There’s little to cheer about if you’re a New York Knicks fan, but the development of R.J. Barrett provides hope in a better future at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks are a 1987 Ford Tempo with three flat tires and an exhaust that backfires. It’s not pretty. The only good thing about them
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images John Beilein is out as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff will take over. But is he really the right long-term fit for the Cavs gig? On Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the inevitable official: John Beilein is stepping down as head coach. This news came as
1:49 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Before training camp, as nine new Oklahoma City Thunder players were getting to know one another while the organization itself was recalibrating to a post-Russell Westbrook world, Billy Donovan sat down with the three point guards on the roster and presented a bold plan. They — being Chris Paul,
The Stretch Run. With 20-odd games remaining on the schedule, it’s officially make-or-break time for the majority of the league — unless your franchise rhymes with Los Shamjealous or Hillmockie, of course. With tantalizing lottery picks for those that bottom out or home-court postseason revenue for teams that push forward, the post-All-Star break jockeying is
7:19 PM ET The Los Angeles Lakers intend to waive DeMarcus Cousins to clear a roster spot for Markieff Morris, if he clears waivers on Sunday, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Morris negotiated a buyout with the Detroit Pistons on Friday, leaving $4.3 million (the remainder of this season and his 2020-21
While the resignation of John Beilein may help the Cleveland Cavaliers in the short-term, the team’s problems were much more than an ill-fitting coach. The John Beilein era ended quickly and ignominiously for the Cleveland Cavaliers this week, as the former Michigan coach resigned after coaching just 54 games for the struggling franchise. It was
8:49 AM ET One-third of the NBA season to go, and 10 things to think about: 1. The new NBA All-Star Game With Sunday’s All-Star Game tied at 146, Kyle Lowry ran a pick-and-roll with Giannis Antetokounmpo, drawing a switch of Chris Paul onto the MVP. As Antetokounmpo burrowed into position for an entry pass
The Stretch Run. With 20-odd games remaining on the schedule, it’s officially make-or-break time for the majority of the league — unless your franchise rhymes with Los Shamjealous or Hillmockie, of course. With tantalizing lottery picks for those that bottom out or home-court postseason revenue for teams that push forward, the post-All-Star break jockeying is
Kyrie Irving will undergo shoulder surgery, ending his first year with the Brooklyn Nets. Just wait ’til next year. The old line used by Chicago Cubs fans to lament another lost season could be the refrain Brooklyn Nets fans are it was announced Kyrie Irving will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. The Athletic’s Shams Charania was
1:49 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — After putting up 39 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Joel Embiid declared he is the best player in the world, and that the aggression with which he played against Brooklyn was a carryover from the way
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 11: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 11, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Clippers 110-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to
10:45 PM ET ESPN News Services ATLANTA — Trae Young had a career-high 50 points and the Atlanta Hawks scored the last 10 points of the game to beat the Miami Heat 129-124 on Thursday night. Young made 18 of 19 free throws and 8 of 15 3-pointers to set his scoring high in his
The Stretch Run. With 20-odd games remaining on the schedule, it’s officially make-or-break time for the majority of the league — unless your franchise rhymes with Los Shamjealous or Hillmockie, of course. With tantalizing lottery picks for those that bottom out or home-court postseason revenue for teams that push forward, the post-All-Star break jockeying is
3:48 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will not play Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans and told reporters that he could miss three or four games due to his right groin strain. Lillard suffered the injury on a drive to the basket during a Feb. 12 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He
Tyrell Terry is undersized at 6-foot-1, but a closer look at this skill-set and shooting versatility reveals a potential lottery prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft. The top of the 2020 NBA draft is loaded with talented guard prospects. A crop of first-tier ball-handlers, among them LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes and Anthony Edwards, is emerging
5:43 PM ET Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns will remain sidelined indefinitely as he continues to recover from a left wrist injury. Coach Ryan Saunders told reporters that the team held Towns out of its first practice after the All-Star break on Wednesday. Saunders said Towns will miss upcoming games, but the coach did not
Well, well, well . . . we’re now entering the home stretch here, people. With the All-Star break nearing its end, the regular season stakes will intensify exponentially. The losses count for far more now than they did a month ago. The playoff seedings are starting to settle a bit and we’re starting to see
7:46 PM ET It is a “good assumption” the NBA will use a target score to end next season’s All-Star Game after experimenting with the concept for the first time on Sunday, Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, told ESPN Wednesday in New York. That is not set in stone yet, as league
After his buyout with the Detroit Pistons is complete, Reggie Jackson will join the LA Clippers. Can he offer a title contender more in a lesser role? With 15 official roster spots on each of the league’s 30 teams, the NBA is made up of 450 of the world’s best basketball players. That kind of
8:06 AM ET NBA Insiders Can LeBron James catch Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA MVP race? Who is the favorite to win the NBA Finals? Does Zion Williamson have any chance in the Rookie of the Year race against Ja Morant? We polled the ESPN Forecast panel of experts for their predictions now that we
Russell Westbrook doesn’t care what you call him, whether a high-usage, low-efficiency chucker, an anti-spacer that clogs the lane, or an empty stat-chaser. To Westbrook, it’s all the same: noise, especially if you are focused on Basketball Betting. And, no matter what you may think of him, nothing is stopping Westbrook from playing at his
1:09 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry still isn’t cleared to take contact in practice as he continues his rehab from a broken left hand. But as he gets closer to returning over the next few weeks, his teammates and coaches dropped a new nickname on him during Tuesday’s
The Milwaukee Bucks are the best team in the NBA by almost any measure, but exactly how far ahead of the rest of the pack are they? Headed into the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks are an incredible 46-8. They’ve outscored opponents by 12.1 points per game, best in the NBA. Their 25-3 home record
10:02 PM ET After a brief and tumultuous tenure, John Beilein is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers as coach, league sources tell ESPN. The Cavaliers are promoting associate head coach JB Bickerstaff to become the full-time head coach, and he’ll run his first practice on Wednesday evening, league sources said. Beilein, 67, is expected to say
Always one of the most entertaining times of the year, the trade deadline is an annual must-see event for basketball fans. But in addition to the excitement it brings, it can also introduce a headwind of confusion. Case in point: The three-team trade between the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. After
12:05 PM ET High school prospect Makur Maker will be eligible for the 2020 NBA draft if he applies as an early-entry candidate, according to a memo distributed to NBA teams by the league office. The memo also included a revised agreement to the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players
Atlanta sports. Those two words seldom bring joy or revelry. They are most often associated with pain, anguish, failure and lost opportunities. The story of any longtime Atlanta sports fan is a cautionary tale at best, and at worst, a deep-cutting tome of misery and strife. So you think you have it tough as a
Cameron Johnson was one of the more surprising reaches in the 2019 NBA Draft, but is that risk already paying off for the Phoenix Suns? Make no mistake about it: When the Phoenix Suns traded down from the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to add Dario Saric and eventually draft Cameron Johnson
3:54 PM ET Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been elected as a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. Irving replaces Pau Gasol on the NBPA executive committee. Gasol’s three-year term expired. “This was the right time for me to run for a leadership position in the NBPA,” Irving said. “I have been
Always one of the most entertaining times of the year, the trade deadline is an annual must-see event for basketball fans. But in addition to the excitement it brings, it can also introduce a headwind of confusion. Case in point: The three-team trade between the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. After