NBA

12:16 PM ET Four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili — one of the greatest international players in basketball history — is returning to the San Antonio Spurs as a special advisor to basketball operations, sources told ESPN. Ginobili, 44, will work in a player-centric role focusing on the on-and-off court development of a young Spurs roster,

2:36 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams has a severe left ankle sprain that could cause him to miss the start of the season. The news announced Friday is a blow for a team hoping to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference after some major offseason moves. The Bulls

3:55 PM ET Rui Hachimura will miss the start of Washington Wizards training camp because of personal reasons, the team announced Saturday. The Wizards announced Hachimura’s excused absence and said there will be “further updates when appropriate.” The Wizards have high expectations for the forward, who is projected to start and will be counted on

2:47 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN GREENBURGH, N.Y. — New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry said Friday afternoon that the organization — including all players, coaches and staff — is fully vaccinated, meaning the Knicks will have no issues with New York City’s vaccine mandate this season. “I think it’s a credit to our players,

8:08 PM ET ESPN News Services GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The NBA has denied Andrew Wiggins‘ request for a vaccination exemption, leaving the Golden State Warriors swingman ineligible to play home games until he meets San Francisco’s vaccination requirement. The ruling was announced Friday hours after the New York Knicks said their entire roster is vaccinated,

6:03 PM ET Lawrence Frank reiterated that Kawhi Leonard has a “significant rehab” from his ACL injury and that “no one knows” the time frame for when the LA Clippers star will return and whether he will play this season. Leonard underwent surgery to repair a partial tear in his right ACL on July 13

Sep 23, 2021 Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. And after unveiling players Nos. 100-51, Nos. 50-26 and Nos. 25-6 throughout the week, we’ve finally reached the top five. We’ve already stated the cases for each superstar, but who was voted in as the league’s best player? Will LeBron James retain his

8:00 AM ET NBA Insiders NBArank 2021 has reached its thrilling finish, with Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant edging out the Milwaukee Bucks‘ reigning NBA Finals MVP and champion Giannis Antetokounmpo for the No. 1 spot in Friday’s countdown of the top five NBA players for the upcoming season. Overall, there was a ton of

7:30 PM ET LOS ANGELES — When the curtain comes up on the new NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers expect all of their performers to be on stage. “On opening night when we play the Golden State Warriors, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster, on that night, will be

5:25 PM ET Zach LaVine was excited by the Chicago Bulls‘ aggressive offseason, but says this season is crucial in determining the direction for the team and himself as he enters the final season of his contract. “At the end of the day it’s a business,” LaVine told ESPN on Thursday. “They did what was

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who finished just shy of a place among the top five superstars in the NBA? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin

3:25 PM ET Gersson Rosas is out as the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations. In a statement announcing the move Wednesday, team owner Glen Taylor said the Wolves “remain committed to building a winning team that our fans and city can be proud of.” Minnesota hired Rosas, a former Houston Rockets executive, in May

6:15 PM ET Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has been fined $50,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering rule, the league announced Wednesday. Lacob’s fine came after he cast doubt during a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that the Warriors would be interested in acquiring disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons. “In some

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which players are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Who is on the verge of breaking into the superstar tier? To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin Durant vs. James Harden,

11:49 AM ET Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons will not report to the opening of training camp next week and intends to never play another game for the franchise, sources told ESPN. Simmons hasn’t spoken to the team since a late-August meeting when he communicated this message to Sixers officials. Simmons is clearly aware of

9:31 AM ET Associated Press JJ Redick, the sharpshooter who was The Associated Press Player of the Year at Duke before embarking on a 15-season NBA career, announced his retirement Tuesday. Redick, 37, played with six NBA teams — the Magic, Clippers, 76ers, Pelicans, Bucks and Mavericks. He averaged 12.8 points in 940 regular-season games,

8:00 AM ET Our NBArank countdown is back for its 11th season. Which rookies are making their debuts on our annual list? Which young stars are beginning their ascent up the league’s hierarchy? Which players dropped after disappointing 2020-21 campaigns? Here’s who made the cut as we break down the league’s top 100. To get

8:16 PM ET Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson is making “good progress” in his rehabilitation from a right Achilles injury and will participate in “controlled drills” during training camp, but his return within the season will be made at a later date, the team announced Monday. Thompson, who tore his left ACL during Game