4:27 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss the start of the regular season because of a right foot injury that required offseason surgery, Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said on Thursday. Williamson received scans on Wednesday, and after reviewing the scans with Dr.
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2:33 PM ET The Boston Celtics have suspended Marcus Smart for Friday’s final preseason game against the Miami Heat, with a source telling ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the guard was punished for missing the team flight. Smart, who has since joined the team on the trip, declined to address his suspension with reporters Thursday, saying
6:18 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Charlotte Hornets signed guard LiAngelo Ball to a non-guaranteed contract Thursday, paving the way for him to eventually sign with their G League team, a source confirmed to ESPN. Ball, who averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 17.4 minutes across five games for the Hornets’ entry
10:02 AM ET Given the league’s high vaccination rate, the NBA’s primary form of COVID-19 detection this season will center on designated team officials — largely members of the medical staff — using small, at-home testing devices that can return results in 20 minutes. The NBA will still rely on lab-based testing in many instances,
12:44 PM ET The Houston Rockets signed guard Armoni Brooks to a multi-year contract Thursday. Terms were not announced, but sources told ESPN’s Wojnarowski that Brooks signed a four-year deal that includes a guaranteed first year, plus trigger dates on guarantees for successive years. Brooks, 23, has been one of Houston’s top perimeter shooters this
12:50 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — At Miami’s first NBA preseason game of the year, something caught Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s attention as he stood in his customary spot between his team’s bench and the scorer’s table. Fans, he noticed, were just a couple of feet away again. “Front-row seats that were filled,” Spoelstra
8:00 AM ET FIFTY-FIVE MINUTES before tipoff at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook take the court for a joint workout that Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy guides. “We’ve been tied at the hip, pretty much, since we made the acquisition,” James says of Westbrook at media day. “We’re
1:10 AM ET Kyrie Irving said Wednesday night he still hopes to return and play for the Brooklyn Nets but that “this is about my life and what I am choosing to do,” as he explained his decision to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Irving, speaking on Instagram Live, said he is neither pro-vaccine nor
3:33 PM ET Associated Press CAMDEN, N.J. — This much is known: Ben Simmons is back in Philadelphia. But there’s no clear sign yet the All-Star guard is set to rescind his trade request and actually play for the 76ers. Even coach Doc Rivers — publicly, at least — says he’s unsure of the status
4:44 PM ET Calling it a “difficult” but “sound” decision, Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash addressed the team Wednesday and began the process of moving forward without Kyrie Irving. A day after the Nets decided not to allow their starting point guard to practice or play with them until he complies with New York City’s