PHILADELPHIA — The Ben Simmons saga has turned into a bad soap opera.

Most of his 76ers teammates wanted to take a jet to Los Angeles this week to meet with the disgruntled point guard, according to the Athletic. The meeting was planned as a way to convince Simmons to commit to playing for the Sixers this season. However, they were instructed...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — During a conversation in Las Vegas last month, new Wolves minority owner Marc Lore expounded upon one of his philosophies of building successful businesses — that each enterprise must have three core values that relate to everything it does as an organization.

He then said this: "Right now, and everyone would agree, there's ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Always a fascinating exercise for followers of college basketball recruiting, the initial RSCI rankings for the class of 2022 were posted this week.

Since 1998, the RSCI (Recruiting Services Consensus Index) has taken all of the rankings from the nation's top recruiting services and combined them into one single ranking to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When the Clippers open training camp Tuesday at San Diego State University, their star who once called that campus home will be on the sideline continuing a knee rehabilitation whose timetable remains hazy.

Though the team's president of basketball operations said Friday that Kawhi Leonard has worked out hard since surgery in ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks front office spoke for the first time Friday and could boast of a coherent, functioning plan. That’s an upgrade from previous regimes, but also only possible because of last season’s results.

Selling is easier with proof.

Nobody is confusing New York for title contenders — and we wonder how they can possibly ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls begin training camp Tuesday, but they already have a pair of injuries to navigate.

Patrick Williams has a severe sprain of his left ankle, the team announced Friday, which will keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. And although Coby White has been improving since he underwent left shoulder surgery on June 10, he will ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The reinvigorated recruiting success of the Kentucky men's basketball program this offseason has filled the Big Blue Nation with good cheer.

Yet, nationally, the story of the current men's hoops moment is all about — sorry, UK fans — those dastardly Dookies.

The headline on "The Field of 68" college basketball newsletter...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Roster additions came fast and furious for James Borrego this offseason.

The Charlotte Hornets coach watched general manager Mitch Kupchak swing a trade to get Mason Plumlee. Then he happily witnessed James Bouknight get plucked off the team’s draft board at No. 11, followed by a heady trade by Kupchak to acquire another ...Read more

As soon as he saw LeBron James at the Lakers' practice facility, the first thing vice president of basketball operations and general manage Rob Pelinka noticed was how his forward had "slimmed up."

The 6-9 James was listed as weighing 250 pounds last season. Entering his 19th season in the NBA and turning 37 in December, James felt he needed ...Read more

Have you ever found yourself feeling embarrassed by the things you are saying even while you are still in the process of saying them? Like, you are cringing at your words before they are even finished coming out of your mouth? It happens to me on a weekly basis. It happened to 76ers coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN’s ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers will have a fully vaccinated team by the time the team opens its season on Oct. 19 against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

Team general manager Rob Pelinka made the announcement during a news conference less than a week before the team begins training camp.

"All of the players that are currently signed ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Lakers fans, Steve Ballmer is coming for you.

Lakers fans, Steve Ballmer has a team that finished last season better than your team, and he's building an arena that will be nicer than your arena and he's constructed a roster that will last longer than your roster.

Lakers fans, Steve Ballmer knows this is exactly why you jeered ...Read more

NEW YORK — Due to a player “mutiny” against head coach Mike Anderson, the St. John’s men’s basketball team pulled out of last season’s NIT tournament while the school disingenuously claimed COVID-19 protocol concerns as the reason for opting out, a new lawsuit alleges.

Former assistant coach Steve DeMeo, who was fired in June, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The last time the Timberwolves were relevant, Jimmy Butler was leading them to 47 wins and a playoff berth in 2017-18 as the unquestioned best player on that team. Yes, better than Karl-Anthony Towns. Twice as good as Andrew Wiggins.

That brief window of relevancy slammed shut when Butler, unsatisfied after one year here, ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Can the rift between Ben Simmons and the Sixers be repaired? Doc Rivers is not ruling it out.

The Sixers coach said Wednesday in an interview with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s "First Take" that the team “would love to get Ben back ... if we can,” despite The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting Simmons no longer wants to be a ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves have fired President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas, owner Glen Taylor said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

"Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas," the statement said. "As an organization, we remain committed to building a ...Read more