12:40 AM ET ESPN News Services Lawrence Frank, the LA Clippers‘ president of basketball operations, commented on the addition of guard Luke Kennard following the team’s official announcement of his acquisition from Detroit on Thursday. “Luke is a young, ascending player who has worked hard to establish himself as a reliable shooter and playmaker,” Frank
NBA
1:47 PM ET Golden State Warriors star guard Klay Thompson has suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Thompson suffered a right leg injury during a workout Wednesday in Southern California, the team announced. He underwent an MRI on Thursday morning. Thompson was playing with several NBA players in Los
2:00 PM ET The New York Knicks created over $40 million in salary-cap space Thursday by parting ways with six veteran players. The Knicks announced that they waived forward Taj Gibson and guards Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington and declined the $15.75 million team option on forward Bobby Portis‘ contract. Gibson was set to make
4:45 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Ready or not, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers will be playing preseason games in less than a month. That means L.A.’s soon-to-be 36-year-old superstar, LeBron James, will be gearing up for his 18th season when it seems like his 17th season just ended, with a title in the
2:58 PM ET Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers has decided to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, a source told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. After four years with the LA Clippers, Rivers spent short stints with the Wizards and Suns before finding a home with the Rockets. Rivers, 28,
4:40 PM ET The Phoenix Suns are declining the $5.2 million team option on Frank Kaminsky‘s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kaminsky averaged 9.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 39 games last season, his first with the Suns. He has career averages of 9.8 points,
5:54 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Gordon Hayward opted out of his $34.2 million contract with the Boston Celtics for the 2020-21 season Thursday afternoon, making him an unrestricted free agent beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, league sources tell ESPN. Hayward, who averaged 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 games for the Celtics
11:52 AM ET Jeremy WillisESPN.com Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has just received the highest honor. What can be better than winning NBA Rookie of the Year? How about getting a zoo animal named after you. The Memphis Zoo announced Thursday that its newest giraffe would be named “Ja Raffe” in honor of Morant, who
7:00 AM ET The Ball Family Draft Night Extravaganza (heavy on the extra) began hours before the first pick, at a check-in table in the driveway of the family home in Chino Hills, California. Temperatures are taken, hand sanitizer is offered, waivers are signed, pens are separated in containers marked CLEAN and USED, and each
8:46 AM ET Memphis Grizzlies forwards Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow will not be ready for the start of the upcoming season. Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman told reporters Wednesday night that Jackson and Winslow will still be recovering from injuries when the 2020-21 season starts next month. Kleiman said it