LEXINGTON, Ky. — In an era when college sports boosters are being tapped to pay players via NIL deals that can reach multi-millions of dollars, conventional wisdom has been there would be fewer coaching changes.

The theory went that, with so much cash going to the players, there would be less booster money available to fund coaching contract ...Read more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — For more than a decade, superstar forward Alyssa Thomas was synonymous with the Connecticut Sun.

Nicknamed ‘The Engine’ by fans, Thomas was the centerpiece of the franchise almost as soon as she was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 WNBA draft out of Maryland. But after 11 years, five All-Star selections ...Read more

DENVER — The Nuggets have their hands full with Tom Brady.

Intellectually, that’s the comparison David Adelman offered for James Harden this week, needing a different sport to accurately place the patience and precision with which Harden operates a pick-and-roll. The idea is that he’s still got it, even as his beard grays.

Another apt ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — On the night Luka Doncic returned to Dallas, the Mavericks condensed his American basketball career into an emotion-filled two minutes full of game-winners, highlight passes and trick shots that helped connect the Slovenian star to the Texas city.

As Doncic watched the footage, occasionally hiding his eyes behind a white tear-...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls fans will just have to wait.

The morning after another demoralizing ending to a losing season, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas wanted to talk about time.

The Bulls aren’t competitive — not in the play-in tournament, not in the Eastern Conference and certainly not in the NBA ...Read more

SEATTLE — Adam Silver dropped another breadcrumb in the ongoing wait for potential NBA expansion, this time providing a glimpse of a potential timeline.

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN on Thursday, Silver said the league could begin a formal expansion process sometime this summer. Silver was quick to caution that it doesn’t mean ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — JJ Redick had validated Austin Reaves all season, publicly and privately praising the Lakers guard as a key player of the roster.

It was a topic in Redick's first news conference as Lakers coach, a topic in the preseason and, as the season began fittingly against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a topic an entire regular season ago. ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are a great many things about LaMelo Ball that are fun to watch and make for terrific highlights. But there are two things about Ball that bother me greatly now that he has completed his first five years with the Charlotte Hornets:

1. He has missed 57% of the Hornets’ games over the past three seasons due to various ...Read more

CHICAGO — Whether the Chicago Bulls’ immediate future is bright is debatable, but the team’s brand appears to be in pretty good shape.

The Bulls ranked fifth in NBA merchandise sales this season behind the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, according to figures the league released this week.

...Read more

CHICAGO — For the second consecutive Wednesday, the Miami Heat put everything they had into a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

This time, they got it right.

And this time it means one more victory and it’s on to the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

Left with little more to show from the regular season than a 37...Read more

The Golden State Warriors are back in the playoffs, where anything can happen.

I’m not trying to sell you hope or doom here. I literally mean “anything can happen.”

There is no truly surprising outcome for these Warriors over the next few days, weeks, or even months.

On Tuesday night, Golden State beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 in ...Read more

DENVER — Hide your eyes. The truth is more stunning than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass.

Nobody believes the Denver Nuggets can beat the Los Angeles Clippers, let alone win the NBA championship. Less than two years after raising the trophy, it is a fact.

Denver is an underdog to – gulp – the Clippers.

Is Jokic skipping this series to watch...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The joy for the game of basketball remains strong for Kawhi Leonard.

The injuries that have robbed him from playing time have not taken away Leonard's passion for the game. The inability to play this season because of a right knee injury he had to manage has not lessened Leonard's happiness for basketball.

He's 33 and has spent...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Kon Knueppel is the first of what’s expected to be a series of Duke freshmen to announce he’s leaving school early for the NBA.

A 6-7 guard, Knueppel made his widely expected news public on Wednesday in a social media post, saying he’s giving up his final three seasons of college eligibility to turn pro.

Multiple NBA ...Read more

Even before her name was officially announced as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Paige Bueckers was feeling the love from the Dallas Wings.

After she led the UConn women’s basketball team to its long-awaited 12th NCAA championship, Wings guard DiJonai Carrington commented under her celebratory Instagram post, “Congrats tea**...Read more

DENVER — You’d move a kidney stone with less pain than it would take to move Michael Porter Jr’s contract. Still, Josh Kroenke insists that MPJ is AFS.

As in, Available For Sale.

At least, that’s what Kroenke said Monday when I asked him about a report claiming the owners of the Nuggets were unwilling to move their talented but ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Dallas Wings didn’t just get the best available player in the WNBA draft, they got the most powerful voice.

They didn’t just get a national champ from UConn, they got Paige Bueckers, and all that comes with her. The No.1 pick in the WNBA draft is ready to lead, to make an impact on multiple fronts, including labor relations...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Bronny James saw his share of highs and lows during his rookie season with the Lakers organization.

Before the team's regular-season finale Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, coach JJ Redick was asked how he'd assess James' first season.

From his answer, it's clear that Redick saw only highs out of Lakers superstar ...Read more