After one season as a promising team on the rise, the Sacramento Kings are struggling to recapture the same joy that animated them last year and the future no longer seems quite as bright. The NBA’s regular season can sometimes seem like a bit of a slog. It is several months long, the list of
7:00 AM ET Nick DePaulaESPN There are 16 active NBA players with their own signature sneaker, and three of them call Brooklyn home. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have high-profile Nike lines, with regular releases of new models and colorways that drive millions of dollars in sales. Players around the NBA and at every level
Danny Ainge is a gambler, only not in the typical sense. Yes, Ainge does, on occasion, deal with money. It’s just part of the job. But, more so than cash, Ainge is often one to gamble on players, whether they are his own or on some other roster. For better or worse, the Boston Celtics
7:25 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — After moving seven times in his first decade in the NBA, Stephen Curry thought he’d found what was going to be his family’s forever home. It was in the East Bay, a short commute from Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Golden State Warriors were headed across the San Francisco
The 18-year-old scoring wing Anthony Edwards is already among a select group in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Combine the modern-day importance of players who can drive to the rim and either kick to shooters or create shots for themselves with the ever-valuable skill of isolation scoring and
The New York Knicks are in the second year of a full rebuild and they can’t even get that right. Things were supposed to be different for the New York Knicks. They were long thought to be the final destination for the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving team-up but the duo instead opted to go
3:36 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Boston Celtics‘ “city” jerseys were unveiled to the masses Monday — just not in the way they were expected to be. Center Enes Kanter posted a picture of the front and back of his version of the jerseys on his Instagram story Monday, before taking them down soon after.
Well, that didn’t take long. Then again, did it have to? Coming into the season, the Los Angeles Clippers were projected to be the favorite to win the NBA title, but barely. Unlike the Golden State Warriors over the last three years, they were nowhere near as unanimous as a title favorite. Plus, with Paul
Bad news turned worse when it was reported Monday that New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson will be out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery. A hush fell over NBA fandom when it was first announced that Zion Williamson would miss the New Orleans Pelicans‘ final preseason game with knee soreness. That hush became a quiet
After two inconsistent seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball made his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans to open the 2019-20 NBA season. Lonzo Ball was taken with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was the hometown kid who spent the entirety of his basketball career in California. He
7:28 AM ET ESPN News Services Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted early Monday morning that he and his family has had to evacuate their house due to the wildfires that are blazing throughout California. Early Monday, a brush fire broke out along the west side of Interstate 405, north of Sunset Boulevard and
Kawhi Leonard already dominates the game with robot-like efficiency, but with playmaking added to his game, he and the LA Clippers will be unstoppable. Kawhi Leonard, a two-time NBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Finals MVP, three-time All-NBA selection and three-time All-Star, has very little left to prove to anyone in this
10:41 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN All-Star point guard John Wall and Adidas are engaged in ongoing buyout negotiations that will soon bring his five-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal to an end less than two years into the agreement, industry sources told ESPN. Since signing the deal in January 2018, Wall has been sidelined by
Danny Ainge is a gambler, only not in the typical sense. Yes, Ainge does, on occasion, deal with money. It’s just part of the job. But, more so than cash, Ainge is often one to gamble on players, whether they are his own or on some other roster. For better or worse, the Boston Celtics
1:50 AM ET ESPN Betting Insiders On Sunday, for only the 19th time in recorded sports history, we have a “Sports Equinox,” where there are games in NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all in the same day. Since this is a rare feat, we decided to join in the fun and pick a “Sports Equinox
The Sacramento Kings’ season-opening rout at the hands of the Phoenix Suns just got even worse with the Marvin Bagley injury news. If betting walloped by a team that won 19 games last year wasn’t a bad enough start for the Sacramento Kings‘ new season, their situation got even tougher Thursday afternoon. According to the
11:54 PM ET NEW YORK — The New York Knicks were being blown out by double digits in their home opener, New York fans had viciously booed Dennis Smith Jr. and yet with three minutes remaining in what would be an ugly Knicks loss, the Madison Square Garden crowd was on its feet hollering with
Danny Ainge is a gambler, only not in the typical sense. Yes, Ainge does, on occasion, deal with money. It’s just part of the job. But, more so than cash, Ainge is often one to gamble on players, whether they are his own or on some other roster. For better or worse, the Boston Celtics
10:36 PM ET HOUSTON — Russell Westbrook climbed a rung on the all-time triple-doubles list by recording his first with the Houston Rockets. Westbrook’s outing Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans was the 139th triple-double of his career, passing Magic Johnson for second all-time behind Oscar Robertson. Westbrook finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds
Tyrese Maxey won’t always have the ball in his hands as a freshman but he should thrive at Kentucky to become a top-10 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Since John Calipari was hired as Kentucky’s head coach in 2009, eight Wildcat guards have been drafted as lottery picks: John Wall, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker,
Entering the season, many were worried about the Lakers’ lack of depth. After their season-opening loss, those worries seem to be well-founded. When those skeptical about the Lakers’ chances of winning the 2020 NBA Championship voiced their doubts, no one ever questioned if pairing Anthony Davis and LeBron James was a good decision. What was
1:51 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will miss Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets with a left knee sprain but should be day-to-day in his recovery, multiple sources told ESPN. Holiday injured the knee when he drove down the lane with 5:18 left in the third quarter in Friday’s loss
Well, that didn’t take long. Then again, did it have to? Coming into the season, the Los Angeles Clippers were projected to be the favorite to win the NBA title, but barely. Unlike the Golden State Warriors over the last three years, they were nowhere near as unanimous as a title favorite. Plus, with Paul
3:42 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis earned six All-Star selections with the New Orleans Pelicans by playing power forward, but he earned his first win with the Los Angeles Lakers by playing center. Lakers coach Frank Vogel moved Davis from the 4 to the 5 at halftime on Friday night, sparking a 95-86
We have NBA picks for Friday, Oct. 25, 18 teams in action and seven of them hosting their 2019-20 season home opener. Overall, I am off to less-than-desirable 3-6 start, following a 1-3 debut and a 2-3 encore Wednesday night. Tough sledding so far, obviously, but we power on for a Friday evening with 18
INDIANAPOLIS – SEPTEMBER 24: Domantas Sabonis #11 and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers pose for a head shot during the Pacers Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and
2:56 PM ET Jimmy Butler‘s debut with the Miami Heat has been put off for a few more games. Butler’s girlfriend gave birth to the couple’s child Wednesday night, coach Erik Spoelstra said, so the Heat’s high-profile offseason addition will not travel with the team on its two-game road trip to play the Milwaukee Bucks
The NBA is a star-driven league and, as always, it’s almost impossible to win without one. But as important as they are, you still need role players to fill the gaps in-between. To wit, you need an X-Factor, a player that can elevate his game either as a complement or when the stars are struggling.
We just saw James Harden and Russell Westbrook‘s first game together as Rockets teammates. What did we learn? Not that much, actually. Of all the major transactions made this offseason, none seemed to carry as much combined potential risk and reward as the Houston Rockets’ trade for Russell Westbrook. Harden and Westbrook are two of
1:31 PM ET CJ McCollum has doubled down on the Portland Trail Blazers‘ expectations for this season, leveling a championship-or-bust mantra after an offseason of unprecedented player movement within the rest of the NBA. McCollum, in an essay published by The Players’ Tribune, set NBA title expectations for the Blazers in a Western Conference he