After a whirlwind of a couple of weeks, it’s time to take a look at how the NCAA Tournament reshaped the 2022 NBA Mock Draft board. Were players like Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji rewarded for deep postseason runs? How did early exits affect players like Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren or Iowa’s Keegan Murray? With the NBA regular season drawing to a close on Sunday, we’re starting to get a better idea of where teams could possibly land in the NBA Draft Lottery....

1) Is it worth getting worked up about another John Calipari-to-the-NBA report ?
DeCourcy: Today? With 87 percent of the NBA season still to play and 134 days until the Final Four? The CBS Sports report that the New York Knicks would/should/maybe/will consider pursuing Calipari if/when they replace Mike Woodson seems curiously timed, but at least this time it came after a key recruiting period closed.
The Knicks are bad, but they’re also playing without an essential player because of injury: center Tyson Chandler....

As other teams in the NBA joined the Bucks in solidarity, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers went so far as to express their wishes to end the season now. A number of other professional sports leagues also followed suit shortly after. Within hours, three MLB games, three WNBA games and five MLS matches were called off (In a statement, the NBA said it’s hoping play will resume either Friday or Saturday)....

Sandler, who plays Stanley Sugerman, an embattled NBA scout for the Philadelphia 76ers discovers Bob Cruz, played by Utah Jazz big man Juancho Hernangómez, with hopes of helping him make it from Spain to the NBA. The film, brought to life by the SpringHill Company with LeBron James serving as an Executive Producer, features a host of big names, including Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall as well as former NBA player Kenny Smith....

Jordan Brand is signing No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero to an endorsement deal, making him the third player from the Tar Heels’ Tobacco Road rival to sign with basketball’s most distinguishable brand. Banchero joins fellow Duke products Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson, both of whom have signature shoe deals. A signature deal is likely on the way for Banchero as well, particularly if he makes waves early in his Orlando Magic career....

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant stood before his adoring home crowd, proudly holding his MVP trophy above his head during a pregame ceremony. He spent the next few hours showing how he earned it. Durant had 32 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-101 on Wednesday night to tie their Western Conference semifinal series at one game apiece. PHOTOS: Thunder-Clippers scenes...

The rapper has famously cursed several prominent NBA players — most notably Rockets guard James Harden. But the Based God has offered to remove his curse on Harden after the latter’s pitiful performance against Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal series Thursday. MORE: Harden faded when Rockets needed him most The fact Lil B actually apologized to Harden — you know, instead of an “All right, you’ve had enough” kind of statement — just goes to show how poorly Harden played....

Facing an 0-1 deficit after an embarrassing 27-point loss on their own floor to the Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, they turned to the two-time defending NBA Defensive Player of the Year to take on the challenge of checking MVP candidate James Harden. Leonard was the main reason Harden had the worst playoff performance of his career, scoring just 13 points on 3-for-17 shooting and reaching the foul line just twice as San Antonio evened the series with a 121-96 Game 2 victory Wednesday night....

The worst flop was by Washington guard Bradley Beal in the second half as he sold a call. MORE: NBA live scores, updates Gee, he really could’ve hurt himself throwing his body onto the floor like that. Even during the night’s most real and intense exchange between Boston’s Kelly Olynyk and Kelly Oubre Jr., there was floppage. Oubre went down kind of easily on an Olynyk screen, and Olynyk quickly hit the deck after Oubre’s retaliatory shove....

The Raptors secured a 118-112 victory over the Bucks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Milwaukee now leads the series 2-1. Kawhi Leonard filled it up as usual, posting a game-high 36 points, but role players made all the difference in the contest. Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell all had their best performances of the third round, combining for a much needed 60 points on the night....

The officials will be actively responding to fans as the conference semifinals continue Sunday and Monday. They will conduct a “Ref Watch Party” where they will respond to fans’ questions on fouls or non-calls in real time for Game 4 of the Raptors-76ers (Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET) and Bucks-Celtics (Monday at 7 p.m. ET) series. Fans can ask their questions using the hashtag #RefWatchParty and officials will respond using the National Basketball Referees Association Twitter handle, @OfficialNBARefs....

Jimmy Butler led the line for the Bulls in a hard-fought Game 2 win against the Bucks. Butler is a do-it-all type of player who is starting to perform on a consistent basis. MORE: Warriors, fans turn up volume on Pelicans | Butler goes off for Bulls PHOTOS: Must-see pictures from the first round Bulls 91, Bucks 82 (Chicago leads series 2-0) Takeaway: After taking a back seat to Derrick Rose in Game 1, Butler showed why he was selected to his first All-Star game this year....

Oh, did you miss that? Yeah, Davis is going to the Lakers in a blockbuster deal featuring Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three first-round picks including the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, according to ESPN. Just a few weeks ago, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson said she would trade Davis to the Lakers “over my dead body.” And yet, here we are. So just to put this deal — and the surprise around it — into perspective, we put together some of the best reactions from the NBA world for your enjoyment....

Not a single rookie got all the way through it, save for Utah’s Rodney Hood who cheated by reading Antetokounmpo’s jersey as he walked by. It makes sense that no one could get through it, since the only one who can spell his name correctly is likely his mother and everyone on Basketball Twitter who spent last summer practicing it when brother Giannis was taken by Milwaukee at No. 15....

Granted, but even within the world of the NBA and its mega salaries, there can be good values, guys who genuinely earn what they’re paid. And there’s the flip side — overpaid players, be they stars or scrubs. Now, judging who’s overpaid and by how much is generally a subjective endeavor, and in compiling our annual list in the past, there has been a lot more art than science. But this time around, we thought we’d try to make the list a little more objective....

Before anyone starts dancing over that news, know that basketball is still a long way from resuming, for three significant reasons: MORE: Bucks’ George Hill: Life matters more than possibly finishing season Only individual sessions will be allowed According to reports by ESPN and The Associated Press, players can begin voluntary workouts when facilities are reopened, and they can only work out by themselves: No team activities, no practices. That means we’re still not looking at a quick resumption of the season, but rather the beginning of a gradual ramp-up as more states and cities loosen restrictions....

The Staples Center last had an NBA Champions banner raised to the rafters in 2010, when the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the final title of the Phil Jackson era with a 4-3 win over the Boston Celtics. Bookmakers, however, believe the Lakers can end a 10-year wait, while the Clippers have what it takes to secure a first-ever ring. According to FanDuel and DraftKings the Clippers are 7/2 favorites, with the Lakers a close second at 22/5....

Forget the fact Chicago traded away two solid players with skill sets well-suited for the receiving end of many Russell Westbrook assists. Let’s focus on the package the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed received in this deal. MORE: All the latest NBA trade activity The “centerpiece” for the Bulls here appears to be 22-year-old Cameron Payne, but the second-year Murray State product wasn’t exhibiting much value other than as Westbrook’s dance partner....

But there were winners, and there were losers. Here’s how we size them up now that the deadline has passed. MORE: Here are all the deals you may have missed on deadline day NBA trade deadline winners The Finalists If you’re the Cavs and the Warriors, no news is good news. And the relative lack of blockbuster news on Thursday stands to benefit the two teams that are looking to face off again for the third time in a row in the NBA Finals....

Cleveland let general manager David Griffin walk out the door along with vice president of basketball operations Trent Redden only days before the NBA Draft. The Cavs saw the gap between them and the Warriors widen during free agency as Golden State seemingly improved its roster while Cleveland retained Kyle Korver and added only Jose Calderon and Jeff Green in free agency. Chauncey Billups passed on the GM opening after being offered a below-market salary....