With talents like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell taking the floor, there are plenty of prolific scorers who could make a run at the all-time individual record for points in a game on Christmas. Bernard King has held the record for 37 years with his 60-point game for the Knicks on Christmas back in 1984. Will this finally be the year someone surpasses the 60-point mark?...

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently spoke on the issue, saying that his overseas plans wouldn’t include just one, but four franchises in Europe. MORE: MJ vs. Kobe | Hairston has flop for the ages | Lopez to Miami? “It would be difficult for us to have one team in Europe,” Silver told The Guardian. “We’d have to put both feet down. That would mean having four franchises in Europe.” Still, Silver admitted that the NBA isn’t prepared to make such an ambitious leap into Europe just yet....

The best players are always in play, but we want to provide options across all salary ranges, including values, sleepers, and some of the very best. It’s important to note that we list most players based their FanDuel positional eligibility, but some might be eligible at other positions on the other sites. Position wise, it is easier to mix and match with the multiple DraftKings options than it is for FD....

The Texas Tech guard elaborated on his well-rounded game and how it might fit in Los Angeles. He listed several strong points to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and coach Frank Vogel. “I just told them just my elite two-way playing, my playmaking ability, scoring, and being able to play defense,” Culver said in reference to his talks with Lakers brass. At 6-6, Culver did it all for the Red Raiders in his sophomore season....

Los Angeles is “active in trade talks and would be open to” dealing the No. 4 selection in exchange for “an established veteran who would be more ready” to help it win games, according to a report from ESPN, which cites unidentified league sources. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka acknowledged the team would explore moving the pick after the lottery last month. “This is a powerful asset for us,” Pelinka told reporters....

New Orleans has “had internal talks about moving up to the second pick to take Memphis’ selection and draft RJ Barrett,” according to a report from the New York Post, which cites an unidentified league source. The Pelicans also hold the No. 1 pick and are widely expected to select Barrett’s friend and 2018-19 Blue Devils teammate, Zion Williamson. Williamson and Barrett led Duke to a 32-6 record and an appearance in the Elite Eight, where they fell to Michigan State....

While the top prospects in this year’s class like Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe did not participate in the combine – which has become the norm over recent years – it left an opening for under-the-radar players to shine on this stage. Who stood out during the measurements and drills on Wednesday? Which players balled out in the scrimmages on Thursday and Friday?...

Though scouts put in work throughout the season to analyze players, more eyes than ever are on a smaller group of players during the NCAA Tournament. Shining on college basketball’s biggest stage can be worth a lot of money as a result, even as a player rising 10-plus slots because of a four- to six-game sample does not happen as frequently now as in the past. MORE: Sporting News’ first 2016 NBA mock draft...

The Game 6 point spread is line with Game 4’s closing number. Golden State was bet from -2 to -5 for that contest and went on to cash in a 103-82 rout. The Warriors took a 3-2 series lead with a 104-91 win at home over the Cavaliers on Sunday night. While Game 5 was tight most of the way, Golden State stretched its lead late in the fourth quarter and covered as 9-point favorites....

Indiana enters the offseason with at least $43 million in cap space and general manager Kevin Pritchard told reporters Wednesday the team plans to be “super aggressive” in free agency. “We’ll go after ’em,” Pritchard said at a press conference. “We’ll make the pitches. We’re not afraid.” Pritchard said the team’s strategy is to “think big.” “It may happen, it may not happen,” Pritchard said. “One thing we believe very strongly in is that once you sign with us we’ll do our best to make you feel comfortable here and we’ll do that with our daily actions....

The 76ers on Wednesday announced they have signed the veteran center. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though his agent, Jason Glushon, had told ESPN it’s a four-year deal worth $109 million. “We’re excited to welcome one of the NBA’s best frontcourt players in Al Horford to Philadelphia,” Sixers general manager Elton Brand said in a statement. “He has built his reputation around hard work and a tradition of winning, which are the same qualities that have formed the foundation of the 76ers....

Sacramento is “prioritizing a center in the free-agent marketplace” this summer, according to a report from The Athletic, which cites unidentified league sources. The Kings have already shown interest in Nikola Vucevic, according to an earlier report from Arizona Sports 98.7FM. Vucevic, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Magic, averaged a career-high 20.8 points, along with 12 rebounds, and made the All-Star team for the first time in 2018-19....

Gay, who averaged 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per for the Kings in 2016-17, will hold court this weekend, entertaining representatives of teams seeking his services, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. NBA FREE AGENCY 2017: Ranking the best players on the market The Thunder could certainly use a player of Gay’s caliber. Led by MVP Russell Westbrook, who became the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson did so in 1961-62, this past season the Thunder went 47-35 and earned the No....

While there were claims that the Cavs were leaning one way or another, a source indicated to Sporting News that there was still an open competition for the top spot. That all may change—Embiid suffered a foot injury this week, and the problem with the foot combined with the back injury that ended Embiid’s season at Kasnas has raised significant red flags. Embiid suffered a stress fracture in his right foot and needs surgery, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!...

Bavetta’s career started when he officiated a game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on Dec. 2, 1975 at Madison Square Garden. Since then, he has officiated 2,635 consecutive games, including 270 contests in the playoffs and 27 in the finals. “Dick’s dedication and commitment to his craft has been an inspiration to all NBA officials,” said Rod Thorn, NBA president of basketball operations. “We are grateful for his contributions to our league, and we wish him the best as he enjoys his well-earned retirement....

With 25 seconds remaining and the Knicks leading 106-105, Carmelo Anthony appeared to step out of bounds (and travel) following an inbounds pass. No call was made and play continued with Anthony passing to Lance Thomas, who was immediately fouled. Thomas made both free throws, and the Knicks held on to win.MORE: Classic photos of Melo | Metta World Peace’s two cents on Jordans Lead official Ed Malloy acknowledged to a pool reporter after the game that the Raptors should have gotten the ball back, saying he and his crew missed the call....

The NBA season was suspended for at least 30 days last Wednesday after Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert became the first player to test positive for coronavirus. New guidelines published on Sunday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommended events attracting more than 50 people should be canceled or postponed for at least eight weeks as the U.S. battles to contain the outbreak. “I don’t have a good enough sense of how long a period this is going to be,” Silver said while speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Wednesday night....

With only 9.6 seconds left in regulation, Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer that resulted in a wild scramble for the rebound. Draymond Green recovered the ball and called for a timeout, but Golden State didn’t have any remaining, resulting in a technical foul. MORE: Three reasons why the Raptors beat the Warriors Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard hit the technical free throw and then drained two more when he was fouled by Andre Iguodala right before the buzzer, extending the lead to four points and closing the door on Golden State’s season....