11:53 PM ET ATLANTA — There was no need for delayed gratification. Not even two minutes into the first quarter of the Pelicans‘ preseason debut against the Hawks, Zion Williamson soared to the basket to deliver his first dunk against an NBA team. Williamson didn’t even need two hands. Even the Hawks’ boisterous “Sixth Man
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11:05 PM ET The tough presence Marcus Morris vowed to bring to the New York Knicks this season showed up in their first preseason game. Morris was ejected from Monday night’s preseason-opening win against the host Washington Wizards when, while being guarded with the ball on the perimeter by Justin Anderson, he swung his elbows
12:53 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Nothing went as expected for the Boston Celtics a year ago. Jayson Tatum‘s season was no exception. The Celtics entered the season as a favorite to reach the NBA Finals, in part because Tatum, who had been brilliant in the postseason as a rookie, was expected to take
6:27 PM ET ESPN News Services DETROIT — Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said keeping Andre Drummond in the fold is a top priority and that the team needs to take another step forward after making the playoffs a season ago. Gores was on hand Monday at the opening of the Pistons’ new training center
11:49 AM ET ESPN.com staff We’re just a couple of weeks away from the tipoff to the 2019-20 fantasy basketball campaign, which means we are entering the heart of draft season. To get you properly prepared, our experts recently took part in our third mock draft. This one is a 10-team draft for a head-to-head
2:19 PM ET NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday the league backs the free speech rights of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. But Silver, speaking to Kyodo News in Tokyo, acknowledged the impact of Morey’s quote, which supported anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. “There is no doubt, the economic impact is already clear,” Silver
2:17 PM ET The NBA league office has informed teams that they are permitted to scout two practices in Memphis involving projected 2020 top-10 draft pick RJ Hampton, a source told ESPN. Representatives from NBA teams were expected to attend five New Zealand Breakers practices in Memphis and Oklahoma City this week as part of
1:29 PM ET ATLANTA — Hours before the New Orleans Pelicans played in their first preseason game, coach Alvin Gentry did his best to paint Zion Williamson‘s game as just a learning opportunity for another young player. “There’s very few guys — at 19 years old — who can come in and impact this league,”
6:42 AM ET Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a one-year, $31 million contract extension that takes the five-time All-Star guard out of July’s free-agent market, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN. The extension guarantees Lowry two years and $64 million on the books — including the $33.3 million left
7:37 AM ET The NBA league office has informed teams that they are not permitted to scout practices involving projected 2020 top-10 draft picks LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton this season, a source told ESPN. Representatives from NBA teams were expected to attend five New Zealand Breakers practices in Memphis and Oklahoma City this week