8:15 AM ET NBA Insiders Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Get ready for the 2019 NBA draft with scouting videos from ESPN’s experts on the top prospects, including Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett and more. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the players available in the lottery? Who has star potential?
The Warriors had Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney back in the lineup but the Raptors didn’t miss a beat. Toronto’s 13-point Game 4 win pushes Golden State to the brink of elimination. The Raptors won Game 3, the game they were supposed to win. They were on the road but the Warriors were without Kevon
The second round of the NBA Draft is always an exercise in annual insanity as players are stashed, traded and dumped, giving onlookers surprise selections around every corner. Understandably, the build-up to the draft tends to focus sharply on the lottery and those expected to make a major difference from their very first professional games.
12:03 PM ET The Houston Rockets and Mike D’Antoni have rekindled discussions about a contract extension for the head coach and are close to nearing an agreement, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has agreed to eliminate the buyout language that was the primary reason that D’Antoni and his agent, Warren LeGarie,
Isaiah Thomas, who retired earlier this month after 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, bursts through a Toronto Raptors logo at a press conference 24 May 1994 where it announced that he will be vice-president of basketball operations for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) expansion franchise in Toronto. (Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI / AFP) (Photo
1:59 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Dirk Nowitzki eventually plans on working out again. The recently retired star of the Dallas Mavericks wants to stay in somewhat decent shape. The big German hasn’t put a timeline on it — he’s assuming several more rounds of pizza and ice cream will come first. Nowitzki
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
We already know the Golden State Warriors will be the Western Conference representative in the NBA Finals. In the East, though, the right to advance is still up for grabs. With Milwaukee and Toronto having won two games apiece, turning this into a best-of-three set over the weekend, now is as good a time as
If you thought the Greek Freak was motivated before, then get excited and afraid of what comes next for the MVP candidate. Giannis Antetokounmpo had such a fantastic season that it’s hard to imagine his ceiling is anywhere higher than this, but based on his words you can tell that there is more improvement to come.
3:32 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors were down 15 late in the fourth quarter, and the sounds from the Oracle crowd were edging from disbelief to silence. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were bent at the waist, gassed, clutching their shorts for ballast. Steve Kerr sat on the bench,
Never count out the Golden State Warriors. Raptors fans learned this lesson the hard way, both in person and on NBA Twitter. The Golden State Warriors showed the world why they’re the two-time defending champions. After a slew of injuries, and having the pressure of playing in front of former President Barack Obama and a
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors after a game against the Golden State Warriors during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 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
9:23 PM ET Nine players received invitations to attend the NBA draft and sit in the green room, a source told ESPN. Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Culver, Coby White, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes received the first batch of invites, with an additional 11 invites approximately still yet
The Miami Heat are masters at developing wing players and should be able to pick up an interesting one in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Miami Heat don’t get enough credit for their development staff. They might be one of the best teams in the league at developing talent, routinely extracting the best out of
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
1:35 PM ET Associated Press MEXICO CITY — The NBA will play two regular-season games in Mexico City during the upcoming season. The Dallas Mavericks will face the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 12 at Arena Ciudad de Mexico, the NBA announced Friday. The Phoenix Suns will face the San Antonio Spurs two days later. The
Will an NBA Finals berth be enough to convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors in free agency this summer? Next to Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard figures to be the most hotly pursued player on this summer’s free-agent market. Fresh off an all-time great postseason run, Leonard has re-established himself as being among
The Lakers organization has been a hot mess for most of this season. Now a new report from ESPN is letting us in on a lot of the details. From last summer’s weird free agent additions to the botched Anthony Davis trade negotiations, to Magic Johnson’s resignation and the disastrous head coaching search, it has
1:37 AM ET Andre Iguodala‘s left calf is aching. The 35-year-old swingman, who has been dealing with the injury throughout most of the Golden State Warriors‘ postseason run, spends the moments following Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals limping through the locker room inside Scotiabank Arena. Iguodala peels off his jersey and tells the
The Warriors were missing several key contributors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and it showed, as the Raptors ran away with a double-digit win. Alfonzo McKinnie played 53 minutes during the 2017-18 NBA season. He played 19 in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals. With Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Kevin Durant
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
9:08 PM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said players feel “vulnerable” on the floor during games, in the wake of an incident between Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Warriors investor Mark Stevens at Oracle Arena during Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals. “I think players are definitely
In this week’s 2019 NBA Mock Draft, the jumble of prospects from 10-40 makes it difficult to find perfect fits between team and player. We talk about how the teams picking between five and 10 control this year’s draft, plus we continue to re-scout the top prospects. Cowabunga: Bruno Fernando C, Maryland A legit, replicable
In Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals, a fan pushed Kyle Lowry after he chased a loose ball into the stands. What makes this a big deal is who that person is. The Toronto Raptors were polishing up a Game 3 win in the 2019 NBA Finals last night, and Kyle Lowry had a
2:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN OAKLAND, Calif. — After undergoing further evaluation of the non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture he suffered in Game 2, Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney could potentially return during the NBA Finals, league sources told ESPN. More testing will determine Looney’s next steps and whether he does, in fact, make
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 3: Head Coach Mike D’Antoni of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on April 3, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms
It appears as though the Houston Rockets’ second-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors could inspire major changes in Space City. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “has made his entire roster and future draft picks available in trade talks, a dramatic initiative with hopes of reshaping the team
3:05 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — When the Golden State Warriors laid a crushing 18-0 run on the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, their leader Stephen Curry declared it was one of those moments when “our DNA shows up.” It’s a daunting thing, that championship DNA. If you’re not careful, you
Paul Pierce’s famous “wheelchair” moment will forever be an iconic memory in NBA Finals history. But now we know the real deal behind it, and it’s nasty. Paul Pierce had one of the most iconic moments in NBA Finals history when, in 2008, he went to the locker room in a wheelchair, only to come