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Michael White has been let out of Iranian detainment and is returning to the United States, according to a statement attributed to his mother, Joanne, and released Thursday by Free Michael White campaign spokesperson Jonathan Franks. “For the past 683 days my son, Michael, has been held hostage in Iran by the IRGC and I have been living a nightmare,” she said, using an acronym for the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps....

Once preseason play begins Friday, plenty of rookies will be set loose so they can show what they’ve got before rotations are narrowed. Each year first-year players exceed the expectations set for them, so we’ve put together a short list of who you should look out for. Five under-the-radar rookies you should keep an eye on: Chris Clemons, Guard, Rockets There’s no guarantee Chris Clemons will make the Rockets’ roster, but we have a good feeling he’ll be in the mix this year....

Prettier? Rule changes will make quick types who can create their own shots (e.g., Allen Iverson) even more unstoppable. Get ready for flashy offense. Hot Rookies Highly touted Elton Brand (of the woeful Bulls) and Steve Francis (Rockets) are expected to shine. But don’t forget Shawn Marion (Suns): he tore it up in the preseason. Or Uglier? But tighter rules mean more fouls. Early games have lasted forever, as the whistle keeps blowing and the free throws mount up....

Plenty of players made interesting comments, so we’ll break the day down by what each player said in his moment. MORE: NBA skills competition | NBA All-Star Game betting Kobe Bryant The media hoarded Kobe Bryant early, as the 20-season pro is playing in his final All-Star Game. He spoke in Spanish and Italian during his session, and was asked if he spoke any Arabic. When he spoke in English, Bryant talked about what an incredible career he has had....

Balloting for the Feb. 16 game in New Orleans ends Jan. 20. The starters will be announced Jan. 23, before the Lakers play the Heat. James leads all players with 1.076 million votes, though he's fewer than 22,000 ahead of Durant. Miami teammate Dwyane Wade is also on pace to join LeBron in the Eastern Conference lineup, along with Paul George of Indiana, Carmelo Anthony of New York and Kyrie Irving of Cleveland....

The league’s biggest stars and top young players will take part in skills competitions. On Friday, Media Day brings players to the stage. MORE: Klay Thompson, rising star | Doc Rivers on DeAndre Jordan omission | All-Stars get revenge on Jimmy Fallon | Carmelo Anthony’s season likely ends with All-Star appearance | Bill Walton disses Michael Jordan | Keith Olbermann dissed Charles Barkley | Starters, Dirk Nowitzki added | Anthony Davis out | Kyle Korver replaces Dwyane Wade...

Earlier on Tuesday’s pro basketball betting card, it’s the suddenly-hot Cavaliers visiting the Pistons (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV), and the Bucks vs. Heat also has our attention. NBA betting info: Lines and totals | ATS standings Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat (-3, 181) The Bucks (22-22 SU) are in sixth place in the East and the Heat (20-24 SU, 20-22-2 ATS) are in seventh, but from a betting perspective, these teams are anything but even....

Atlanta is -2.5 tonight with a total of 200 as of about noon ET. Visit our live odds page for updated NBA point spreads and totals. NBA betting info: ATS standings | Power ratings | Saturday’s matchups What makes the Hawks’ current run even more impressive is that eight of the 11 wins have come on the road. Overall, the Hawks have won 25 of their last 27 games, many of these victories coming against some of the best competition in the NBA....

The Rockets (35-16 SU, 29-22 ATS) are missing Dwight Howard, but have been just fine without him, going 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS (including the game in which he was hurt). They’ll be looking to bounce back, however, from a 109-98 loss at home to Portland in their most recent outing. The Suns (29-24 SU, 27-24-2 ATS) have lost four of their last five, but three of those losses have come against some of the toughest in the league – the Warriors, Blazers and Grizzlies....

