8:35 PM ET Chauncey Billups has emerged as the front-runner to be offered the Portland Trail Blazers head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Billups, 44, met with Portland’s leadership, including franchise chair Jody Allen and President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey in Seattle on Wednesday, sources said. 2 Related Billups has a longstanding relationship with
NBA
1:43 PM ET The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to terms with Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd to be their head coach and longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison to be their general manager and run the franchise’s basketball operations, sources told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon on Friday. Kidd, who had two stints with the Mavericks
7:00 AM ET Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 6, 2015. Saturday is the 25th anniversary of the 1996 NBA draft. Picture this: It’s another steamy June day in 2016. The streets of Newark are eerily empty at lunchtime. Most are glued to televisions to watch a live news conference held inside
2:44 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Not long after the LA Clippers touched down from Phoenix at Los Angeles International Airport at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, head coach Ty Lue got in his car and immediately called Paul George. Lue wanted to touch base with his players, starting with George, his All-Star guard who missed
3:11 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Returning from a two-game absence because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols to a 106-92 loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul wasn’t in the mood to reflect on the latest setback he has had to navigate on the playoff
2:20 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker said he received eight shots of a numbing agent when his broken nose was put back in place between Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference finals. Then, wearing a clear mask to protect his face, Booker went out and missed twice that
2:28 AM ET This year’s edition of the LA Clippers has cobbled together comebacks off scrappy defense, tactical adjustments and unlikely heroes. But most of all, with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the past five games, they have leaned on Paul George. The former MVP candidate, one of the few active Clippers with significant conference finals
7:30 PM ET Tory BarronESPN Editor Close Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports. If you’re going to come for Kevin Durant, you better be ready to face the wrath of
7:06 PM ET Jason Kidd has emerged as a strong front-runner to be hired as the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and the team is closing in on hiring a new general manager, sources told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the soon-to-be hired general manager
7:39 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Giannis Antetokounmpo should have been whistled for a 10-second violation on each of his two free throws with 5.3 seconds left in the Bucks‘ 116-113 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 in Milwaukee on Wednesday, meaning the two made shots should not have counted, the NBA said in
3:01 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Heat guard Tyler Herro was working out Thursday morning with assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Eric Glass when they were told there was a more pressing need. Before long, Herro, Quinn and Glass had left the team’s arena for the short drive north to Surfside, Florida, where a
3:21 PM ET Marc J. Spears The G League Ignite have offered head coach Brian Shaw a contract extension that he is expected to sign soon, a source told ESPN’s The Undefeated. Shaw coached the Ignite to an 8-7 record this year in their inaugural season, held at the NBA G League bubble in Florida.
2:33 PM ET Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul is officially available for Game 3 against the LA Clippers, the team announced Thursday. Paul had been in the league’s health and safety protocols since June 16 and missed the first two games of the Western Conference finals against the Clippers. Phoenix leads the series 2-0. Game
11:29 AM ET Discussions on Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons‘ future with the franchise started in Chicago this week and included Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, and Sixers management, sources told ESPN. Paul met with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand at the pre-draft combine to begin evaluating
11:21 AM ET The Indiana Pacers are hiring Rick Carlisle as their new head coach, sources told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Carlisle will sign a four-year, $29 million contract, the sources said. This marks a return to Indiana for Carlisle, who previously was the team’s head coach for four seasons (2003-04-2006-07) and went 181-147. Carlisle resigned
7:00 AM ET AFTER DELIVERING A triple-double in the series opener, Luka Doncic put down 39 points in Game 2 to silence a half-capacity Staples Center crowd and hammer a refrain: The LA Clippers had no answer. As the Dallas Mavericks packed a 2-0 lead into their bags to return home, Clippers players lingered in
1:31 AM ET Seventeen days ago, an NBA title contender enlisted a guard with an All-NBA Defense honor to his name to take on the challenge of defending Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young in a Game 1. On Wednesday night in the opening tilt of the Eastern Conference finals, another NBA title contender handed
2:12 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MILWAUKEE — Trae Young shook free from Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, one of the NBA’s best defenders, and found himself with acres of space between himself and Bucks forward Bobby Portis. And then the superstar guard for the Atlanta Hawks, with more time than he knew what to do