DETROIT — When the NBA released its 2026-27 schedule in August, promotional ads featuring the Detroit Pistons highlighted Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. This is fitting, as all three are considered core members of the franchise. However, coach J.B. Bickerstaff has consistently acknowledged that the Pistons' improvement over ...Read more

DETROIT — In his introductory news conference last month, Paul George said he didn’t blame any fan who hated the trade that brought him to Boston.

Given how popular Jaylen Brown was during his decade with the franchise, and how unpopular the decision to deal him to Philadelphia for George and four future draft picks was, the incoming ...Read more

SEATTLE — The new NBA season begins Tuesday. The New York Knicks are reigning champs and will raise a banner for the first time in more than 50 years. The San Antonio Spurs, coached by a born-and-raised Seattle kid and with the current best player on the planet leading them on the floor, are the preseason favorites to win the championship. The...Read more

MIAMI — For the past few seasons, outside expectations have been met by the Miami Heat. That was the problem, with little expected.

Now, center Bam Adebayo said, it’s time to step up to the reality of a new moment.

“We have expectations,” he said, as the Heat continue to work through preparations ahead of Wednesday night’s season ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brandon Miller will be a Charlotte Hornet for the foreseeable future.

A league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer that Miller — a former No. 2 draft pick — has agreed to a five-year, $209 million rookie-scale contract extension.

Miller, 23, will begin his fourth year in the NBA this season. He has averaged 20.2 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers waived former first-round pick Dalton Knecht on Monday to reach the NBA’s maximum roster requirements before the season begins this week.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft had fallen out of the rotation in the last two seasons but had a chance to prove himself during training camp and the preseason...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Their face is gone, LeBron James getting kicked to a Philly curb.

Their voice is gone, longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dying last month at age 76 after more than four decades of dulcet downtown tones.

A big piece of their heart is also gone, Jeanie Buss mired in an ugly court fight to maintain her last ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Nick Nurse has long prided himself on being a morning person.

Somebody the Philadelphia 76ers coach knows he can text — and get a response — at that time of day? LeBron James.

“He’s in here [at the facility] very early,” Nurse said, “and he’s got his set: straight to the weight room when he gets in, and then he�...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Ben Simmons' comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings generated more than one blip on the basketball radar during the preseason before it came to an abrupt end Sunday when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during practice.

Injuries had restricted the former No. 1 overall draft pick to appearing in only 107 games the last five...Read more

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Todd Golden’s Florida Gators unsurprisingly earned the nation’s preseason No. 1 ranking, the same spot Florida ended 2025 as the school’s third national champion.

“It’s cool,” Golden said earlier this month, “but we’ve been No. 1 before. That’s what I want our program to expect.”

Yet, the 41-year-old ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Joan Beringer can impact a game in so many ways. How long he can remain on the court to do so is the problem.

The second-year player is in position for an increase from the 7.9 minutes a game he averaged over 40 games last season because of his immense yet unbridled talent.

In those 7.9 minutes, he unleashed dunks, blocked ...Read more

MIAMI — Exhale. Because at some point during seasons, that’s what Klay Thompson does. And then he becomes Klay Thompson again.

For all the metrics compiled by the Miami Heat during their now-completed 3-2 preseason schedule, one stands particularly stark:

In his four preseason appearances, Thompson shot 7 of 26 from the field, but even ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The NBA made headlines all over the internet with its aggressive crackdown on certain types of proposition wagers Friday.

It was … something.

Will Friday’s agreement announced between the league and its partner sportsbooks end fixing scandals or stem the public’s perception of them?

Of course not.

But the principals at ...Read more

MIAMI — There is no doubt the Miami Heat have gotten better as they prepare for the start of the franchise’s 39th season. There also is no doubt that the Eastern Conference has gotten better.

So where do those two factors put Erik Spoelstra’s team as it prepares for Wednesday night’s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves at ...Read more

NEW YORK — The defending-champion Knicks and playoff-hopeful Nets are competing for different things.

But they do have this in common: Their respective goals will be more difficult to accomplish due to a transformed Eastern Conference that should have more contenders and fewer punching bags this season.

“You see what goes on. A lot of ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Chase Center was a beautiful field of lilac on Saturday.

What a scene the first game of the WNBA Finals was in San Francisco.

Euphoric? That might be underplaying it — this was nirvana at Ballhalla.

The game? That was anything but beautiful.

What else did you expect from the two best defensive teams in the WNBA with ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — By a slim margin, the Golden State Valkyries are on the board in the WNBA Finals.

After trailing for nearly all of Game 1, the Valkyries mounted a late comeback to beat the Atlanta Dream, 68-64, and defend home court at Ballhalla to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series, Golden State’s first in franchise ...Read more