2022-23 NBA season did not disappoint, delivering big-time performances, upsets and playoff-caliber matchups. Ja Morant and Paolo Banchero got off to strong starts, as the Memphis Grizzlies star scored 49 points against the Houston Rockets on Friday night and the Orlando Magic player on Wednesday

7:00 AM ET Kade Krichko PAOLO BANCHERO TWISTS his 6-foot-10 frame into a kids’ chair surrounded by atilt Lego towers. “Don’t Touch” signs adorn computer desks, child-scrawled warnings amid a makeshift cityscape of plastic. It’s hardly a scene where you’d expect to see the $50.16 million-deal-wielding budding star of the Orlando Magic. Banchero isn’t rocking

9:42 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach Darvin Ham benched Russell Westbrook for the final three possessions of L.A.’s 106-104 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, and Ham was unflinching when asked if he’d have to manage any fallout with the point guard from his decision. “We don’t have time for feelings

8:32 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans lost both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to injuries on Sunday in a 122-121 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz. Williamson took a hard fall with 8:07 left in the fourth quarter when his dunk attempt was blocked by Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson.

10:31 PM ET ESPN News Services MIAMI — Toronto’s Christian Koloko and Miami’s Caleb Martin were both ejected in the third quarter of the Raptors-Heat game on Saturday night after they scuffled and ended up in the first row of baseline seats. It all started with 7:46 left in the third quarter, when Martin and

3:10 AM ET SACRAMENTO — LA Clippers star guard Paul George was in the middle of a big second quarter when he said a technical foul “turned my aggression up.” He proceeded to take his anger out on the Sacramento Kings. George exploded for 40 points to go with six rebounds and six assists to

9:39 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, was ruled out of Saturday night’s 112-109 loss to the Heat after suffering a sprained right ankle midway through the second quarter. Barnes had X-rays on his ankle, the Raptors said, which came back negative. He

2:38 PM ET NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in recent comments to Phoenix Suns employees, addressed possible solutions for tanking while noting that he understands why teams would do it when a “once-in-a-generation player” is about to enter the league, according to sources who were present. Calling it a “serious issue” that has sparked “hundreds” of

12:06 AM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash said he was “proud of” Ben Simmons for the way the talented swingman bounced back in Friday night’s 109-105 win over the Toronto Raptors after a poor showing in the Nets’ season opener. “A step up for Ben,” Nash said after seeing Simmons score

10:04 PM ET In comments to Phoenix Suns employees before the team’s season-opening win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver apologized multiple times on behalf of the league office for enduring years of workplace misconduct under Suns majority owner Robert Sarver, according to sources who were present. “I’m incredibly empathetic to

8:00 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN The Golden State Warriors had a certain glow as they entered training camp four weeks ago. It’s a glow you have after spending the summer celebrating a championship and preparing to defend it the next season. Klay Thompson was seen dancing on his boat. Stephen Curry had his jersey retired

3:32 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The Lakers can’t hit outside shots. That much is clear after L.A. shot 9-for-45 from 3 in Thursday night’s 103-97 loss to the Clippers. That total somehow managed to be even worse than the Lakers’ 10-for-40 clip from deep in their opening-night loss to the Golden State Warriors. Yet

8:02 PM ET Detroit Pistons assistant general manager Rob Murphy is on leave after the organization commenced an investigation into an allegation of workplace misconduct involving a female former employee, sources told ESPN on Thursday night. Murphy, 50, has been out of the Pistons’ offices for approximately a week on leave after management was made

8:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN INSIDE MCALISTER FIELDHOUSE on The Citadel’s campus in Charleston, South Carolina, all eyes are fixed on a conversation between Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker. For the second straight day of training camp in late September, the new Philadelphia 76ers teammates engaged in a long — and loud — discussion over

3:19 AM ET PHOENIX — The first half of Wednesday night’s season opener conjured up the still-fresh painful feelings from last spring’s embarrassing playoff exit for the Phoenix Suns. Once again, the Suns were being dominated by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks at home. That made the rally from a 22-point deficit for a

9:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland suffered a left eye injury late in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s season-opening 108-105 loss to[ the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena and did not return. Garland was inadvertently hit in the face by Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. and fell