Ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, fans are losing their minds over a four-team deal that just went down. If you were looking for some late drama leading up to the NBA trade deadline, we’ve been delivered just that. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the final details on a four-team trade
1:26 AM ET DALLAS — Hours after the Mavericks traded their other player on a maximum contract, Luka Doncic sizzled as Dallas’ lone star, scoring a career-high 51 points in a 112-105 win over the LA Clippers on Thursday. As fans filled the American Airlines Center, where workers had to remove giveaway posters of Kristaps
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 08: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at State Farm Arena on February 08, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings. (Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports) New York Mets: First move to make once the lockout ends by Seth Carlson Some Sacramento Kings fans absolutely hate this trade their team just made with the Indiana Pacers by giving up on Tyrese Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis in a package deal. While Indiana Pacers fans
Both the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans took bold swings head of the NBA trade deadline, but where will those moves ultimately take them? Both the blessing and the curse of building around someone like Zion Williamson is the urgency he places upon the present. A player this dominant, this soon with this kind of
1:21 AM ET WASHINGTON — As the Brooklyn Nets closed the book on James Harden‘s brief tenure with the franchise, coach Steve Nash acknowledged he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been had circumstances worked out differently for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Harden over the past two seasons. Speaking after Thursday’s 113-112 loss
An even(ish) swap of two rares is an exceedingly rare occurrence, especially at the NBA Trade Deadline. But James Harden for Ben Simmons could be a win-in. The Nets’ big three dissolved before it ever fully came together, broken apart more by the constantly changing forces of the NBA trade market than any real on-court
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 23: LeBron James #6 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers react against the Miami Heat during the first half at FTX Arena on January 23, 2022 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting
Until the very last moment, it seemed like it might not happen. But it did, so who won the James Harden for Ben Simmons swap? First, it just made sense on paper. Then it began leaking from fake trades on Twitter to actually sourced rumors. We’ve known for days that both the Philadelphia 76ers and
1:23 PM ET The Nets have traded James Harden to the 76ers in a blockbuster deal that ends the former MVP’s short-lived Big Three stint in Brooklyn and also signals a fresh start for Ben Simmons, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Harden is on the move via trade for the second time in just over
Goran Dragic will make a layover in San Antonio following a Spurs trade, but where will his final destination be? The NBA Trade deadline is good for two things: Absolute chaos and setting the market for the frenzy that follows. As if the deadline itself isn’t insane enough, the chaser to the trade drama is
Although Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins has come under scrutiny for his All-Star nomination, his past few games merit recognition. Andrew Wiggins made news for all the wrong reasons recently when he made the 2021-22 All-Star roster over players deemed more impressive by NBA players and media, such as Rudy Gobert and Draymond
8:31 AM ET Although Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden wants a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, he has resisted making that formal request out of fear of the public backlash that would come with asking out of a second franchise in consecutive seasons, sources told ESPN. Harden is hopeful that 76ers president of basketball operations
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Mikaela Shiffrin after disqualification in second race: ‘What went wrong this entire time?’ by Aryanna Prasad LeBron James may have thought filming Space Jam was a good idea, but it’s clear his acting skills are nowhere close to what he can do on the hardwood. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron
9:22 PM ET PORTLAND — Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook will not play in Wednesday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers because of tightness in his lower back, the team announced. It will be the first game Westbrook has missed all season. Westbrook felt the same tightness in his back in Tuesday night’s
Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images LeBron James nominated for embarrassing Razzie for Space Jam: A New Legacy by Braulio Perez New York Knicks fans are worried about the status of R.J. Barrett after he suffered an injury late on Tuesday night. In a game that New York Knicks had no shot of winning against the
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Four teams got a jumpstart on the NBA Trade Deadline with a pair of massive Tuesday trades. The Sacramento Kings sent Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to
5:56 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — James Harden will miss a fourth straight game Thursday when Brooklyn visits the Washington Wizards — assuming he is still on the Nets. Coach Steve Nash has said the Nets won’t trade the All-Star guard before the trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, though there continues to be
The NBA has announced the full field for the 3-Point Contest during All-Star weekend and fans are sure to be fired up. The high-flyers putting on a show during the Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game may make plenty of headlines, but don’t forget about the 3-Point Contest for a second. Each year, the competition
3:42 AM ET LOS ANGELES — A troubling loss to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night led to an uneasy admission within the Los Angeles Lakers‘ locker room: The roster is not working, and something must be done to get the team back on course with Thursday’s trade deadline fast approaching. The suspicion
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball made some history after being named to the NBA All-Star Game. The NBA announced all of the participants for the 2022 All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio, with Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant being one of them. However, due to him being sidelined with an MCL sprain, he is unable to
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ surge into the NBA playoff picture has surprised many, but the data suggests this young Cavs team is right where it belongs. At the midway point of the NBA season, few would have predicted that the Cleveland Cavaliers would sit with a top-10 record and the league’s sixth-best point differential. The Cavs’
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. I was raised on the beautiful two-man synergies of John Stockton and Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, and Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. There’s something magical about
10:27 PM ET LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected in the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies following a flagrant foul two on All-Star Ja Morant. Morant, who would get up and remain in the game after the foul, was flying toward the rim at high speed when Morris took the Grizzlies’ star
The Los Angeles Lakers benched Russell Westbrook in overtime of their eventual win over the Knicks. While Westbrook was happy with the win, it sends a larger message. Westbrook was jeered by his own fans on Saturday night. In fact — it wasn’t a great sign of things to come if Brodie’s been abandoned by
The action kicked off early with a handful of big trades days before the actual NBA Trade Deadline. Here are all the latest rumors and analysis of every completed deal. We’ve already seen a few of the biggest dominos fall with Domantas Sabonis and CJ McCollum both traded on Tuesday. Here are the deals we’ve
5:16 PM ET Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the season due to surgery needed on his left wrist, the team announced on Tuesday. The Wizards earlier this month said Beal was diagnosed with an injury to the scapholunate ligament and would be reevaluated in one week. That process revealed the
Well, things got a little testy between Julius Randle and an assistant coach for the New York Knicks on the sideline of the Knicks’ latest loss. During yet another disappointing Knicks loss (this time in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers), Randle and Scott King, an assistant for the Knicks, were spotted arguing. During the
7:45 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — While much of the discourse about this season’s Los Angeles Lakers has centered around the acquisition of Russell Westbrook and how the point guard has not been an ideal fit, LeBron James insists there is no one player responsible for the team still scuffling along below .500 as
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant responded to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith yet again regarding his take. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is not shy about sharing his thoughts on Twitter. That is evident, especially when he is talked about by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. That all began earlier in the week, where Smith said if