Which teams have moved the most? Where should you stake some action? We’ll unpack it all and analyze which moves (if any) have turned pretenders into contenders — and which moves bombed worse than a pre-draft Woj tweet. Updated odds to win 2023 NBA Championship Odds courtesy of FoxBet Sacramento Kings (+100000 to +95000) The Kings have youth and upside going for them. This franchise is not completely lost, nor does it deserve to be ranked among the worst six teams in the league at this point....

The Cavaliers remain the favorites to win it all. LeBron and Co., who opened at 5-to-2 odds and sit at 7-to-2 at the All-Star break, labored through some difficulties in late December and early January, but have lost just twice in their last 16 games. This season’s biggest surprise has been the Hawks, who began the season at 60-to-1 odds. Amid their 18-game win streak, they elevated to favorite status for the NBA title, and they had four players representing the East in the All-Star Game....

MORE: 2016 NBA Draft live blog The presumptive No. 1 overall pick in Thursday night’s draft walked into Barclays Center in Brooklyn suited and booted, calm, cool and collected, but a cameraman just couldn’t keep it together. As Simmons approached him, the videographer collided with a man standing behind him and fell, helplessly, to the ground. Simmons, who averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds and nearly five assists in his lone season at LSU, kept his cool and kept it moving....

The 18-year-old star broke down and shed tears after being chosen by the Pelicans. He made sure to thank his mother, Sharonda Sampson, for all she did to make his dream come true. “I mean, I don’t know what to say,” Williamson told ESPN after his name was called. “I didn’t think I’d be in this position. My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn’t be here without my mom....

Phoenix’s “front office has told rival NBA teams it’s open to trading” the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft “if the right veteran guard is available,” according to a report from ESPN. The Suns were reportedly trying to acquire a point guard to pair with star Devin Booker for most of 2018-19. The team was looking to add a backcourt player who fit on the timeline of its young core, general manager James Jones said earlier this season....

Regardless of which franchise lands at the top of the 2021 NBA Draft board, the No. 1 selection will likely be Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham, who has an elite combination of size, shooting and playmaking ability. There are other terrific prospects available beyond Cunningham, though, including Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs. How will this year’s lottery drawing play out? Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 NBA Draft lottery, including the latest odds for every team involved....

Since then, he has not been able to work out for teams — he subsequently had surgery to address a stress fracture in his foot — but he has been continuing to draw interest from teams in the second half of the first round. Jackson has been traveling to visit various teams with picks (or the potential to acquire picks) in the high teens and 20s, a source told Sporting News....

That’s the question coming out of the reported deal between the Sixers, who hold the third overall pick in this year’s draft, and the Celtics, who have the top pick. Dealing away the top pick likely means Boston will pass on the draft’s consensus best player, Washington guard Markelle Fultz. But it will set up the Celtics to choose Kansas small forward Josh Jackson, should they wind up with the No....

Isaac is one of the highest ceiling defensive players in this draft. In the last nine seasons, only four other players have put up a 25 percent defensive rebounding rate, six percent block rate and 2.5 percent steal rate. Three of those guys are Anthony Davis, DeWayne Dedmon and Andre Roberson, which is pretty good company to keep. What else do you need to know about Isaac? Here’s a quick look....

That’s almost three per year! And far more than any other program in that time frame. Once just the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is now also the most prominent one-year pit stop — or an odd form of one-year purgatory depending on how you feel about forced amateurism — for future NBA players. TRADE RUMORS: Would Pelicans move DeMarcus Cousins? Most of these one-and-dones followed a similar trajectory from consensus five-star high school recruit to lottery pick with a smattering falling into the latter part of the first round....

Barkley, an 11-time All-Star who currently works as an analyst for TNT, picked Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors to beat the Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals. “To answer your question, I’m taking the Toronto Raptors,” Barkley said Saturday on “Inside the NBA.” “There’s no player in the NBA I’d rather have than Kawhi Leonard. He’s a drama-free superstar. … He just wants to win, and there’s never any drama....