6:31 AM ET Kevin Pelton Close ESPN Staff Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system Mike Schmitz LAS VEGAS — An uneven debut for No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton on Friday night at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas was highlighted
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2:15 AM ET LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Mavericks believe they got the best player in the draft by trading up to select Slovenian swingman Luka Doncic with the third overall pick. “He was the top player on our board,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban told ESPN. “It wasn’t even close.” Doncic sat out Dallas’ summer
10:26 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN The Chicago Bulls have decided to match restricted free agent Zach LaVine‘s $78 million offer sheet from the Sacramento Kings, league sources told ESPN. Chicago has 48 hours to inform Sacramento that it will match the sheet and retain LaVine, and plans to meet the deadline before Sunday, sources said.
1:40 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Royce Young Close ESPN Staff Writer Covers the Oklahoma City Thunder for ESPN.com As the Oklahoma City Thunder navigate a historic $310 million payroll and luxury tax bill, the franchise’s front office is working through scenarios that will culminate in the inevitable this summer: an ending to the brief Carmelo
10:54 PM ET SALT LAKE CITY — Atlanta Hawks rookie Trae Young and Utah Jazz rookie Grayson Allen got into a brief altercation Thursday in the final game of Utah Jazz Summer League. The play occurred just after halftime during a Hawks offensive possession. After coming off a pindown, Young popped out to the top
3:33 PM ET There may be no historic parallel for the bizarre Kawhi Leonard situation, which veered away from San Antonio when LeBron James, the game’s greatest star, ventured solo to the game’s starriest franchise. Potential suitors for Leonard have no clue how healthy he is, when they may gain permission to talk with his
11:03 AM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Free agent forward Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a one-year, $4.4 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources told ESPN. Bjelica, 30, spent the past three seasons with the Timberwolves, who recently rescinded his qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent. The Sixers will use their room
9:29 PM ET DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t the only new member of the Golden State Warriors‘ family to arrive on Monday. Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha, welcomed a baby boy on Monday, they announced on Instagram. Curry posted a photo of Canon W. Jack Curry on Wednesday. Canon is Curry’s first son, joining sisters Riley,
7:58 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Free agent forward/center Amir Johnson has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources told ESPN. Johnson, 31, will sign his second consecutive one-year deal with Philadelphia, where he averaged 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds a game last season. Denver saved millions in luxury tax
3:06 PM ET Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have landed LeBron James, how aggressively should they pursue a Kawhi Leonard trade? Our NBA Insiders discuss their options now and where else the Spurs could turn for a possible Leonard deal. Should the Lakers wait for next summer? Kevin Pelton: With DeMarcus Cousins agreeing to