The third deal is partially guaranteed, according to multiple reports. The 37-year-old Carter was a vital bench player for the Mavericks last season despite shooting a career-low 40.7 percent from the field. He averaged 11.9 points in 24.4 minutes. ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that Dallas was looking to re-sign Carter. MORE: Free-agent tracker ESPN Dallas’ Tim McMahon reports the Mavs were done in partly by their offer sheet to Rockets unrestricted free agent Chandler Parsons....

His agent told the Sacramento Bee that he has asked the Kings to allow his client to become an unrestricted free agent. “I really think Willie needs a fresh start,” said Roger Montgomery, a representative of Roc Nation Sports. “Based on how things have gone for him there in Sacramento, I just think it’s time for Willie to move on and we’d really like him to move on.” Cauley-Stein finished the final year of his four-year contract and the Kings have until June 30 to extend a qualifying offer to make the center a restricted free agent....

At age 36, Stoudemire held a workout in Las Vegas on Monday in front of 15 NBA teams in serious hopes of earning a roster spot. “For me I got down to 235 [pounds], which is my lowest weight I’ve ever played at. I got as strong as I could possibly be,” Stoudemire told MSG Network on Tuesday (via the New York Post). “My body feels amazing, so we’ll see if the opportunity becomes a reality....

MORE: The 15 scariest NBA free agents As the team continues to woo Kevin Durant to stay in OKC, it has been shopping around the league for other players after it traded Serge Ibaka to Magic. Horford already has connections with the Thunder: He played under coach Billy Donovan at Florida, where the two won two national titles. Meanwhile, the Hawks will try to keep their center after they cleared salary-cap space by trading Jeff Teague to the Pacers....

There are a total of 11 games to look forward to on Friday, Nov. 12. Two of them will be on ESPN — the Bucks and Celtics will face off at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Bulls taking on the Warriors at 10:00 p.m. — leaving the other nine for League Pass. The action begins with a matchup between the Knicks and Hornets and ends with a big man battle between Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis....

But some games avoided postponement because of the NBA’s hardship exception rule, which gives teams temporary roster spots to exceed the 15-man roster limit in times of need (multiple players being out because of injury or illness). MORE: What is the NBA’s hardship exception rule? | Complete list of players in COVID-19 protocols NBA teams have taken advantage of this rule during the outbreak and according to NBA insider Marc Stein, there have been roughly 50 players signed to hardship exception deals – nearly 40 coming from the G League and double digits coming from free agency....

The NBA’s main motive appears to be about protecting the TV contracts: “After a series of high-profile players didn’t play in major matchups last season, the new schedule protects key national television matchups to make sure teams aren’t playing on back-to-back nights,” writes Windhorst. MORE: Kyrie Irving trade drama more bad mojo for ‘NBA 2K’ cover Will these steps stop star players from skipping games? We’ll just have to wait to find out....

Take advantage of BetQL’s free trial and see all of today’s best NBA bets, including player props, plus what the model is projecting for every football game this week! Start your free trial today! The model has gone 127-80 (62% win) on 5-Star NBA moneyline bets of $100, so be sure to check out the model’s best bets for tonight. BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick....

Schroder and Millsap combined for 56 points to lead the Hawks to an 116-98 win against the Wizards on Saturday in Game 3, cutting Washington’s lead in the first-round series to 2-1. MORE: NBA playoff scores | Sunday’s schedule Wall scored 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field, but none of his teammates, including the loquacious Morris, matched his effort. Morris scored nine points on 4 of 14 from the field....

That’s a tough enough assignment during the regular season, and it’s been no cakewalk this year for the current holder of Jackson’s job, Kiki Vandeweghe. Now, with the attention that comes in the playoffs? “It’s extremely difficult,” Jackson told Sporting News this week. “The task that Kiki Vandeweghe has, I want everyone to understand, is really hard. It’s a no-win situation.” It’s been heightened this year, as tensions between referees and players have reached a boiling point more frequently than any season in recent memory....

The Canadian rapper ruthlessly trolled Joel Embiid and his trademark airplane celebration after the 76ers center left Tuesday’s Game 5 meeting, and Raptors fans joined in. Embiid had been listed as probable for the matchup with an illness but left sick and exhausted with just over nine minutes left to play in Philadelphia’s eventual 125-89 blowout loss at Toronto. He totaled 13 points and six rebounds on 5 of 10 shooting after scoring 11 points on 2 of 7 shooting in Game 4....

The 76ers reached back-to-back Eastern Conference semifinals after blitzing the Nets 122-100 in Game 5 on Tuesday. Embiid posted 23 points and 13 rebounds as the 76ers sealed a 4-1 series victory and set up a second-round showdown with the Raptors. Confidence is high within the franchise, with Embiid telling reporters postgame: “We think we can win it all. “We feel like this team is better than last year’s team,” added Embiid, whose 76ers were outclassed 4-1 by the Boston Celtics last season....

The Raptors star got a ridiculous shooter’s roll on a baseline jumper to top the 76ers 92-90 in Game 7 of the second round. Toronto really needed Leonard in this one. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP scored 41 points and took 39 shots in 43 minutes, but it was the last one that mattered most. The second-seeded Raptors will face the top ranked Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals. They will attempt to top Milwaukee to get their first conference championship and NBA Finals appearance....

Toronto was able to erase a double-digit deficit behind a 35-point night from Kawhi Leonard. “We made shots and got stops on the defensive end,” Leonard told TNT after the game. “We wanted to come out here and get the win, we weathered the storm early.” Leonard came out at the start of fourth quarter and helped inch the Raptors ahead. He knocked down a pair of step-back 3-pointers during the team’s 10-0 run midway through the period....

Golden State is an astouding favorite to win this series, and while the Clippers were pesky throughout the game, the Warriors were just too much for them. Stephen Curry was fantastic with 38 points on 11-of-16 shooting including 8 of 12 from 3-point range and he also managed to add 15 rebounds and seven assists for good measure. Brooklyn shocked the world to get the 2019 NBA playoffs started....

Still, unfamiliarity breeds complication, and that has been the case throughout southern cities dealing with road icing and bad traffic in the aftermath of the snow. As a result, the NBA has announced its decision to postpone the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons game scheduled to be played at Phillips Arena on Wednesday. The Pistons could not make their Tuesday flight. No date to make up the game has been announced at this time....

Not since March 11 have players taken to the court and fans watched official games due to the coronavirus pandemic. But, after months of waiting, the New Orleans Pelicans-Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers clashes will headline the 2019-20 season restart in Orlando, Florida. Inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble, 22 teams will resume their regular seasons before the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks topped the NBA standings at the time of the postponement, while the Los Angeles Lakers were flying in the Western Conference....

MORE: How NBA players reacted to shocking Donovan Mitchell trade Cavaliers-Jazz trade details Cavaliers receive: Donovan Mitchell Jazz receive: Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029), two pick swaps (2026, 2028) Cavaliers grade: A Mitchell was already a great player in Utah, getting named to the last three All-Star teams. He should be even better in Cleveland. This is the perfect fit for Mitchell, who does have some flaws to his game....

Rampant rumors and speculation will be flying around prior to the trade deadline with several valuable contributors still available. However, NBA fans should temper expectations for star trades, as plenty of teams will be confined by the salary cap after the spending spree of 2016. MORE: How Knicks can get rid of Joakim Noah (and his huge contract) Here’s everything you need to know as the NBA trade deadline approaches....