PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid is no longer the answer for the Philadelphia 76ers.

But he isn’t the question, either.

A lot of people are failing to grasp the second aspect. Their mental framework is still centered around Embiid. The firing of Daryl Morey, the hiring of Bob Myers, the conspicuous absence of any vote of confidence in Embiid ...Read more

MIAMI — No, Adam Simon responded with a laugh, nothing sinister at play as the Miami Heat’s assistant general manager prepared for his Thursday overnight flight to Athens, Greece, after completing pre-draft scouting work at the Chicago combine.

Yes, off to Greece, as in the offseason home of NBA rumor of the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo.

...Read more

NEW YORK — Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the conundrum.

Atkinson was largely satisfied with the difficulty level of the New York Knicks’ looks during their furious fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, saying the attempts were in the “first percentile of shot quality.”

But he ...Read more

NEW YORK — The end to the New York Knicks-Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference finals was written long before the series began. It was an elephant in the room the second the Cavaliers miraculously upset the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons to punch a ticket to the Eastern Conference finals and a date with the Knicks.

Cleveland’s season was ...Read more

When LeBron James spoke to the media at the end of his 23rd NBA season, he expressed that he wasn’t sure what the future held for him and his Hall of Fame career.

“When the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I’ve decided to do,” James said last week after the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— If Bill Self had it to do over again, he wouldn’t have been quite as candid about the personal crossroads he was staring at starting March 22, after his Kansas Jayhawks lost 67-65 to St. John’s in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

But rather than evade or dismiss post-game questions about his coaching future in ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kon Knueppel added another piece of NBA hardware to his growing collection.

The Charlotte Hornets’ rising star was named first-team all-rookie Wednesday night, putting the bow on his initial season in the NBA. Knueppel joined friend and former Duke standout Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio’s Dylan Harper...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason Kidd tried every verbal trick to minimize and distance his role in the worst trade in NBA history, but no amount of soap, or gasoline, could completely wash his guilt.

Not Nico Harrison-level guilt, but culpability, which is why Kidd is no longer the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

On Wednesday at the American ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jamahl Mosley deserved better from the Orlando Magic.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Magic were wrong to move on from him. Sometimes in sports — just like in life — two things can be true at the same time. A franchise can decide it needs a new voice while also acknowledging the old voice did an admirable job. A coach ...Read more

NEW YORK — Madison Square Garden has seen Eastern Conference finals heartbreak before. Tuesday night, the Knicks answered it with something far more satisfying.

A year after blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, the Knicks authored their own late-game stunner, rallying from 22 points down to beat the ...Read more

NEW YORK — With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals and the Knicks trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by nine, Jalen Brunson gave an impassioned speech — a cry for help — to his teammates on the sidelines. The gist of the message? It had to be along the lines of lock-in defensively ...Read more

DETROIT — Now it changes even more, and they know it. The Pistons stopped being the NBA’s admirable outlier, the remarkable surprise story, about halftime of Game 7 against Cleveland.

When harsh reality hits, it bites. It also educates. The Pistons can’t suddenly transform from relentless defensive grinders into high-flyers, and they don�...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks announced Tuesday evening that the team and head coach Jason Kidd have “mutually agreed to part ways” after five seasons, including a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Masai Ujiri, who was recently hired as team president, said now was the time for a new direction for the franchise.

“As we evaluate...Read more

NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama watched his NBA Most Valuable Player trophy go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Then he ripped the heart out of an entire Oklahoma City Thunder franchise hoping to repeat as NBA champions.

You’d better believe Wembanyama is like that, embracing all the smoke this inferior basketball league has to offer his ...Read more

DETROIT — During Michigan basketball’s national championship celebration at Crisler Center last month, the crowd chanted “One more year!” to Morez Johnson Jr.

The fans won’t get their wish.

Johnson announced in a social media post Tuesday that he’s staying in the NBA draft and leaving the Wolverines after one memorable season.

“...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves held standard exit interviews with reporters Saturday to recap the season. Based on admissions from multiple players, it’s clear Chris Finch made a major strategic mistake this season.

He should have handed out juice boxes and animal crackers in the locker room after games.

Sounds like the head ...Read more

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham wasn’t ready for the question any more than he was for what it meant Sunday night.

As tired as he looked, shortly after Cleveland had ended Detroit’s season with a stunning Game 7 rout in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Pistons’ 24-year-old superstar still wasn’t ready to be done playing.

So if you’...Read more