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Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Celtics reportedly trading Jaylen Brown to 76ers for Paul George, picks

Sports / Basketball /

BOSTON — In a stunning, franchise-shaking move, the Celtics reached an agreement Wednesday to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

In return, Boston reportedly will receive nine-time All-Star wing Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Brown had been the ...Read more

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/TNS

Nuggets have contacted LeBron James in free agency, source says

Sports / Basketball /

DENVER — The Nuggets have reached out to LeBron James to express interest in the 21-time All-NBA forward in free agency, a league source outside of the Nuggets told The Denver Post.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that James will join a new team this offseason, ending an eight-year stint with the Lakers highlighted by a ...Read more

Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America/TNS

Fever coach Stephanie White says racist vitriol directed at Alyssa Thomas is 'absolutely unacceptable'

Sports / Basketball /

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has denounced the racist hate and abuse directed at Alyssa Thomas since the Phoenix Mercury forward committed a flagrant foul against star guard Caitlin Clark.

"It's absolutely unacceptable," White told the media before the team's practice on Wednesday. "I think as a league as a whole, there's been so ...Read more

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Nikola Vucevic returning to Magic in free agency as Moe Wagner departs

Sports / Basketball /

ORLANDO, Fla. — A heartwarming reunion is underway in Orlando.

Free agent center Nikola Vucevic has signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return to the Magic, ESPN first reported Wednesday morning.

But as Vucevic returns, another fan-favorite big man departs.

Free-agent center Moe Wagner, the older brother of Magic star Franz Wagner, is ...Read more

Clarence Tabb Jr./The Detroit News/TNS

Ex-Pistons forward Tobias Harris signs with Spurs

Sports / Basketball /

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have lost one of their most important players during their resurgence over the past two years: Tobias Harris. Harris has signed a two-year, $31 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, leaving the Pistons behind, a source familiar with the deal told The Detroit News.

Harris aimed to return to the Pistons after ...Read more

Chris Gardner/Getty Images North America/TNS

Lakers reload with Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers secured their starting center of the future in a massive trade with Utah on Wednesday, agreeing to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz in exchange for 24-year-old Walker Kessler, sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed Wednesday to the Los ...Read more

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/TNS

Celtics reportedly signing NBA champion Mitchell Robinson to address biggest need

Sports / Basketball /

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics made clear entering this offseason that they wanted to add an impact center.

On Wednesday, they did, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $47.4 million contract with Mitchell Robinson, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Robinson, who played a key role on the New York Knicks’ championship team, was...Read more

Ron Jenkins/Getty Images North America/TNS

Mac Engel: Mavericks hiring Dusty May is a scathing indictment on college basketball

Sports / Basketball /

DALLAS — Dusty May should still be the head coach at the University of Michigan, where he should be preparing for another season, and soon watching a national title banner drop from the rafters at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

Instead, he’s the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, and the fact that he even considered leaving one of the best ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Mark Story: Want to dream big? How about 8 teams from Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

Sports / Basketball /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In what Eastern Kentucky University athletics director Kyle Moats describes as a “football move,” EKU will officially switch conferences July 1. On Wednesday, Eastern formally leaves the ASUN to join an all-sports version of the United Athletic Conference.

Essentially, the football-playing schools from the ASUN are ...Read more

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/TNS

Sean Keeler: LeBron James joining Nuggets' Nikola Jokic would be must-watch TV. Too bad Kroenkes can't afford it.

Sports / Basketball /

DENVER — The Joker’s on us. Why would LeBron James take Tim Hardaway Jr. money to sign with the Nuggets when Tim Hardaway Jr. wouldn’t take Tim Hardaway Jr. money to sign with the Nuggets?

Don’t get me wrong. Dream big or go home, right? King James and Nikola Jokic would destroy at least 60 rims during the regular season and break the ...Read more

Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nets agree to two-year deal with guard Keon Ellis: report

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The Nets have agreed to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed deal with free-agent guard Keon Ellis, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, adding a defensive-minded rotation player who fills one of the team’s clearest backcourt needs.

Ellis, 26, gives the Nets a point-of-attack defender with 3-point shooting ability and some ...Read more

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North America/TNS

Luke Kennard leaves Lakers for two-year deal with Suns

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — In need of 3-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league's best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency.

Guard Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, The Los Angeles Times confirmed Tuesday.

Kennard was an unrestricted free agent after he was traded to the Lakers last February from ...Read more

David Guralnick/The Detroit News/TNS

Source: Sixers add Dean Wade on first night of free agency

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — Mike Gansey’s first free-agency move as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations is adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.

Dean Wade has agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract with the Sixers, a league source confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer late Tuesday. The deal comes out of the nontaxpayer mid-...Read more

Kristian Winfield: Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart lead Liberty to Commissioner Cup title

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Ahead of tipoff of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup at Barclays Center on Tuesday, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon laid out the game: “This rivalry starts with Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson,” Hammon said. “They are two generational talents who happen to be in their prime at the same time.”

Hammon was right. The Cup ...Read more

Michelle Farsi/Getty Images North America/TNS

Aces rally comes up short in 93-85 Commissioner's Cup final loss to Liberty

Sports / Basketball /

Sabrina Ionescu scored a season-high 26 points and the New York Liberty held off rallies by the short-handed Las Vegas Aces, winning, 93-85, in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title game Tuesday night in New York.

The Aces were playing without center A’ja Wilson, who was nursing an ankle injury. Jackie Young sparked Las Vegas’ second-half ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bill Plaschke: LeBron James got out before Lakers could throw him out

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Of all the calculated maneuvers by LeBron James during his eight years with the Lakers, he saved his smartest for last.

He left before the door could hit him in the butt.

He knew the Lakers didn’t want him back, so he skipped out before they had a chance to say goodbye.

He leaked the news alone, before the Lakers could ...Read more

Stacy Revere/Getty Images North America/TNS

Kristian Winfield: Knicks stand pat at start of free agency as East shifts around NBA champs

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The Toronto Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard (again). The Charlotte Hornets got off of LaMelo Ball (and Miles Bridges). Giannis Antetokounmpo is (finally) on South Beach. And the Boston Celtics are in a bad spot with their franchise co-star.

(So are the Detroit Pistons.)

As the Knicks attempt to reconstruct their roster around the...Read more

Timothy Hurst/Denver Post/TNS

Heat land Tim Hardaway Jr. amid speculation of a LeBron return

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — The Miami Heat kept it in the family at Tuesday night’s start of NBA free agency, reaching agreement on a one-year, $6.5 million contract with Tim Hardaway Jr., the son of the franchise icon.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel confirmed the agreement through an NBA source.

The Hardaway agreement, which cannot be finalized until the ...Read more

Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Aces without A'ja Wilson for Commissioner's Cup championship

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson will miss Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup championship game against the New York Liberty due to a right leg injury, the team announced.

Wilson came down awkwardly on her right ankle in the fourth quarter of the Aces’ 107-99 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. She spent a few minutes in the ...Read more

Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register/TNS

What's next for the Lakers after LeBron James bids farewell to LA?

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — The shoe drops. The earth shakes. And LeBron James is leaving the Lakers, his agent Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told the Southern California News Group on Tuesday morning.

So what’s next for the Lakers as the team treks into free agency Tuesday afternoon? It might be worth checking back in with what Rob Pelinka said when the ...Read more