MORE: Every NBA team’s greatest draft regret ever That’s because both the Lakers and Sixers are eager to pull off the kinds of wholesale renovations that will move them out of the depths of the lottery sooner rather than later. And while LSU phenom Ben Simmons is likely the top overall pick in this draft, with Duke’s Brandon Ingram second, both the Sixers and Lakers are expected to at least hear offers for their choices....
MORE: Ranking every NBA Finals rematch When the dust settled, the former NBA All-Star-turned-role player emerged with Finals MVP honors after helping the Warriors bring home the title in six games. So who could be this year’s Iguodala? There are a few candidates. Channing Frye Since being acquired by the Cavs via trade in February, Frye has shown the ability to fill it up from time to time. The sweet-shooting big man has hit double figures five times in the postseason, including a 27-point outburst featuring a 7-for-9 performance from 3-point range against the Hawks in the second round....
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals slated for Thursday at Scotiabank Arena, costs are higher than ever for Canada’s lone contender, suggesting Toronto could beat Golden State as the team with the hottest tickets in the league. “Is Toronto a basketball town? The answer is yes — based on pricing, it’s actually the most basketball town that we’ve seen in 10 years,” TicketIQ employee Jesse Lawrence told the Toronto Star....
Minutes after the Warriors sealed their spot in the championship series with a Game 5 win over the Rockets in the West finals, Golden State was installed in Las Vegas as solid favorites to win both the series and Game 1, set for Thursday, June 4 (9 p.m. ET, ABC). The Westgate SuperBook opened the series price Warriors -270/Cavs +230, while The Wynn was more gentile on chalk players, posting Warriors -230/Cavs +210, according to text messages from bookmakers at the bet shops....
The Clippers coach has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing officials, according to the team. Following a 111-107 loss to the Spurs in Tuesday’s Game 5, Rivers complained that his team was hit with several “brutal calls.” MORE: Don’t bench Dirk | Carter-Williams proves Bucks right PHOTOS: Must-see NBA playoff pictures “I don’t know, it’s just — listen, the refs are trying hard, too, but God darn,” Rivers said during his postgame news conference....
After being left off of the All-NBA team this season, the Jazz lost a huge edge when it comes to retaining Gordon Hayward. Whereas they would’ve been able to offer him $223.7 million over five years had he made one of the All-NBA teams, the most they can offer him if he opts out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this summer is around $175.7 million....
MORE: Ranking the 23 best NBA free agents available If you believe ESPN reporter Chris Broussard’s “sources,” the competition to get the seven-time all-star and 2014 league MVP’s John Hancock on a contract is essentially a two-horse race between Oklahoma City and Golden State. His choice could immediately shift the NBA’s power dynamics and ultimately determine Durant’s legacy. Yeah, “legacy” is a word we need to start throwing around a whole lot more when we discuss the DMV (D....
The Heat guard has received offers from the Bulls, Mavericks, Bucks and Nuggets that would offer him a salary in the range of $20 million per year, The Vertical reported, citing sources. MORE: Contract advice for the top 18 free agents The Nuggets and Bulls have been courting Wade the hardest, according to The Vertical’s sources. Wade has accepted less than his maximum salary three times from the Heat to allow the team to add talent to the roster, but now he appears frustrated the Heat only seem interested in offering him $10 million per year, half what he earned last season....
For example, Jalen Brunson is now a Knick. Bradley Beal, meanwhile, cemented his legacy with the Wizards by re-signing to a long-term deal. But while there was a flurry of movement in the opening moments of free agency, there are still several high-profile free agents that remain unsigned. Here’s a look at the top remaining free agents by position. MORE: Latest NBA free agency news, rumors about Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson...
It has been a season for the ages, with records getting shattered left and right and superstars scoring like they have little leaguers guarding them. With so much stat-stuffing going on, it can be difficult to navigate the DFS waters. But we always go into roster building with a solid game plan and a strategy to make the most out of every DraftKings dollar. And while we don’t expect you to draft every player on our Friday night team, we do hope you will take away our lessons in pinpointing value and executing a plan....
But, as one league general manager told Sporting News this week, their potential free agency next summer has cooled the market for each. MORE: Bledsoe, Suns haven’t spoke in 4 months | Monroe will accept qualifying offer “I think any one of us would be wary of getting involved in a trade for either player,” the GM said. “Their teams overvalue them in terms of making trades, they don’t want to give them away for nothing....
But a source close to the process told Sporting News that no such decision has been made yet, especially with the Wildcats heading into the Final Four. Increasingly, general managers and talent evaluators around the league feel that Calipari will be proven wrong, and that both Harrisons will join the line of one-and-done players at Kentucky, jumping into the first round of this coming draft. MORE: Where Harrisons land in latest mock draft | NBA Draft 2014: Early entry list...
ESPN and ABC will combine to air 100 total games during the 2022-23 season. These contests will be spread across Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, including a five-game slate on Christmas Day. Including opening week, the ESPN family of networks will air some of the biggest marquee matchups this season, including 18 games featuring the defending champion Warriors, while the Celtics and Lakers each get 16 games apiece. Who will be on the call for games airing on ESPN and ABC this year?...
After losing Kevin Durant to a ruptured Achilles in Game 5, Golden State saw All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson go down with a serious injury Thursday night in the third quarter of Game 6. Thompson attempted to finish a dunk on a fast break, but he was fouled by Danny Green. When he landed, he put all of his weight on his left leg and quickly dropped to the ground....
In evaluating how the final month will play out in the West, with four games separating the third seed from the 10th, let’s start by sizing up where the teams stand now. The Trail Blazers are in the best situation, at 41-26, and have a reasonable schedule remaining. At the bottom are the Spurs, whose situation looks desperate — but who are bolstered by a favorable, home-heavy schedule from here out....
The difference is that Ray's tweets garner attention because he has the ear of one of the team's best players. There have been rumors that Thunder coach Scott Brooks was on thin ice, and Ray tweeted on that subject. With Oklahoma City struggling, he tweeted that the team needed a new coach. The team would mount a comeback to tie the game at 85 and force overtime with his brother Russell playing a large part in that....
King James only needed 28 points entering Game 5 to surpass His Royal Airness’ 5,987 points — he hit 5,989 that mark in the third quarter with this beauty: MORE: Comparing bad games between James, Jordan shows same conclusion James now has 29 points on the night — and counting. It took James 212 games to surpass Jordan, who managed to do hit his mark in 179 games. James has hit the majority of his points with Cleveland, for whom he has played in 125 games....
The Celtics locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by winning its regular-season finale, but that doesn’t mean Boston is heavily favored. While some are calling the Celtics the worst No. 1 seed in NBA history, Vegas oddsmakers made Boston a relatively low -480 favorite to win its first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. MORE: Championship odds for every NBA playoff team In comparison, the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers check in at huge -2000 favorites as the No....
When Pachulia entered the league, the average team was making 5.2 3-pointers per game. This past year that nearly doubled to 9.7. His team, the Warriors, made 12.0 per game. But Pachulia? In 14 years, including the playoffs, he is 0 of 28 from the 3-point arc. MORE: NBA scoreboard | Playoff schedule Last summer, when he signed with this sweet-shooting Golden State bunch, you had to think that was going to change....
