According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, free agents can’t be traded for three months or until Dec. 15 after signing new deals, depending on which date comes later. That’s why all the Trevor Ariza confusion didn’t result in an actual deal until last Saturday when Ariza was eligible to be traded. That took one of the most sought-after wings immediately off the market. TRADE GRADES: Ariza won’t fix struggling Wizards...

The Cavaliers are reportedly considering a three-team trade that would send Irving to the Knicks in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, according to Yahoo Sports. Initial reports suggest the third team involved may be the Suns. An ESPN report suggested the Knicks would also send future first-rounders to Cleveland in order to get rid of Anthony get Irving. MORE: Twitter had too much fun predicting Irving’s next move Irving, of course, blindsided LeBron James and Co....

Exhibit A: Memphis. TRADE DEADLINE: Latest news, rumors, top targets The Grizzlies let it be known this week that they’re ready to deal stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, the pairing that has been the anchor of the franchise since Gasol arrived as a 24-year-old rookie traded for his brother, Pau, in 2008. This was big news, except that it came at least a year (maybe two) too late....

The fallout from the Cousins deal –– besides despair from a perpetually depressed fan base –– has put a lot of pressure on Danny Ainge and the Celtics, who are sitting on a stockpile of assets. Boston fans are hoping their team makes a splash after the Celtics passed on the Kings’ now-former big man. Also in the mix to make moves are the Bulls, who have been linked to Jahlil Okafor and must decide whether to keep or move Jimmy Butler....

The Timberwolves are among several teams to inquire about Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley. It’s unclear what Minnesota would offer for Rose in a trade at this point. MORE: Carmelo Anthony won’t make a trade easy for the Knicks Giving up anything significant for the current version of Rose would be a strange move by the Timberwolves. He is averaging 17.7 points and 4.5 assists per game in his first season with the Knicks, but he’s far from his past MVP form....

“The game has never before been more popular, and all the players in our league today recognize that we’re only in this position because of the hard work and dedication of the men who came before us,” NBPA president Chris Paul said Wednesday. “It’s important that we take care of our entire extended NBA family, and I’m proud of my fellow players for taking this unprecedented step to ensure the health and well-being of our predecessors....

Robinson made his comments during his speech last weekend at the North Carolina Faith & Freedom Coalition’s “Salt & Light Conference.” The coalition is a right-wing evangelical political group. During his speech, Robinson mentioned getting pushback for having “too much religious fervor.” He said his critics often say the U.S. “is not a Christian nation anymore.” “As for this, not being a Christian nation. Yes, it is,” Robinson said. “If you don’t like it, I’ll buy your plane, train or automobile ticket right up out of here....

After the third and final day of elimination games, LSU (​Baton Rouge), Illinois (Champaign), Louisiana-Lafayette (​Houston), Vanderbilt (Nashville), Florida State (Tallahassee), VCU (Dallas), Texas A&M (College Station), Miami (​Coral Gables), TCU (Fort Worth) and Maryland (Los Angeles) are headed to the Super Regionals. Missouri State (Springfield), Arkansas (Stillwater), Florida (Gainesville), Cal State Fullerton (Fullerton) and Louisville (Louisville) earned trips to the Super Regionals Sunday after finishing their respective region without a loss....

College athletics’ governing body on Tuesday sent a letter to DraftKings and FanDuel, cancelling scheduled talks after having already told the sites privately that their ubiquitous TV ads wouldn’t be allowed to air during the NCAA’s Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the former being the NCAA’s highest profile event of the year. MORE: How DFS ruined my life | ‘Insider trading’ controversy shakes foundation of DFS The College Football Playoff is administered by 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame, not the NCAA, and CFP executive director Bill Hancock told the Times that his organization hadn’t talked in detail yet with ESPN, which paid $7....

This wasn’t about someone trying to win basketball games by breaking recruiting rules. This charge, to which Person eventually pleaded guilty, had actual victims: the athletes who were getting pressure from someone they trusted to take actions that quite possibly were not in their best interests. So who do you suppose the NCAA infractions committee punished most harshly for all this? Well, of course, the student-athletes! MORE: Sporting News’ 2021-22 Preseason All-Americans...

