10:23 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the thinking behind the moves the team made prior to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline — and specifically acquiring Evan Fournier in a deal with the Orlando Magic — was to give a team lacking in confidence a reason to have
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12:28 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Dwight Howard flashed a wide smile across his face before the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, receiving his 2020 Lakers championship ring with fellow former Laker Danny Green. It didn’t take long for Howard’s expression to change from cheer to chagrin. Howard, making his return
11:32 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said he wasn’t sure what would happen with Kyle Lowry when he woke up Thursday morning, but that he and the rest of Toronto’s front office would be comfortable either way. “Honestly, we didn’t know which way it was going to go,” Ujiri
3:16 PM ET The Houston Rockets are trading guard Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat at the trade deadline, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday. Oladipo, 28, is in the final season of a four-year, $85 million contract and can become a free agent this summer. He suffered a ruptured quad injury in
12:31 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry repeatedly insisted Wednesday night that he doesn’t know what will happen between now and Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. But that didn’t stop an air of finality from hanging over the proceedings following a 135-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets, as the greatest player in
8:27 PM ET Brooklyn Nets star James Harden will not play against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Harden has been experiencing neck soreness since he collided with Garrison Mathews on Sunday in the Nets’ win over the Wizards. Harden was listed as questionable ahead of the Nets’ game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday
1:13 AM ET The Toronto Raptors are hurtling toward a roster transformation at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, engaging in talks on multiple fronts centered on separate deals for six-time All-Star guard Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell, sources told ESPN. In the final year of his contract, Lowry’s chances of leaving Toronto in a trade are
7:51 PM ET Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone broke down in tears during his pregame media session Tuesday after reading the names of the 10 victims of Monday’s shooting massacre in Boulder, Colorado. Malone, speaking before the Nuggets played the Orlando Magic, opened his session by shifting the focus off basketball and toward the
9:54 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will miss at least another week as he continues to recover from a bruised tailbone. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that Curry underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning that showed inflammation and led to the organization’s decision to keep him out for
7:00 AM ET NBA Insiders The 2021 NBA trade deadline is just two days away, and teams at the top and bottom of the standings are lining up to make their moves. While there isn’t a superstar on the market who’ll redefine the race for the championship — not after James Harden was already traded
12:47 AM ET His mask could barely contain Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas’ smile Monday night following a 117-99 win over the Toronto Raptors that brought a franchise-record 20-game losing streak to a merciful end. A day earlier, Silas was visibly distraught after the Rockets’ 114-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Silas’ postgame news
7:47 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The Milwaukee Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, after the back-to-back league MVP was ruled out with a left knee sprain. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he is “hopeful” Antetokounmpo’s absence will be short. “We’ll see how he does this next day or
2:40 PM ET Hall of Fame forward Elgin Baylor, who followed his illustrious playing career with a decades-long tenure as LA Clippers general manager, has died at the age of 86. Baylor died of natural causes Monday and was surrounded by his wife, Elaine, and his daughter, Krystal, the Los Angeles Lakers said in a
2:51 AM ET LeBron James, donning a gray, plastic walking boot, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black mask, and Anthony Davis, in a lime green jacket and a bright yellow mask, were hard to miss on the sidelines during the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 111-94 loss at the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. But Lakers point
8:59 PM ET Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is expected to miss the rest of the season with a fracture to his right wrist, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ball, considered a frontrunner for NBA rookie of the year, is seeking a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis, the source said. Ball, 19, appeared
2:31 PM ET Blake Griffin will make his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Griffin said that he will be on a minutes restriction. Griffin last played on Feb. 12 against the Boston Celtics when he was still a member of the Detroit Pistons. After agreeing to a buyout with
1:20 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The Bucks have won 11 of their last 12 games thanks to Saturday night’s 120-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Milwaukee. But the national hype hasn’t been the same around this year’s group compared to the past two seasons, when it finished atop the league standings. And for
4:53 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James exited the Lakers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half on Saturday after Solomon Hill collided with James’ right ankle. James, 36, knocked over a chair in frustration on his way to the locker room. Hill was called for a foul with 10:50 remaining in