10:56 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Eighteen former NBA players have been charged with defrauding the league’s health and welfare benefit plan out of about $4 million, according to an indictment Thursday in New York. Federal prosecutors planned a news conference for noon ET Thursday to describe the case that was brought in
NBA
11:00 PM ET PHOENIX — Trevor Ariza will be sidelined about two months after having surgery on his right ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Wednesday. Ariza, one of 11 new players added in the offseason, underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure Wednesday. He has missed most of training camp because of the ankle. The Lakers
5:57 PM ET Kevin Durant said he’s still envisioning Kyrie Irving being a part of the Nets’ championship pursuit but he also acknowledges that it will be “hard to duplicate what he brings” if he can’t play home games in Brooklyn. Irving missed his second straight day of practice in Brooklyn as New York City’s
4:28 PM ET NBA players won’t be subject to random marijuana testing this season, according to a players’ association memo shared with players and obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. The agreement between the NBA and the NBPA is a repeat of an amended policy that began with the 2020 Orlando restart and continued through the
11:24 PM ET ESPN News Services MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Milwaukee Bucks‘ preseason game at the Memphis Grizzlies was suspended at the conclusion of the third quarter due to a fire alarm issue at FedExForum, the league announced Tuesday night. After a lengthy delay, the league, in consultation with the Bucks and Grizzlies, decided not
8:59 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books The Brooklyn Nets remain unclear on All-Star guard Kyrie Irving‘s ultimate intentions to get vaccinated and
2:34 PM ET Kyrie Irving did not practice with the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday as the point guard is unable to practice or play in New York under the city’s COVID-19 vaccination protocols. After practicing with the team last week at training camp in San Diego, Irving did not attend the team’s first
12:41 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Brooklyn Nets are being tapped as the heavy favorites to win this season’s championship by the league’s general managers, and star Kevin Durant is picked as the slight favorite to win his second Most Valuable Player award. In the annual survey of all 30 general managers released Tuesday by
12:09 PM ET Associated Press MADRID — Pau Gasol announced his retirement from basketball on Tuesday, ending a career that lasted more than two decades and earned him two NBA titles and a world championship gold with Spain’s national team. The 41-year-old had already announced his farewell from international basketball in August after Spain lost
10:00 AM ET The Phoenix Suns‘ reluctance to offer a maximum rookie contract extension to former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton has stalled discussions on a deal, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Ayton, a key part of the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals, has no intention of accepting a deal less than
2:44 AM ET Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins on Monday explained his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine, noting that he felt “forced” to do so in order to continue his NBA career. “The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA,” Wiggins said after the Warriors’ preseason opener against
10:52 AM ET The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have agreed to a reduction in pay of 1/91.6th of a player’s salary for each game an unvaccinated player misses because of local COVID-19 vaccine mandates, sources told ESPN, a decision that stands to impact Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. The decision on a
8:00 AM ET With NBA opening night just over two weeks away, teams are starting to construct their rosters and determine which players will be healthy for the start of the regular season. Several top players were sidelined by injuries in 2020-21 — Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard,
4:10 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins received a COVID-19 vaccination and will be eligible to play in home games this season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr made the announcement following Sunday’s practice. “Andrew got vaccinated,” Kerr said. “He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it
5:42 PM ET Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was not wearing his normal No. 45 jersey at practice Saturday. Instead, Mitchell wore No. 22 to pay tribute to Utah Utes football players Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan. “I wanted to pay my respects,” Mitchell, entering his fifth season with the Jazz, said after the practice,
7:36 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Nineteen seasons into his NBA career and with a slew of accomplishments to show for his tenure, Carmelo Anthony‘s résumé would suggest an automatic featured role for this season’s Los Angeles Lakers. However, Anthony, 37, is open to whatever his new team asks of him as he continues
3:40 PM ET Tim Bontemps Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books The Philadelphia 76ers did not pay Ben Simmons the $8.25 million — 25% of his contract — that he was owed Friday and placed that money into an escrow
12:25 AM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — As exhausted as LeBron James appeared after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ second day of training camp — plopped down on a chair in the interview room, sneakers unlaced and sweat dripping from his forehead — the Lakers star explained Thursday that it actually was a sign of fire