NBA

7:30 PM ET LOS ANGELES — When the curtain comes up on the new NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers expect all of their performers to be on stage. “On opening night when we play the Golden State Warriors, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster, on that night, will be

5:25 PM ET Zach LaVine was excited by the Chicago Bulls‘ aggressive offseason, but says this season is crucial in determining the direction for the team and himself as he enters the final season of his contract. “At the end of the day it’s a business,” LaVine told ESPN on Thursday. “They did what was

5:16 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Officiating changes in the NBA this season are being made to eliminate instances of players going out of their way to warp the game beyond the way it normally is played, according to Monty McCutchen, who oversees the on-court performance of the league’s referees. “We want basketball to be played,

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who finished just shy of a place among the top five superstars in the NBA? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin

2:20 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins said earlier this year that the only way he would get a COVID-19 vaccine is if he were forced to do so. Now, as the start of the 2021-22 season nears, the organization is dealing with an ongoing headache behind the scenes because

9:01 PM ET Tamika Tremaglio, a prominent Washington, D.C., attorney and longtime National Basketball Players Association consultant, has been hired as the new executive director of the NBPA. Tremaglio will replace Michele Roberts, the first woman to run a major professional sports league union. Tremaglio joins new NBPA president CJ McCollum as the players’ association’s

6:15 PM ET Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has been fined $50,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering rule, the league announced Wednesday. Lacob’s fine came after he cast doubt during a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that the Warriors would be interested in acquiring disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons. “In some

5:25 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls exercised rookie scale contract options for the 2022-23 season on guard Coby White and forward Patrick Williams on Wednesday. White, who had his fourth-year option exercised, averaged 15.1 points and 4.8 assists in his second NBA season. His status for the start of the upcoming

3:25 PM ET Gersson Rosas is out as the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations. In a statement announcing the move Wednesday, team owner Glen Taylor said the Wolves “remain committed to building a winning team that our fans and city can be proud of.” Minnesota hired Rosas, a former Houston Rockets executive, in May

2:22 PM ET ESPN.com staff The first two rounds of fantasy basketball drafts are as talented as they’ve been in years, with talents like LeBron James and Anthony Davis possibly sliding into Round 2. How’s that for depth?! But when it comes to who to take with the No. 1 pick in Points leagues and

11:06 AM ET Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers wants to change Ben Simmons‘ mind. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the star guard has told the team that he will not report to training camp next week and does not plan to play for the franchise again. “Well, I hope we can change that thought,” Rivers

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who is on the verge of breaking into the superstar tier? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin Durant vs. James Harden,

4:28 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN If his team had to practice today, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said some players would be unable to participate because of New York City’s vaccine mandate. “Regarding if they could play today, I can’t comment on who could play and so forth,” Marks said Tuesday in the team’s

11:49 AM ET Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons will not report to the opening of training camp next week and intends to never play another game for the franchise, sources told ESPN. Simmons hasn’t spoken to the team since a late-August meeting when he communicated this message to Sixers officials. Simmons is clearly aware of

9:31 AM ET Associated Press JJ Redick, the sharpshooter who was The Associated Press Player of the Year at Duke before embarking on a 15-season NBA career, announced his retirement Tuesday. Redick, 37, played with six NBA teams — the Magic, Clippers, 76ers, Pelicans, Bucks and Mavericks. He averaged 12.8 points in 940 regular-season games,

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which rookies are making their debuts on our annual list? Which young stars are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Which players dropped after disappointing 2020-21 campaigns? Here’s who made the cut as we break down the league’s top 100. To get

8:16 PM ET Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson is making “good progress” in his rehabilitation from a right Achilles injury and will participate in “controlled drills” during training camp, but his return within the season will be made at a later date, the team announced Monday. Thompson, who tore his left ACL during Game

Sep 15, 2021 Andre SnellingsESPN The storylines this season are almost endless. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a career path rivaling the best players in NBA history, including both “His Airness” as well as “King James,” yet somehow no one seems to realize it. I’ve been predicting and noting his progress for years, but the majority