Free agency started Sunday midnight ET. On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks are expected to make an unrelenting push for All-Star point guard Deron Williams, who is clearly the best available player. The team that lands Williams also has the best chance of acquiring superstar center Dwight Howard, who is not a free agent but has said that he would like to play alongside Williams. In terms of flexibility, the Nets have the inside track. They can offer Williams more money
Tonight is the NBA draft lottery, which is one way to build a team. The other way is free agency, which starts in just over a month. Many teams positioned themselves for this summer, expecting Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams all to opt out and become free agents. But Howard and Paul opted in, and now there is money to spend on a significantly weaker but nevertheless strong class. A handful of teams could be very active this summer. Among playoff
Ryan Anderson is not the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season. Yes, the voting by a media panel says he is, and the Orlando Magic made a big to-do about their guy winning the award, even though he really didn’t improve and has stunk up the postseason joint something fierce over the last week. But Anderson should not have been voted Most Improved Player. Andrew Bynum should have. Or James Harden. Or Gerald Green, who wasn’t even in the NBA the last
Despite a near catastrophic meltdown over the last two months, the Philadelphia 76ers have done just enough – winning the last two games against Indiana and Cleveland – for a comfortable three-game lead for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. A win against New Jersey or loss by Milwaukee tonight would secure the Sixers a playoff berth, and they are just a half-game behind the New York Knicks for the seventh seed. The Sixers (33-30) look for their third
The D-League had a record 50 players called up to the NBA this season, the league announced Tuesday. The D-League also set a record with 64 NBA player assignments. The records are pleasant news for the D-League but not surprising given the abbreviated NBA training camps and the proliferation of injuries in this truncated 66-game season. The previous records were 40 call-ups in the 2009-10 season and 56 assignments in the 2010-11 campaign. All 30 NBA teams currently have at least one player
Derrick Rose was impressive in his long-awaited return, with 29 points, but he did miss 19 shots and turned the ball over eight times, showing a bit of rust. Carmelo Anthony was even better, scoring 43 including the clinching 3-pointer in overtime. Tyson Chandler (8 PTS, 16 REB, 3 BLK) was a huge factor and Iman Shumpert (15 PTS. 6 AST, 9 REB, 3 STL) made up for a quiet day from the hobbling Baron Davis. Luol Deng played almost
LeBron James has been the subject of debate for much of the season due to his perceived inability to perform in the clutch, despite having a jaw dropping statistical season for one of the most dominant teams in the league. He has been referred to by many as a choker and a second-tier closer. On Saturday night at home against the Pacers, the opportunity to show late-game execution presented itself again as the world watched to see what James would do in the
Kobe Bryant and the best of the West held off a furious East comeback, winning 152-149 in the NBA’s 61st All-Star Game. Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game. MVP Kevin Durant had 36, and Thunder teammate Russell Westbrookfinished with 21. LeBron James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds, but weren’t able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Dwyane Wade finished with a triple-double — 24 points, 10