[ad_1] Illinois has a long history of high school basketball success. Plenty in the college and pros, too. As for the NBA Draft, no other state has more players picked No. 1 overall than the Land of Lincoln. According to MaxPreps, Illinois and Texas lead the way with seven players each selected No. 1 overall by the NBA since the …

[ad_1] Jun. 29—When Kentucky Wesleyan College men’s basketball coach Drew Cooper looks at his team’s roster for 2023-24, he keeps coming back to one word: Dependability. According to Cooper, entering his sixth season as the Panthers’ head coach, the pieces are there for a successful campaign — they just have to put the puzzle together first. “The biggest thing for …

[ad_1] Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla recently reacted to the trade that sent veteran point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the three-team deal that brought star big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards ahead of the 2023 NBA draft. The Celtics coach described how Boston plans to use the Latvian center after the …

[ad_1] After waiving center Mo Bamba and declining the team option on guard Malik Beasley’s contract for next season, the Los Angeles Lakers have opened up the use of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which will be worth $12.4 million. That midlevel exception could yield a very useful player that could help get the team closer to its 18th NBA championship …

[ad_1] Lake High School product Chandler Vaudrin will play for the Dallas Mavericks during the upcoming NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The summer league runs from July 7-17. The Mavs open play on July 8 with a 3:30 p.m. game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That game will air on ESPN2. The 26-year-old Vaudrin, a 6-foot-7 point guard, played …

[ad_1] On this day in Boston Celtics history, one of the greatest players to play the game retired: Celtics center legend Bill Russell decided to hang it up officially after 13 seasons with the team. Russell joined the team in 1956, drafted (along with college teammate K.C. Jones) out of the University of San Francisco. He played for the team …

[ad_1] The Brooklyn Nets still have a lot of offseason to go as they have only made it past the 2023 NBA Draft. However, they are starting to make decisions before free-agency officially starts. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets are not extending qualifying offers to David Duke Jr. or Dru Smith. This means that …

[ad_1] The Oklahoma City Thunder created a roster spot on Thursday, as they reportedly declined Lindy Waters III’s $1.9 million team option, per cap expert Keith Smith. The Thunder had until the end of June 29 to decide on the option. The move makes Waters III a free agent after spending the previous two seasons with the Thunder under a …

[ad_1] New Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis said he wants to make the game easier for his new star teammates on the wing, namely forward Jaylen Brown and swingman Jayson Tatum in his introductory press conference, saying he’s entering his prime physically and maturity-wise at his introduction to the media and fans. To take it all in, the folks …

[ad_1] The Warriors arguably have the three greatest shooters in NBA history with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and … Draymond Green? Curry and Thompson faced off against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce in The Match 2023 golf tournament on Friday at the Wynn Gold Club in Las Vegas, and the Splash Bros were joined …

[ad_1] Reggie Bullock will stay with the Dallas Mavericks for at least another year as a decision was made on his contract ahead of free agency. Ahead of Wednesday night’s deadline, the Mavericks made the decision to fully guaranteed the final year of Bullock’s contract. The wing signed a three-year deal worth $30 million back in the summer of 2021. …

[ad_1] 2023 NBA Playoffs – Golden State Warriors v Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings looked around for an upgrade at the four, maybe a little more defense to go with the floor spacing offense, but a high IQ role player nonetheless. The Kings settled where they started, reaching a deal to bring back Harrison Barnes for three years at $54 …

[ad_1] Harrison Barnes and the Kings have agreed to a new three-year, $54 million contract extension, his agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday. Barnes’ contract extension includes a 10 percent trade kicker, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported, citing a source with knowledge of the deal. After four and a half seasons with the Kings, Barnes was slated …

[ad_1] The clock eventually will hit 3 p.m. PT Friday and all the back-channel conversations, the prediction models and speculation will converge into action. Teams will change. Players will move. Money will be spent. Dream rosters will get built. Hope will sprout. It’s hard to know exactly how matters will play out. Separating rumor from fact this time of year …

[ad_1] Well, there’s still no shortage of Sixers drama. That’s perhaps the most obvious takeaway from Thursday’s news that James Harden has exercised his player option and the Sixers will explore trades to ship him to a new team. Beyond that, there’s much that merits consideration in assessing the Sixers’ situation. What’s a realistic outcome here? How about a good …

[ad_1] Everyone is waiting to see what the Los Angeles Lakers will do once free agency officially starts across the NBA on Friday, June 30. They have several of their own players who are becoming free agents, including Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell. In addition, there are a number of players from other teams they are reportedly targeting. …

[ad_1] Former Memphis basketball standout Lester Quinones remains on the Golden State Warriors roster, after the team extended him its qualifying offer Thursday. Per NBA rules Quinones will be a restricted free agent July 1. The Warriors own the rights to Quinones and have the right to match any offer sheet should another team go after him. Quinones appeared in …

[ad_1] When Warriors head coach Steve Kerr walks to the podium for his pregame media availability, he usually does so with Vans on his feet and a smile that reflects both business and the beach. He knows the task at hand, yet isn’t going to sacrifice his personality. Neither is Jacob Rubin. The Warriors player development coach will lead Golden …

[ad_1] Jun. 29—Nearly two full decades after he led the nation in scoring and collected national player of the year honors — shared with Duke’s JJ Redick — former Gonzaga great Adam Morrison is still recognized not only as one of the top players from his era but also one of the best of the last 25-plus years. A recent …

[ad_1] One of the most disappointing teams this past NBA season has to be the Chicago Bulls. After securing a No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2021-22 season, and at one point sitting atop the conference, the Bulls completely stumbled and fell in the play-in to the Miami Heat. Injuries certainly played a role, as Lonzo Ball …

[ad_1] In late April, new Rockets coach Ime Udoka referenced wanting to add “different types of bigs” in his introductory press conference. While third-year center Alperen Sengun offers strong value and versatility on offense, he’s been somewhat limited on defense. Flush with financial room beneath the NBA’s 2023-24 salary cap, that could explain Houston’s flirtation with veteran Milwaukee center Brook …

[ad_1] Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has decided to pick up his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and work with the team on a trade, according to reports from The Athletic and ESPN The news comes one day before the start of NBA free agency. Harden, who turns 34 in August, averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists for …

[ad_1] With a playoff drought in the past and championship aspirations on the horizon, the Kings are turning the page on their storybook 2022-23 NBA season and ready to open a new chapter. In this new chapter, the Kings are hoping to introduce new characters to help them compete in the stacked Western Conference. Kings general manager Monte McNair has …

[ad_1] 1 Unrestricted Irving finished another tumultuous season by averaging 27 points, six assists and five rebounds in 20 games with the Mavericks, who punted on a play-in spot in the final week. Despite Dallas’ lack of success after the trade, the team was actually a plus-four in net rating with both Doncic and Irving on the floor, which will …

[ad_1] Just one day before the official start of free agency across the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a decision on two players that could have significant salary cap implications for them. In February, they acquired multiple players via trade that were slated to improve their roster. Two of them were center Mo Bamba and guard Malik Beasley, …