NBA

10:56 PM ET The Houston Rockets are acquiring Cleveland Cavaliers wing Kevin Porter Jr. for a future protected second-round pick, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cleveland was looking to trade Porter following an incident last week that involved a screaming match with team officials, sources confirmed to ESPN. Porter hasn’t played for Cleveland this

2:33 PM ET Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is nearing a return and listed as questionable to play Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Porter has been cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols and returned to the team, a league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said that Porter

7:00 AM ET STEPHEN CURRY KNOWS exactly how far he has left to go. Now that he’s on the verge of passing Reggie Miller for second place on the NBA’s career 3-pointer list — he’s nine away from passing the Pacers great — Curry needs just 422 more to eclipse Ray Allen to become the

6:13 PM ET Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. Irving practiced with the team on Tuesday. He had missed the Nets’ last seven games — five for personal reasons and two while conditioning. During the time away for

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

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,

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,

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