9:59 AM ET Duke point guard Tre Jones — the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year — will enter the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Saturday. Jones, who was also voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, is rated among the projected first-round picks by ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony. The
11:31 PM ET The NBA plans to deliver players full salaries due on April 1, but left open the possibility of recouping future salaries for canceled games on April 15, according to a league memo shared with teams on Friday. As the coronavirus pandemic paralyzes the NBA and nation, the canceled games and loss of
Even if the NBA regular season is canceled, we’ve seen enough to start assessing the first seasons of notable rookies. What did the Knicks see from R.J. Barrett this season? This year was (yet another) catastrophe for the Knicks — missing out on all their big free agent targets, missing out on Zion Williamson in
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 03: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on from the bench during the game Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center on February 03, 2020 in New York City.Brooklyn Nets defeated the Phoenix Suns 119-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using
12:06 PM ET Georgia Bulldogs freshman guard Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 prospect on ESPN’s draft board, is entering the NBA draft, he announced Friday on Twitter. “Georgia will always be my home but I am ready to take my game to the next level and have decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft,”
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 09: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics reacts after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 9, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions
8:50 AM ET Full disclosure: I didn’t really want to do this column. It didn’t feel right. Normal doesn’t feel right. But my editors encouraged me, saying perhaps people might want some normal. We’ll see. I swapped out a “dislike” about the Nets because no one needs negativity right now. In the end, I didn’t
According to reports, two members of the Los Angeles Lakers and one member of the Boston Celtics have tested positive for coronavirus, raising the NBA tally to 10 confirmed cases. The NBA tally for confirmed coronavirus cases just increased by three. According to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, two members of the Los Angeles Lakers and one
Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young is keeping his 3-Point Shootout skills fresh by shooting his dirty socks into the laundry basket, and it’s as close as NBA fans are getting to real basketball right now. With the NBA season suspended for at least a month and possibly looking at a hiatus until June or July
7:57 PM ET Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart and two Los Angeles Lakers players have tested positive for the coronavirus. Both teams released statements announcing the positive tests Thursday, though they did not identify the players by name. Smart posted a tweet later Thursday confirming that he had tested positive. I was tested 5 days
4:16 PM ET THE FIRST REPORTS started landing in NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s inbox at about the same time he was writing the eulogy for his mentor, David Stern. It was mid-January, and news of the coronavirus in China, where the NBA has 200 employees at offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei, had
Even if the NBA regular season is canceled, we’ve seen enough to start assessing the first seasons of notable rookies. What did the Hawks get from De’Andre Hunter? No rookie played more minutes than De’Andre Hunter this season. The No. 4 pick in the draft was a regular fixture in the Hawks’ starting lineup right
Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus and the NBA season is over. Panic ensued earlier this evening as the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz was canceled right before tip-off. There were reports of medical staff sprinting out onto the court just before the
Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s “Patient Zero” for novel coronavirus, is trying to make up for his actions with a $500,000 donation to local arena workers and COVID-19 relief efforts. Rudy Gobert has come under a lot of fire over the past few days, and rightfully so. With the whole world taking precautions against the coronavirus
9:00 AM ET The NBA season’s suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic has left fans without their basketball fix. That’s why NBA League Pass is providing a free preview during the hiatus until April 22, complete with every game from the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons along with an archive of classics. But with so many
9:01 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a SportsCenter interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on Wednesday night that as the league attempts to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, one potential option for bringing back the sport would be some kind of charity competition — one separate from regular play — in order
If you’re missing basketball and have some extra time on your hands these days, we have some inspiring basketball movies you can stream right now. The reality of coronavirus quarantine and social distancing has given many of us extra indoor time and taken away the basketball we might have used to fill it. But there’s
9:00 AM ET This story was originally published March 18, 2015 for the 20th anniversary of Michael Jordan‘s 1995 comeback to the Chicago Bulls. When Michael Jordan announced his return to basketball 25 years ago today, he did so in a manner that was very much 25 years ago. He sent a fax. “It was
11:02 PM ET After the Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday that four of their players tested positive for the coronavirus, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took aim at the NBA team’s ability to get testing that has been unavailable to so many others. “We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect,
The Brooklyn Nets have announced that four players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, only one of whom is currently showing symptoms. It is being reported that Kevin Durant is one of the four. The Brooklyn Nets have issued a press release saying four of their players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus,
10:12 PM ET The NBA is planning to raise its credit line to $1.2 billion, which would aid the league in handling its expenses through what is expected to be an extended shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, sources told ESPN. The NBA credit line has been $650 million, so this would represent an increase
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JANUARY 10: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns sits on the bench during introductions to the NBA game against the Orlando Magic at Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 10, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Magic 98-94. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
4:09 PM ET Four Brooklyn Nets players have tested positive for the coronavirus, the team announced Tuesday. Of the four players, one is exhibiting symptoms. All four are isolated and are undergoing medical care from team physicians, the team said in a statement. The Nets did not identify which players have tested positive. The four
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. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up nearly every corner of the globe, infecting nearly 200,000 and disrupting all the rhythms of daily life. On the list of pressing
Mar 16, 2020 The NBA has suspended its season due to the spread of the coronavirus, and commissioner Adam Silver has said that the hiatus will last at least 30 days. On Sunday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario for
12:30 AM ET ESPN News Services All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz says he showed no symptoms of being sick before testing positive for the coronavirus, and he continues to have no signs of illness since going into isolation. Mitchell, speaking to ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview broadcast Monday, also revealed
The NBA Players Association has announced that athletes will still get paid during season halt in light of coronavirus. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, we are finding silver linings anywhere we can. And while this latest gold nugget may not directly affect any fans, it certainly affects the players we pay to watch compete.
Oklahoma City has been rolling across the open plains of the NBA like a runaway stagecoach. Fueled by the three horsemen of Cinderella City at the point, the Thunder play their way and are in full control of their own storm. Three point guards walk into an arena. This sounds like the start of a
3:12 PM ET NBA Insiders The 2019-20 NBA season began an indefinite hiatus on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. When will the league be back, and what will the rest of the season look like? Commissioner Adam Silver initially said that the suspension would last at least
The flurry of activity that was the 2019 free agency period reshaped the landscape of the league. Players like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Bojan Bogdanovic had the basketball world salivating long before opening night. Even guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving played major roles in how the future of the league