The Nets and the 26-year-old forward have mutual interest, according to The Athletic, which cited unidentified league sources. Harris grew up in New York and attended high school on Long Island. Harris, who was sent from the Clippers to the 76ers at the trade deadline, averaged 18.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in 27 regular season games for Philadelphia. The 76ers reportedly want to re-sign Harris and are expected to offer him a max contract....

The 6-7 Korver is 38 now and his days as a regular starter are behind him, but he can still knock down the 3. A career 42.9% shooter from long range, he had a down year by his standards last season, shooting 38.4%, but that’s still above the league average. According to the ESPN report, Korver had a “tough decision” choosing between the 76ers and the Bucks, but his relationship with Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer played a factor....

James is averaging 25.6 points, 7.8 assists and 5.5 boards while shooting 49 percent from the field. And the Cavs, after an uneven start, have won eight of 11. James already has four MVP trophies to his name, and comes in as the +125 chalk on our mock odds board to take home the award again. Wagering on awards such as NBA MVP, of course, is not allowed in Las Vegas....

There were a few big moves early in the summer that should have a major impact on this year’s NBA Playoff race. The Warriors have their core in place, but they snagged new role players. The Celtics, who came up just two wins short of the franchise’s 18th title, bolstered their depth at key positions. The Timberwolves acquired a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The list goes on and on....

It was so impressive, it got the TNT studio crew to unleash some superlatives. NBA PLAYOFFS 2017: Bracket predictions, series picks for first-round matchups “A lot of people don’t say it but I’m going to say it right now,” Shaquille O’Neal said. “Kawhi Leonard is definitely a superstar. [He’s the] second-best player in the league.” Charles Barkley concurred with the Big Aristotle, saying Leonard is No. 2 behind only LeBron James....

The Spurs regained the home-court advantage by getting a split of two games in Dallas, matching what the eighth-seeded Mavericks did in San Antonio. The Spurs led by 20 points in the third quarter before the Mavericks pulled even midway through the fourth quarter of Game 4. The score was still tied when Diaw hit from long range over Dirk Nowitzki at the top of the key for a 90-87 lead....

Nene received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game for the incident, which occurred with 8:28 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Wizards' 100-97 loss to the Bulls on Friday night. MORE: Playoff photos | Playoff times Nene will serve his suspension when the Wizards host Chicago in Game 4 on Sunday. The Wizards lead the series 2-1.

Beverley was visibly shaken during warmups in Houston. Reports followed that Beverley’s grandfather had died. MORE: Rockets-Spurs Game Center Beverley was also seen speaking on his cell phone and sobbing during pregame media availability, according to ESPN/ABC. It’s not much consolation for Beverley, but he did secure the first basket for Houston on Sunday night. “I never met his grandfather, but I know that his grandfather would want him playing in this game, and want his focus to be on this game right now," Rockets teammate Ryan Anderson said, per USA Today....

Philadelphia cruised to a 116-95 win over the Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center in Game 3 of their second-round series. The 76ers entered halftime with a double-digit lead, maintained control in the third quarter and pulled away in the final period. The victory gave the 76ers a 2-1 lead in the matchup. Toronto had no answers to slow down Philadelphia’s star-powered offense. The 76ers shot 51.2 percent from the field and knocked down 10 of their 23 3-point attempts....

The Bucks, who boasted the best regular-season record in the NBA, led the Toronto Raptors 2-0 before losing the next four games to crash out on Saturday with a 100-94 defeat. But Antetokounmpo suggested this could be “just the start” for Milwaukee, who won their solitary championship back in 1971. “When you’re out 2-0, that obviously means nothing,” he told reporters. “You’ve got to learn how to close out games, especially after Game 3....

The former Cavaliers star is playing for the Celtics in the playoffs for the first time in this series, having been ruled out of the postseason with a knee issue in his first season in Boston in 2017-18. The 27-year-old point guard was a regular thorn in the Celtics’ side in the playoffs while with the Cavs, but on Wednesday he led Boston to a 2-0 series lead over the Pacers with a 99-91 win in Game 2....

The Portland reserve guard hit the eventual game-winning 3-pointer in his team’s 140-137, four-overtime victory. The bucket with 17.8 seconds remaining was part of a seven-point outburst over about a 50-second span of game time. Hood finished with a playoff career-high 19 points in 24 minutes. “I was telling (Blazers guard) Gary Trent . . . that if I got a chance I was going to end it,” Hood told reporters after the game (video via ESPN)....

The Warriors forward is averaging 40.2 points in his past five games, including a 50-point performance in Golden State’s Game 6 victory over the Clippers in Round 1 and 35 points in Game 1 against Houston on Sunday. Durant’s recent performances remind coach Steve Kerr of another NBA great and one of his former teammates. “There’s this guy named Michael something,” Kerr told reporters. “Can’t remember his last name. “No, but Kevin’s run this past week has just been off the charts....

James was calculated and efficient, scoring 31 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out four assists and coming up with four steals to bring the Cavaliers within one win of finishing their series against the Celtics. Rose scored 34 points and came up big in double overtime, and his Bulls now hold a 3-0 series lead over the Bucks. MORE: Must-see first-round photos | Love finds his playoff identity | LeBron schools Evan Turner...

The Trail Blazers and Bucks avoided elimination with wins against the Grizzlies and Bulls, respectively, while the Nets managed to even their series with the Hawks. MORE: No Love, no problem (yet) | Curry’s journey | Lakers can’t afford Rondo Point guards Deron Williams (Nets) and Michael Carter-Williams (Bucks) were both spectacular, but the night belonged to Portland’s Damian Lillard. The third-year floor general erupted for 32 points and seven assists to keep his Blazers from ending their season with a barrage of drives and 3-pointers....

And while Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both deserve that recognition, Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal showed on Sunday that they are hot on their heels. MORE: Cavs’ Blatt concerned about long layoff | Curry keeps cookin’ | Tony Allen interrupts timeout performance Beal (ankle) and Wall (wrist) both fought off injuries to help the Wizards go up 1-0 against the top-seeded Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals series....

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and James Harden were all covered by the 2015 draft class. Celtics rookie R.J. Hunter even did a great Matthew Dellavedova. MORE: Who will win Rookie of the Year? | Meet Brandon Armstrong, master of NBA impressions You can bet Kobe is going to remember that impression by D’Angelo Russell the next time they meet at practice. Source: SB Nation

Which teams got primetime placement? Here’s a breakdown of the key dates for the upcoming season. FIBA WORLD CUP 2019: Team USA roster, game schedule NBA Opening Night schedule — Oct. 22 NBA Christmas Day schedule — Dec. 25 Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule — Jan. 20 NBA star return games

The Suns and Grizzlies will enter the Western Conference bracket as the top two seeds, but the Warriors could make some noise if they have their full roster available. In the Eastern Conference, the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and 76ers will all be looking to make deep postseason runs. NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial) Here’s a snapshot of the current NBA Playoff picture, including the full standings for each conference....