A noticeably slimmer Karl-Anthony Towns said he couldn't raise his voice much above the hushed tone he used to address the media Monday.

The Timberwolves' All-Star, for the first time, had practiced in some capacity with the team after a non-COVID illness.

"I'm still recovering, I'm still getting better," Towns said. "... I know it sounds ...Read more

Derrick Rose doesn’t need recovery guidelines. Not anymore.

After so many years and so many injuries, the point guard listens to his body and has a reluctant Knicks staff buying into his philosophy of “Trust me, bro.”

“And they’re like, ‘Woah, what the hell you mean just trust you? We can’t just throw you out there,’” Rose ...Read more

Victor Oladipo finds himself caught in the middle.

For months, the 30-year-old guard has stressed that he has emerged from the rabbit hole of injury and doubt, again feeling closer to the player who in 2018 was named third-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defensive, as well as a 2019 All-Star.

But the regained confidence also comes in a ...Read more

DeMar DeRozan is tired of being called old.

He’s tired of a lot of things. Questions about his toughness. About his fit with Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls. About whether he still has enough in the tank to make it another season.

As DeRozan enters his 14th NBA season, he is accustomed to shrugging off those doubts. But that doesn’t mean...Read more

The Heat made a sizable longterm investment in one of its key young players on Sunday, giving guard Tyler Herro a four-year extension that could be worth as much as $130 million.

The deal will pay him $120 million guaranteed with another $10 million in incentives, according to two sources.

The extension essentially makes Herro untradable for ...Read more

There is a moment during the Miami Heat’s annual Red, White & Pink Game when coach Erik Spoelstra typically finds himself welling up.

The embraces of breast-cancer survivors at midcourt during halftime of the intrasquad scrimmage is as heartfelt an instant as any during the course of the season.

Monday’s 6:30 p.m. event at FTX Arena will ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic chairman Dan DeVos and his family started implementing a plan about how they could help even before Hurricane Ian crashed ashore days ago.

And then as he watched the footage of the devastation and the destruction of the homes that were ruined and the lives that were taken by one of the worst storms in history, ...Read more

NASSAU, Bahamas — Max Strus laughs at the conversation, but not the reality.

Because no matter where his Miami Heat journey takes him after being elevated to starter last season, his NBA legacy is now secure.

Just as Bird Rights stand as homage to Larry Bird and the rule designed to entice free agents to remain in place, and just as the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Offseason days with DeMar DeRozan start at 5 a.m.

Patrick Williams learned the lesson the hard way, bleary eyed as he sat shotgun in DeRozan’s car on the short drive to the gym in Los Angeles.

“Five on the dot. Not 5:01, not 4:59 — 5 a.m.,” Williams said. “You can’t be pulling in the parking lot at 5 a.m. We probably ...Read more

CHICAGO — Ayo Dosunmu’s rapid ascension to the starting point guard position came as a surprise in his rookie season.

The plan was to split the second-round draft pick’s time between the Chicago Bulls and the Windy City Bulls, allowing for a more gradual progression into a rotational role. Instead, injuries thrust the rookie into the ...Read more

BOSTON — Celtics coach Ime Udoka used “crude language” in his dialogue with a female staff member prior to his improper workplace relationship with her, which was a key finding by the independent law firm the team hired that led to his season-long suspension, according to a report Friday by ESPN.

ESPN’s report said that the findings ...Read more

James Wiseman was marvelous, fantastic, and dominant in the Warriors’ preseason win over the Wizards Friday in Japan.

Yes, it was an exhibition, but one could argue that it was the young Warriors center’s best game as a professional.

But Friday’s performance wasn’t revelatory.

Wiseman’s 20-point, nine-rebound game was impressive, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A decision on how many preseason games LeBron James will play has yet to be decided.

James was asked after practice Friday how many preseason games he wants to participate in.

“More than I played last year,” James said. “How many did I play last year? More than I played last year.”

Last season, James played in three of...Read more

BOSTON — The Celtics are turning to a past No. 1 overall pick to provide much-needed depth to their suddenly depleted frontcourt.

Blake Griffin — once known for his electrifying highlight-reel dunks — is signing with the C’s on a fully guaranteed one-year deal, according to multiple reports on Friday and first by ESPN. The Celtics have ...Read more

NEW YORK — Nets star Kevin Durant said he returned to Brooklyn after his unfulfilled trade request because the Nets were still “a great option.”

Durant, who requested a trade twice in the offseason and reportedly asked team owner Joe Tsai to fire both general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash, chose to stay put even though ...Read more

It’s hard to remember a time when the NBA had this much quality and this much parity.

Last year, the Warriors won the title despite having 11-to-1 odds to win it all at the start of the season. But right now, six teams have 10-to-1 odds or shorter to win the NBA title at Fanduel sportsbook. There’s another group of five not-so-far-fetched ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The second season of the upstart Overtime Elite (OTE) professional basketball league is set to boast several mouthwatering matchups between some of the best high school basketball players in the country.

In addition to Amen and Ausar Thompson, who are projected top picks in next year’s NBA draft, the OTE league features ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — With the sincerity of a parent, and the conviction of a preacher, Kim Mulkey looked at me and said of her Brittney Griner, “That’s someone’s child. That’s someone’s baby.”

She still is.

Even if you disagree with her.

This exchange happened in 2013, after Baylor beat TCU in Fort Worth when I asked the then ...Read more

Jayson Tatum gets plenty of credit for his basketball ability, now an All-NBA player and considered one of the game’s best after he led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season.

But the Celtics star may not be getting enough credit for his leadership.

As the C’s marched toward the NBA Finals last spring, Al Horford noticed a shift in ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Clippers have promised in training camp to take a cautious approach with the workload of their over-30 headliners, a process that began Thursday in the team's final day of workouts in Las Vegas.

After practicing without limitations through two days of camp, including five-on-five play, Kawhi Leonard was given the day off ...Read more