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

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

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

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

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

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors have an opportunity to sign arguably the greatest player in NBA history.

A few hours before the start of free agency on Tuesday afternoon, LeBron James informed the Lakers that he had no interest in returning to his team of the past eight seasons.

The Lakers put out a statement reading, “We wish him all the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James is continuing his record-setting NBA career, but he won’t do it with the Lakers.

The 41-year-old superstar has informed the Lakers he intends to sign with a different team as an unrestricted free agent, The Los Angeles Times confirmed Tuesday. After eight seasons, James felt it was best to part ways with the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James is continuing his record-setting NBA career, but he won't do it with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 41-year-old superstar informed the Lakers he felt it was best to part ways, The L.A. Times confirmed. James, who will extend his own NBA record for seasons played to 24, is pursuing a contract with another NBA team, ...Read more

DENVER — No team is better in transition than the Denver Nuggets. Now, it is time to prove no team is better at transition.

The clock has struck midnight on the core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. For three straight postseasons, the valet keeps bringing back keys to a pumpkin.

With a report indicating Jokic might not sign a ...Read more

NEW YORK — There are many streets in NYC named for a New York Knickerbocker — at least in the original 1800s sense of a New Yorker whose roots could be traced back to Dutch New Amsterdam. There’s Dyckman St. in Inwood, and Stuyvesant St. in the East Village, just to name a couple.

But on Monday, New York will get some streets named for ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors got a look at Kristaps Porzingis this spring, and it appears they like what they saw.

League sources confirmed to the Bay Area News Group that Porzingis and the team agreed to a two-year, $40 million extension Monday, just a day before Porzingis was set to enter unrestricted free agency. Porzingis ...Read more

Jonathan Kuminga will be looking for a new team after the Atlanta Hawks declined to pick up his $24 million deal on Monday afternoon.

Kuminga played half of last season in Atlanta after the Golden State Warriors traded the forward and Buddy Hield to the Eastern Conference team in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis’ expiring contract.

In 16 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Reasons for the Clippers to trade Kawhi Leonard are apparent. So are reasons to keep the seven-time All-Pro forward who turned 35 on Monday.

For now, the team is engaged in discussions and entertaining offers for Leonard, who is highly regarded despite being central to a league investigation into allegations of salary-cap ...Read more

Wake me when the Golden State Warriors actually do something.

Just let me know if general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. creates his own route instead of taking the easy win in front of him.

Because it seems as if nothing has changed: the exact same kind of rumors are once again emanating from, what I can safely presume is the same dubious, yet ...Read more

NEW YORK — After months of speculation, Ja Morant is on the move.

In an aggressive swing, the Portland Trail Blazers are acquiring the two-time All-Star guard in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN reported.

Veteran forward Jerami Grant and 25-year-old forward Kris Murray are headed to Memphis in return.

The high-flying Morant, 26, has...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green will be a free agent for the second time in his decorated NBA career.

League sources confirmed to the Bay Area News Group that the Golden State Warriors lifer will decline his $27.7 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the news.

The 36-year-...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors appear prepared to add two future Hall of Famers this summer after Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are reportedly both interested in coming to the Bay Area, and both just so happen to be represented by the same agency – Klutch Sports Group – ...Read more

NEW YORK — Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis were indicted Monday on federal allegations related to a sports gambling scheme that focused on at least four games during the 2023-24 season, making them the latest players to face charges in a widespread sports betting scandal.

Beasley, 29, most recently a guard with the Detroit ...Read more

MIAMI — Forward Andrew Wiggins on Monday exercised the $30.2 million player option on the final season on his Miami Heat contract, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has confirmed through at NBA source, making him eligible to be dealt for the first time since February’s NBA trading deadline.

Wiggins faced a 5 p.m. ET Monday deadline with his ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — If only. If Rob Pelinka could use the Dodgers' blueprint to renovate, Lakers fans wouldn't even be sweating this summer.

But, you know. Baseballs and basketballs, apples and oranges.

The windup and sales pitch are the same, though: Deliver a sustainable, high-rising, championship build. On time and … about that budget. One ...Read more