NBA

3:48 PM ET After witnessing some opposing players disregarding new league rules against unnecessary contact on game nights, the NBA is moving team security into the midcourt area to dissuade violations that include hugging and handshakes, according to a league memo obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. As infections for the coronavirus increased amid a darkening

6:28 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic had surgery on his fractured right wrist and will be reevaluated in six weeks, the team announced Tuesday. Nurkic was injured in last Thursday’s 111-87 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers. He could be seen holding his wrist after swiping at the ball in the third

4:17 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN New Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert roamed the practice facility sidelines Tuesday for the first time as a member of the squad — and after an MRI recently revealed a small mass on his left kidney. Though LeVert is out indefinitely, the 26-year-old sees the situation as something bigger than

2:08 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, saying he took a leave of absence in part because he “just needed a pause.” Irving practiced with the team and could play Wednesday in Cleveland. He has missed the past seven games, five while away from the team

2:35 AM ET Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum will miss at least the next four weeks after additional testing revealed a small fracture in his left foot and a midfoot sprain, the team announced Monday night. McCollum left the Blazers’ 112-106 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at halftime with what the

1:33 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Under normal circumstances, some kid and his family would have left the Barclays Center on Martin Luther King Day with a story for the ages. For starters, there was no school for the holiday as three former MVPs, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Kevin Durant, went toe to toe in

7:05 AM ET Jrue Holiday was conflicted. Then a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, he mulled for two weeks last summer whether to commit to the NBA’s restart in Orlando, Florida. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holiday’s wife, Lauren, was five months pregnant and could sense his discomfort over leaving the family.

7:06 AM ET James Harden is a Brooklyn Net, finally answering the biggest question hovering over the early part of this NBA season. The next question is how Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving share the court. The Nets answered part of it in Harden’s debut Saturday night against the Orlando Magic, as The Beard

2:03 PM ET Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone cited the “flexibility” provided by the historic haul of first-round draft picks the franchise received in the James Harden trade as the reason he chose to deal the perennial MVP candidate to the Brooklyn Nets over other offers. In the four-team trade officially finalized Saturday, Houston

5:25 PM ET NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving is listed as questionable for the Brooklyn Nets game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. It is the first time since Jan. 5 that Irving’s status leaves room for him to be available to play. Irving has missed the Nets’ last six consecutive games. If Irving plays

12:15 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN When Ja Morant sprained his left ankle against the Brooklyn Nets back on Dec. 28, he nearly willed himself back onto the court — despite suffering a grade 2 sprain that caused him to be ruled out for the next 3-to-5 weeks. So it came as little surprise to Morant,

6:08 PM ET Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert is out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass on his left kidney, the team announced Saturday. The mass was found during a physical prior to the Pacers finalizing the trade to acquire LeVert. He will undergo further tests. “On behalf of my family and myself,

4:26 PM ET ESPN News Services Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden will start Saturday’s game against the Orlando Magic, according to coach Steve Nash. Harden had been listed as questionable to play while the players involved in the trade that sent him from Houston to Brooklyn this week awaited completion of their physicals. The Nets

2:45 AM ET After his playoff struggles in the NBA bubble, LA Clippers guard Paul George said he had to come back “with vengeance” this season to address the fact that “people saw weakness” in him. A highly motivated George continued his torrid start to the season by making 8-of-14 shots and scoring 26 points

10:18 PM ET After 17 years with rival Coca-Cola, pitching a variety of products, LeBron James is signing with rival PepsiCo, sources confirmed to ESPN. The Los Angeles Lakers star is expected to promote the Mountain Dew brand, which has developed into one of the NBA’s prime sponsors after PepsiCo took over as its official

11:14 AM ET Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been fined $50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols and ordered to take part in a five-day quarantine, NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell announced Friday. According to a release from the NBA, Irving violated the protocols by attending a private indoor party

12:01 AM ET ESPN News Services Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic fractured his right wrist Thursday night during a 111-87 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers. Nurkic could be seen holding the wrist after swiping at the ball in the third quarter, and he fell to the floor after contact under Indiana’s basket. At

12:04 AM ET The short-handed Houston Rockets were good enough Thursday night to win their first game after James Harden’s trade request was granted. The Rockets, who had only nine available players due to injuries and the pending arrivals of newcomers, capped off what first-year head coach Stephen Silas called “a crazy 48 hours” with