12:29 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — When the Toronto Raptors made a franchise-changing trade this summer — sending DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green — the rationale could be summed up in one sentence: The potential upside was worth the risk.
NBA
6:32 AM ET Where will Kevin Durant play next season? Is he or Stephen Curry the better player? Who is more important to the Golden State Warriors‘ success? We polled the ESPN Forecast panel of experts for their votes on what’s next for KD and his NBA legacy. Which team is Durant most likely to
9:08 AM ET It’s 10 things time: 1. DeMar DeRozan, stepping in, and the Spurs’ retrograde shot selection DeRozan’s dabbling in real 3-point shooting has ended, probably at the wishes of both DeRozan and his new team. Almost by organizational fiat, DeRozan launched 3.6 triples per game last season, more than double his career rate.
1:05 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — A few nights after staying more than two and a half hours after the buzzer for a late-night solo shooting session, Russell Westbrook bounced back with one of his most complete games of the season, which included his 107th career triple-double to tie Jason Kidd for third on the
12:15 AM ET HOUSTON — For the Houston Rockets, the best thing about their fourth consecutive loss was that it was lopsided enough for coach Mike D’Antoni to decide to pull his overworked starters with more than seven minutes remaining. The injury-riddled Rockets’ lack of depth was exposed in Wednesday’s 128-108 loss to the Dallas
9:31 PM ET Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be back on the court Saturday for Golden State’s game against the Pistons in Detroit, coach Steve Kerr said. But Curry will not play Thursday against the East-leading Raptors in Toronto. He returned to practice earlier this week, but Kerr said trainer Rick Celebrini advocated being extra
8:32 PM ET LeBron James never played in college, but barring a change to the NBA’s rules, his sons will likely spend a year playing NCAA basketball before taking their talents to the NBA. And the Los Angeles Lakers star already has an idea of where he’d like 14-year-old LeBron James Jr. to play in
6:38 PM ET Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season after undergoing ankle surgery Tuesday. The Bulls say Valentine underwent a previously scheduled left ankle stabilization procedure in Wisconsin. The team expects him to return to full basketball activities in about six months. Valentine had yet to play this
7:16 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded guard Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz for guard Alec Burks and two future second-round picks, league sources told ESPN. The Jazz (9-12) have been determined to thrust themselves out of an early-season malaise and pursued Korver to deepen their ability to spread the floor
2:21 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After a stalemate over long-term extension talks with current endorser Jordan Brand, Toronto Raptors All-Star wing Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multi-year shoe deal with re-emerging brand New Balance, according to league sources. The deal was first reported by Yahoo Sports. “It’s not official,” Leonard said at Wednesday morning’s