The battle for Kawhi Leonard is now being fought in the rap arena as rap legend Snoop Dogg is now recruiting Leonard to join his beloved Lakers. The battler for Kawhi Leonard has moved into the rap arena. Not long after it was reported that rap superstar and Toronto Raptors Ambassador Drake was going all
NBA Free Agency started six hours earlier than it has in years past in 2019, with a start time of 6 p.m. EST on June 30. And boy did it pay dividends for fans. Rather than staying up late or getting caught up on free agent happenings the first thing in the morning, fans were
11:52 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Zion Williamson‘s first NBA show was a sellout. And it ended earlier than the fans wanted. The No. 1 overall draft pick by the New Orleans Pelicans didn’t keep his adoring new public waiting for his display of dunks and power. With tickets commanding more than $500
After one of the worst defensive seasons in history, the Chicago Sky are exceeding expectations in 2019 thanks to rapid improvement at that end. Before the start of this WNBA season, I speculated that a best-case scenario for the Chicago Sky in 2019 looked like: having a defense that gave up points per possession at
3:48 PM ET Terry Armstrong is joining the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League, he told ESPN. Armstrong, the No. 40 prospect in the ESPN 2020 mock draft, will join projected No. 6 prospect RJ Hampton and No. 24 prospect LaMelo Ball as American teenagers who elected to spend their one-and-done
8:54 AM ET The bulk of free-agency money has been spent, but the transaction game never stops. A secondary market is now developing for players available via buyout and trade. With next summer’s free-agent class less deep, front offices expect trades to take center stage over the next 12 months. One name on everyone’s lips
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 29: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors look on during the game on November 29, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting
12:13 AM ET While the NBA world was being turned upside-down during the first few days of free agency, the league was busy opening its summer league slate with three-day pit stops in Salt Lake City and Sacramento — the appetizers to the highly anticipated main course in Las Vegas. What have coaches, execs and
2:36 PM ET Marc J. Spears Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. confirmed to The Undefeated that he suffered a knee injury during a team scrimmage Wednesday. Porter will miss the Las Vegas Summer League but is expected to be back for training camp, a source told The Undefeated. He had been slated to make
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 12: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers stretches before the game against the Toronto Raptors during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by
1:21 AM ET The Memphis Grizzlies do not intend to give forward Andre Iguodala a buyout before the season and are actively exploring the trade market for the former Finals MVP, league sources told ESPN. The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams with interest in Iguodala, according to sources. The Golden State
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!With those millions in writing,And All-Stars combining to give hope or fear!It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Seriously though, for junkies like us, the NBA offseason is basically the holidays. People always talk about how they can’t stand all the pressure, all the buildup for when
OAKLAND, CA – MARCH 5: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game on March 5, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting
9:25 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers restricted free-agent forward Jake Layman has agreed to a three-year, $11.5 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN. The deal will be part of a sign-and-trade that the Blazers agreed upon to accommodate Layman’s desire to join the Timberwolves. Minnesota had the
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the first half against the Toronto Raptors during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this
The Connecticut Sun traded Chiney Ogwumike to the Los Angeles Sparks for a first-round pick knowing full well Jonquel Jones was in their back pocket. How could they forget Jones’ breakout campaign in 2017, when Ogwumike suffered a season-ending Achilles injury? Or 2018, when Jones moved to the bench to make room for a healthy
The Boston Celtics have reportedly initiated talks on a major 3-team deal, but at least one of the other teams should want no piece of it. Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker are, according to the NBA free agency tea leaves, headed to the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics respectively. Irving is a little less certain,
The Celtics appeared to be in trouble when it was reported that Al Horford and Kyrie Irving were both headed out of town. Signing Kemba Walker changes everything. The first big move of the summer was the Boston Celtics agreeing to terms on a four-year, $141 million max contract with former Charlotte Hornets point guard,
2:52 PM ET The Detroit Pistons added some frontcourt depth Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year deal with veteran forward Markieff Morris, ESPN has confirmed. The deal was first reported by The Athletic. Morris, 29, split last season between the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 58 games. Before
Most of the big names in 2019 NBA free agency have agreed to deals, but what are the best signings that have gone somewhat under the radar? Without making any hyperbolic generalizations, it feels safe to say that 2019 NBA free agency was one of the most anticipated free agency periods in quite some time.
Basketball Insiders has recently started a new series detailing the top free agents by position as a primer for the free agency period beginning on July 1. As a short recap, or if you’re looking for more pre-research, we’ve got you covered. Drew Maresca grabbed the point guards, then Jordan Hicks hit up the shooting
10:00 PM ET Free-agent forward Jared Dudley has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN. The Lakers are starting the process of fortifying a depleted roster beyond LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma with veteran players on minimum contracts, and Dudley
Ricky Rubio’s never gonna turn into the player he was supposed to be, and that makes him the perfect fit in Phoenix. The Suns quickly addressed their biggest need at the onset of free agency, signing Ricky Rubio to a three-year, $51 million contract. Rubio will start his ninth season in the NBA on his
TORONTO, ON – JUNE 17: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors and Rapper Drake are seen on the team bus during the Toronto Raptors Championship Victory Parade on June 17, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the
8:06 PM ET Small forward Glenn Robinson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, his agent, Jelani Floyd, told The Athletic. Robinson, 25, played with the Detroit Pistons last season but was used sparingly, averaging 4.2 points in 13 minutes per game. He’d signed a two-year deal with them before the
While watching Game 2 of the Finals at home in Atlanta, Jaron Blossomgame got a kick out of Raptors coach Nick Nurse’s box-and-one defense against Steph Curry “I like stuff like that, to be honest,” he says with a laugh. “When you’re in the NBA Finals, you don’t see that stuff very often. But I
Basketball Insiders recently started a new series detailing the top free agents by position as a primer for the free agency period beginning on July 1. Let’s get caught up. Drew Maresca covered point guards, Jordan Hicks shooting guards. Then, Spencer Davies detailed small forwards and Ben Nadeau wrote about power forwards. First, a look at
2:46 PM ET Restricted free agent F/C Daniel Theis has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal to stay with the Boston Celtics, CAA agents Michael Tellem and Aaron Mintz tell ESPN. Theis will compete for minutes in the frontcourt, including at backup center. Boston lost five-time All-Star Al Horford in free agency, but signed
The New Orleans Pelicans’ newest signing won’t change the landscape of the NBA, but Nicolo Melli is about as good a fit with Zion Williamson as you could ask for. Lost amid the craziness of the first night of free agency, the New Orleans Pelicans quietly added an interesting fit for their new-look roster. If
The Golden State Warriors swooped in with a deal to get D’Angelo Russell, but they may not keep him very long. The Brooklyn Nets signing Kyrie Irving meant D’Angelo Russell would be gone, and late Sunday night ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Golden State Warriors had a deal to acquire Russell as part of a