Manny Fernandez came from California by way of the University of Utah, and this always was part of his good story, because the Miami Dolphins didn’t sign players west of the Mississippi River back then, due to added cost of scouting or travel.

Joe Thomas, as general manager, convinced team owner Joe Robbie to sign an undrafted Fernandez ...Read more

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla won the award he insisted he did not want.

The Celtics bench boss was announced Tuesday as the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year, beating out fellow finalists J.B. Bickerstaff of Detroit and Mitch Johnson of San Antonio.

Mazzulla is the fourth Coach of the Year recipient in Celtics history, joining Red Auerbach (1964-65), ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers hired former New Orleans Pelicans executive Rohan Ramadas to fill one of two new assistant general manager roles, The Los Angeles Times confirmed Monday.

Ramadas previously worked as the vice president of basketball operations and strategy for the Pelicans and will be involved in managing the salary cap, analytics and...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks bet big on Jalen Brunson.

Back in the summer of 2022, when the Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract in free agency, there was hardly a guarantee the point guard would blossom into a franchise-changing superstar.

At 6-2, Brunson was undersized, and he’s always relied more on IQ and footwork than ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — While I’m skeptical that tanking can be legislated out of a league with the talent scarcity of the NBA, I’m also a sucker for a tire fire. So count me in favor of the lottery reforms that the league office is pushing. Sixers fans should also be in favor, given how much their team stands to benefit.

The NBA’s so-called “...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least according to the Oxford English Dictionary and archives of Newspapers.com, the term “bracket creep” originated in 1977 in the context of inflation and taxes and such.

But the first time I heard it used was by my friend Bill Hancock when he was executive director of the Bowl Championship Series in the years ...Read more

MIAMI — This deep into the NBA playoffs offers a measuring stick for teams willing to wonder why they’re on the couch watching. It’s when teams like Miami see Oklahoma City and San Antonio vie for who out West might be the league’s next dynasty while New York and Cleveland decide the top of the East as Detroit and Boston still reel from ...Read more

Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball forward Flory Bidunga has removed his name from the NBA draft pool, and thus will play college basketball at Louisville during the 2026-27 season, On3.com has reported.

Bidunga declared for the 2026 NBA draft on April 2 while maintaining his college eligibility and also placing his name in the NCAA transfer ...Read more

CLEVELAND — Kenny Atkinson had a grand plan.

His Cavaliers, staring at a 3-0 Eastern Conference finals deficit no team in NBA history has overcome, just needed to win one game.

One game to plant even the smallest seed of doubt into the minds of the hottest team in basketball, the New York Knicks. One win to prove Cleveland could derail a ...Read more

CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson is on the cover of the New Yorker, and it’s clear the revered publication has crowned the Knicks’ star the king of the City.

The local magazine printed a large drawing of Brunson on the cover of its June 1 edition with franchise legends Patrick Ewing, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Carmelo Anthony, Bernard King, Dave ...Read more

SEATTLE — The coaches and teammates who watched Mitch Johnson play across the Seattle area as a teenager didn't think he'd grow up to be a leader.

They saw he already was one.

“I remember having conversations with guys in middle and high school and just knowing that Mitch was for sure going to be a coach or GM,” said Jon Brockman, a ...Read more

Throughout these NBA playoffs, the Knicks have answered the “Rest vs. Rust” debate rather emphatically.

Buoyed by three days off before the start of their second-round series, the Knicks pounded the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1, then kept punching en route to a low-stress sweep.

The Knicks then enjoyed eight full days off ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — This promised to be a difficult, complicated and even painful offseason for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

They desperately need to find a co-star for Anthony Edwards.

They need to keep Edwards happy and believing in their ability to progress toward an NBA championship in a daunting conference.

They need to do so without ...Read more

NEW YORK — The New York Liberty’s Core 4 is back, but they didn’t faze the No. 1 overall pick.

Sabrina Ionescu’s 2026 regular season debut didn’t fix a third-quarter funk — a repeated theme during the Liberty’s early season.

This time, the Liberty lost sight of Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd, who erupted for five 3-pointers in the...Read more

DENVER — Seven years ago at a Lakewood gym, Jon Wallace challenged Jamal Murray to make an NBA All-Star team. When the Denver Nuggets guard finally pulled it off this February, he immediately issued himself a new challenge. A new expectation.

Now it’s another mission accomplished.

Ten seasons into his career, Murray is All-NBA for the ...Read more

San Diego State had five foreign-born players on its men’s basketball roster for next season.

Now it has six.

The latest addition is Isaiah Sy, a 22-year-old sharpshooting wing who was born in France and spent the last three years playing in the United States, averaging 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds for Oregon State last season. He announced ...Read more

CLEVELAND — The Knicks beat an Atlanta Hawks team punching above its weight as a No. 6 seed. They beat a Philadelphia 76ers team that, despite upsetting the No. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round, finished the regular season just two games above the East’s 10th seed.

And now they’ve taken a commanding 3-0 Eastern Conference Finals lead ...Read more

If you’ve been watching the Western Conference finals, the truth of the Golden State Warriors’ standing in this league has hit you harder than a Stephon Castle dunk.

The Dubs’ window to compete for championships is over. Done. Kaput.

It was one hell of a run, though, wasn’t it?

When I say it’s over, I’m not talking about a ...Read more

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