A stat-sheet stuffer. A developmental miracle. A puppet-master. This is Derrick White, deconstructed. The San Antonio Spurs are legendary for their ability to mine the diamonds no one else has been able to get to. Sometimes it’s a Patty Mills or Jonathon Simmons reclamation project, making use of a skilled player who hasn’t ever been
Jul 22, 2019 This summer, NBA stars — well, some of them — are taking on the world in China. With players such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal withdrawing from Team USA participation, who remains on the roster to challenge powerhouses Spain, France and Serbia? Team USA also is looking
Welcome back to another edition of “Grading the Offseason.” So far we’ve evaluated those whose seasons ended collectively on April 10. Today we’re changing it up a bit and looking at those who managed to make it into the playoffs. First off, we’re heading up to Motown to take a look at the Detroit Pistons.
12:10 PM ET When the NBA’s board of governors convened earlier this month in Las Vegas, the owners’ heads were spinning from a league-shaking flurry of deals that reshaped their realities in a matter of days. The powerful men and women, some through clenched teeth and others with open arms, asked themselves two basic but
Heading into his third NBA season, Luke Kennard is a bit of a mystery. What exactly do the Detroit Pistons have in him as a prospect? For even the most diehard NBA consumers and writers, there are certain young players who exist as somewhat of a mystery. They are intriguing but not quite captivating enough
6:59 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN For the first time in years, the NBA does not have an odds-on favorite to win the title. The dual impact of the Golden State Warriors falling in the NBA Finals then losing Kevin Durant in free agency (along with the expected loss of Klay Thompson for most of next
Over the next couple of weeks, Basketball Insiders is grading all 30 NBA teams on their offseasons — additions, subtractions, draft picks, trades, etc — and their potential headed into the 2019-20 campaign. Between today and autumn, franchises will be tasked with figuring out how their roster pieces, both new and old, might mesh together
12:38 PM ET Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The ex-wife of slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has agreed to a deal in which she pleads guilty to facilitation to first-degree murder and receives a 30-year prison sentence. Sherra Wright entered the plea Thursday during a hearing in Shelby County Criminal Court in Tennessee. Lorenzen
The Phoenix Suns are notorious for overpays backfiring in free agency, but a look at their recent history suggests Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. might buck the trend. Abstract art is a visual language that is lost on many, this writer included. While the connoisseur may see beautiful, striking composition that ventures beyond the
2:23 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Speaking publicly for the first time since trading stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti expressed appreciation for both players, but he also disagreed with George’s claim that the decision to deal him was “mutual.” “I think the world of PG. I think
Last week, Basketball Insiders started a “Grading The Offseason” series, breaking down teams and the summer each has had thus far. Today, we’ll continue that series as we take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had quite the up-and-down year; they went into the season with sky-high expectations, but things quickly spiraled
4:00 PM ET Only a few minutes into his introductory news conference, Russell Westbrook said something Friday that would’ve caused a collective spit take around the NBA just a few weeks ago. “I only care about one team,” Westbrook said, “and that’s the Houston Rockets.” After spending his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City
CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 27: Lauri Markkanen #24 and Ryan Arcidiacono #51 of the Chicago Bulls high-five during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 27, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to
12:48 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday that he won’t be able to accept the invitation to join the depleted USA Basketball roster for the FIBA World Cup in September. Redick, who spent the past two seasons in Philadelphia, said Thursday he was eager to be a
Last week, Basketball Insiders started a “Grading The Offseason” series, breaking down teams and the summer each has had thus far. Today, we’ll continue that series as we take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had quite the up-and-down year; they went into the season with sky-high expectations, but things quickly spiraled
9:59 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Steve Ballmer was at his coastal home about two hours outside Seattle when he got the phone call he had been waiting for. Dennis Robertson, Kawhi Leonard‘s trusted uncle and adviser, called the LA Clippers owner around 11 p.m. to inform him that Leonard was joining the Clippers. Ballmer
As a former No. 4 overall draft pick, Dragan Bender disappointed with the Phoenix Suns. Will he live up to his potential with the Milwaukee Bucks? When the Phoenix Suns drafted Dragan Bender with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, they were hoping to find a future franchise cornerstone, a diamond in
6:01 PM ET A blockbuster offseason that saw multiple superstars on the move has left the NBA without a consensus title favorite and put some oddsmakers in a conundrum of trying to figure out how the season will unfold. Caesars Sportsbook posted season-win totals for each team Thursday afternoon. Seven teams opened with win totals
Last week, Basketball Insiders started a “Grading The Offseason” series, breaking down teams and the summer each has had thus far. Today, we’ll continue that series as we take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had quite the up-and-down year; they went into the season with sky-high expectations, but things quickly spiraled
1:15 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Wizards forward C.J. Miles will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot. The team said the operation is set for Thursday in New York and that he is expected to be reevaluated in six weeks. Washington acquired Miles, 32, from the Memphis Grizzlies this summer
Coming off a promising NBA Summer League showing, Matisse Thybulle is looking to carve out a rotation spot with the Sixers next season. Midway through the Philadelphia 76ers’ Summer League game against the Detroit Pistons, Matisse Thybulle was confused. Irritated. Lost. Not because he blew an assignment, misread an offensive set or fumbled away a
11:23 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Throughout Kawhi Leonard’s free agency we heard and talked a lot about his desire for secrecy and discretion in his negotiations. The three teams involved mostly abided by those wishes, lest they risk losing the two-time NBA Finals MVP over a careless leak or slip up. But on the
With the NBA Summer League concluded and the brunt of free agency completed, the doldrums of the offseason are here. The FIBA World Cup, Drew League, BIG 3 and The Basketball Tournament and other events are currently taking over the scene until the association fires back up in late September. Last week, Basketball Insiders started
5:50 PM ET The mother of a Grand Rapids G League player who collapsed on the court and died from sudden cardiac arrest last year reached a settlement in her federal lawsuit against the NBA and the Detroit Pistons Wednesday. Zeke Upshaw, a guard/forward for the Pistons’ Grand Rapids Drive, died March 26, 2018, two
James Harden and Russell Westbrook are not the same kind of ball-dominant force. Will this pairing of dynamic opposites work for the Houston Rockets? If you don’t think about it too long, you could be fooled into believing that the recently reunited Russell Westbrook and James Harden play a similar style of basketball. Both have
9:19 AM ET Kawhi Leonard nudging Paul George out of Oklahoma City with two years remaining on George’s contract will go down as a watershed moment in the NBA — for the teams it built and tore apart; for the bounty the Thunder received; but mostly for what it signified about the degree to which
One of the most important aspects of being healthy is physical activity or exercise. In fact, eating healthy is not enough for an optimum state of healthy living. Even without exercise but with proper diet, you may lose weight but your body will still feel off. Physical activity such as any kind of exercise helps
12:07 PM ET After hearing concerns from owners and fielding inquiries from top agents over the last several weeks, the NBA has opened an investigation into how free agency operated this summer, multiple league sources told ESPN. The scope of the investigation is still being determined, but sources say it will likely focus on some
BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 14: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter at TD Garden on December 14, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Fantasy Baseball 2019 Week 17: Players You Need to Drop by Bill Pivetz Despite having many promising young players,
1:11 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After months of deliberating a handful of offers, New Orleans Pelicans rookie and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Zion Williamson has signed a multiyear shoe deal with Jordan Brand. “I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Jordan Brand family,” Williamson said. “Since I was a kid,