“The members are gonna have to figure out, what’s the purpose of bowl games?” Emmert said (via USA Today) Wednesday at the IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “Is it a reward for a successful season or is it just another game that we’re gonna provide an opportunity for? … We need to look hard at that.” MORE: One reason to watch EVERY bowl game | Expanding the 2016 CFP: A hypothetical...

Got a favorite team in the Big Dance? Get on your feet and cheer. The easiest way to follow the action is with Sporting News’ NCAA Basketball Scoreboard. Get updates, stats and more on each game. MORE: Thursday’s picks | Top games | Biggest storylines Here is the schedule of first-round games on Thursday. All times ET. 12:15 p.m.: UNC-Wilmington (16) vs. Duke (1), at Providence; CBS 12:40 p.m.: Butler (9) vs....

Huge upsets were the main trends during Thursday’s and Friday’s games, but will the reign of the underdogs continue? Here are a few games to watch and the story lines to enhance the entertainment factor as the round of 32 kicks off at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. PHOTOS: March Sadness: Teams react to heart-breaking elimination Will 12 seeds Yale and Arkansas-Little Rock continue the upsets? Yale had never won a tournament game, while Little Rock had won only once before....

Bill Walton. Patrick Ewing. Bronson Koenig. Marques Johnson. Rodney McCray. Hakeem Olajuwon. Nigel Hayes. Which of these is not like the other? (Hint: There may be more than one acceptable answer). MORE: Stats prove Wisconsin is one of the toughest No. 8 seeds ever Thousands of college basketball players have appeared in the NCAA Tournament. Slightly more than 2,600 have been fortunate enough to play in the Final Four, from 1939 in Evanston, Ill....

MORE: NCAA Tournament scoreboard | Vegas lines and pick | Sporting News’ Candy Bracket Baylor Bears (24-9) No. 3 seed, West Region Coach: Scott Drew (12th season) Bid: At-large/Big 12 Starting lineup G Kenny Cherry, 5-11, Sr., 11.3 ppg, 4.0 apg G Royce O’Niel, 6-6, Sr., 10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg G Taurean Prince, 6-7, Jr., 14.0 ppg, 5.5 apg F Rico Gathers, 6-9, Jr., 11.6 ppg, 11.7 rpg F Johnathan Motley, 6-9, Fr....

Maybe ever. That’s because geography, in 2021 at least, won’t be a determining factor in how the selection committee places teams in specific regions; since COVID-19 has forced the entire NCAA Tournament to take place in Indiana, the committee will now rely primarily on the S-curve to come up with its 68-team bracket. The NCAA explained its decision to use the method in a Jan. 15 news release. “As the committee discussed this topic, it became clear that the S-curve bracketing option makes the most sense, given the unique circumstances with which this tournament will be played,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball....

Best storyline: Can Sporting News player of the year Doug McDermott carry his father to his first Final Four as coach—and perhaps smash even more scoring records on the way? McDermott is averaging 31.3 points as he tears through March. He stands No. 5 on the NCAA career scoring chart at 3,105 points. If he hits that number and loses in the round of 32, he passes No. 4 Alphonso Ford of Mississippi Valley State (3,165)....

The start of that tournament is remembered for images of paltry weight-lifting setups and the large gaps between amenities for men and women in the tournament. A leveling marker coming this season will take place when the women’s tournament field is expanded to 68 teams to match the men, The Associated Press reported. The men’s tournament grew to 68 teams in 2011. It added four first-round play-in games at a neutral site, traditionally Dayton, Ohio....

As the No. 1 overall seed, four-time defending national champion Connecticut could have to clear Duke or Maryland to advance to the Final Four. MORE: Comparing UConn’s streak to other runs The Huskies haven’t faced the Blue Devils this season, but they played a close game with the Terrapins (30-2), eventually winning by seven on the road. Katie Lou Samuelson, the team’s best scorer, had 23 points in the win, but second-best scorer Napheesa Collier fouled out with just 12....