The second round of the NBA Draft is always an exercise in annual insanity as players are stashed, traded and dumped, giving onlookers surprise selections around every corner. Understandably, the build-up to the draft tends to focus sharply on the lottery and those expected to make a major difference from their very first professional games.
Month: June 2019
12:03 PM ET The Houston Rockets and Mike D’Antoni have rekindled discussions about a contract extension for the head coach and are close to nearing an agreement, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has agreed to eliminate the buyout language that was the primary reason that D’Antoni and his agent, Warren LeGarie,
Isaiah Thomas, who retired earlier this month after 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, bursts through a Toronto Raptors logo at a press conference 24 May 1994 where it announced that he will be vice-president of basketball operations for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) expansion franchise in Toronto. (Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI / AFP) (Photo
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 3: Head Coach Mike D’Antoni of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on April 3, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms
It appears as though the Houston Rockets’ second-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors could inspire major changes in Space City. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “has made his entire roster and future draft picks available in trade talks, a dramatic initiative with hopes of reshaping the team
1:59 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Dirk Nowitzki eventually plans on working out again. The recently retired star of the Dallas Mavericks wants to stay in somewhat decent shape. The big German hasn’t put a timeline on it — he’s assuming several more rounds of pizza and ice cream will come first. Nowitzki
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during their game against the Houston Rockets in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The sound builds before hitting your eardrums like nails on a chalkboard. But as the BART train pulls up to Coliseum station, that shrill, screeching sound of the rails is replaced by the excited chattering of fans spilling out from behind the train’s sliding doors on their way to Oracle Arena. When this season is
3:32 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors were down 15 late in the fourth quarter, and the sounds from the Oracle crowd were edging from disbelief to silence. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were bent at the waist, gassed, clutching their shorts for ballast. Steve Kerr sat on the bench,
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 7: The Toronto Raptors huddle during Game Four of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 7, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of
The Warriors had Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney back in the lineup but the Raptors didn’t miss a beat. Toronto’s 13-point Game 4 win pushes Golden State to the brink of elimination. The Raptors won Game 3, the game they were supposed to win. They were on the road but the Warriors were without Kevon
9:23 PM ET Nine players received invitations to attend the NBA draft and sit in the green room, a source told ESPN. Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Culver, Coby White, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes received the first batch of invites, with an additional 11 invites approximately still yet
11:37 PM ET Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet exited Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday after taking an elbow from Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston with 9:35 left in the fourth quarter. Livingston was coming down after a layup attempt when his elbow connected with VanVleet’s face, leaving the third year guard
Will an NBA Finals berth be enough to convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors in free agency this summer? Next to Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard figures to be the most hotly pursued player on this summer’s free-agent market. Fresh off an all-time great postseason run, Leonard has re-established himself as being among
When news broke that the Warriors had signed DeMarcus Cousins last July, it felt excessive, like an indulgent luxury, not the kind of necessity that defines most offseason moves. The Warriors already had four All-Stars on their roster and now they were adding a fifth. The Warriors had made it a point to not only
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
1:37 AM ET Andre Iguodala‘s left calf is aching. The 35-year-old swingman, who has been dealing with the injury throughout most of the Golden State Warriors‘ postseason run, spends the moments following Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals limping through the locker room inside Scotiabank Arena. Iguodala peels off his jersey and tells the
In this week’s 2019 NBA Mock Draft, the jumble of prospects from 10-40 makes it difficult to find perfect fits between team and player. We talk about how the teams picking between five and 10 control this year’s draft, plus we continue to re-scout the top prospects. Cowabunga: Bruno Fernando C, Maryland A legit, replicable
With a pretty clear eye on free agency plans, the Brooklyn Nets have traded Allen Crabbe and a first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be significant players this offseason, with cap space to burn. They got a start on their offseason Thursday, with a trade that has clear implications
9:08 PM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said players feel “vulnerable” on the floor during games, in the wake of an incident between Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Warriors investor Mark Stevens at Oracle Arena during Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals. “I think players are definitely
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
2:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN OAKLAND, Calif. — After undergoing further evaluation of the non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture he suffered in Game 2, Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney could potentially return during the NBA Finals, league sources told ESPN. More testing will determine Looney’s next steps and whether he does, in fact, make
The Warriors were missing several key contributors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and it showed, as the Raptors ran away with a double-digit win. Alfonzo McKinnie played 53 minutes during the 2017-18 NBA season. He played 19 in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals. With Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Kevin Durant
The dynamic of the Seattle Storm’s season changed dramatically, well before it started. In the middle of April, they lost reigning MVP Breanna Stewart for the season to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Just a few weeks later, it was announced that starting point guard and future of Hall-of-Famer Sue Bird would undergo knee surgery and
3:05 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — When the Golden State Warriors laid a crushing 18-0 run on the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, their leader Stephen Curry declared it was one of those moments when “our DNA shows up.” It’s a daunting thing, that championship DNA. If you’re not careful, you
About two minutes into Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard took a handoff from Pascal Siakam, briefly lost control of his dribble after a Marc Gasol pick, then collected himself. Jordan Bell was right on him. Leonard pulled up from 3. Swish. A few minutes later, Golden State’s Steph Curry missed a
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
Paul Pierce’s famous “wheelchair” moment will forever be an iconic memory in NBA Finals history. But now we know the real deal behind it, and it’s nasty. Paul Pierce had one of the most iconic moments in NBA Finals history when, in 2008, he went to the locker room in a wheelchair, only to come
11:28 PM ET After four years of LeBron James stalking Stephen Curry, and the Golden State Warriors flitting around an overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers defense, it is a relief to land upon an NBA Finals that feels like a mystery after two games. Few firm patterns have emerged. The two teams have almost the exact same