If we learned anything this NBA offseason, it is that nobody wants to extend Pat Riley’s winning time. The Miami Heat executive spent the summer believing Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard would fall into his lap, joining Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo on a team that could deliver him a 10th championship ring. Instead, the rival Milwaukee Bucks …
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Deandre Ayton, Trail Blazers seeking warmth, trust and patience in new partnership
Deandre Ayton needs a fresh start, and the Portland Trail Blazers hope to be fertile land for the former overall No. 1 pick who was part of the massive trade involving Damian Lillard. It’s almost like he’s an afterthought, a footnote in a larger story surrounding Lillard’s loyalty and desire to go to Miami being ignored, paving the way for …
Read More »How will Deandre Ayton fit in with the Blazers?
Yahoo Sports NBA writers Dan Devine and Jake Fischer connect to break down how the former No. 1 overall pick’s move to Portland will provide him a fresh start with the Blazers. Hear the full conversation on “No Cap Room” – part of the “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Video …
Read More »San Francisco’s Chase Center reportedly will host 2025 NBA All-Star Game
The NBA likes to reward franchises that get new arenas constructed with an All-Star Game, much like the way the NFL likes to send a Super Bowl to teams and cities that build a new stadium (for example, next February’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas). The NBA is set to reward the Golden State Warriors by sending the 2025 All-Star …
Read More »UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski tries to submit NBA champ Jamal Murray in a minute
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and NBA champion Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray are used to being at a size disadvantage in their respective sports. Standing at 5-foot-6, Volkanovski typically finds himself matched against fighters a few inches taller. On the basketball court, Murray may typically be guarded by someone close to his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, but will have …
Read More »Magic Johnson ‘just giddy’ that Rob Pelinka has made Lakers a title contender
Lakers coach Darvin Ham, left, and general manager Rob Pelinka take part in a news conference in El Segundo on Thursday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) His voice would rise throughout the conversation because he was unable to hide his excitement, each sentence from Magic Johnson about his beloved Lakers and the job executive Rob Pelinka did in constructing …
Read More »Damian Lillard wanted to return to Blazers if Heat trade wasn’t possible, but request was denied, per report
The full picture of Damian Lillard’s separation from the Portland Trail Blazers is becoming clearer, and, frankly, it’s not pretty. A recent story from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes details some acrimonious interactions between Lillard and the organization, particularly Blazers general manager Joe Cronin, leading up to the eventual deal that sent Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. After issuing …
Read More »Lillard says if no Heat trade he wanted to return to Trail Blazers but GM said no
There came a moment in early September, when Damian Lillard had sat down in his home with Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin, where it became clear to the future Hall of Famer that he would not get traded to the Heat. Lillard said in that case, his preference and plan was to return to the Trail Blazers and be …
Read More »Lakers HC Darvin Ham names D’Angelo Russell as starting PG over Gabe Vincent
Few NBA players had as rough an end to the season as D’Angelo Russell last year, but the Los Angeles Lakers are sticking with him as their starting point guard. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham announced that Russell will be the team’s starting point guard this season while speaking with reporters Thursday, per Silver Screen & Roll. He also named …
Read More »Why Holiday’s trade availability presents dilemma for Warriors
Why Holiday’s trade availability presents dilemma for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area For more than a decade the Warriors have made a habit of asserting and confirming their unbridled ambition and hubris. Thinking big and acting on it has led to four championships and, in the process, grown their following from local to global. And here they …
Read More »Lakers name two starters, and LeBron James ‘is preparing for 21 like a rookie’
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left, listens to coach Marvin Ham speak during a news conference in El Segundo on Thursday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) The music coming through the speakers inside the Lakers’ facility was upbeat. The men about to sit in front of the team backdrop, Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham, were smiling and joking as …
Read More »Why Bulls landing Jrue Holiday via trade is longshot
Why Bulls landing Jrue Holiday via trade is longshot originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Jrue Holiday makes any NBA team that he’s on better, and the Chicago Bulls would be no exception. In some ways, one can envision the two-time All-Star guard and …
Read More »Why Jrue Holiday might be motivated to play for C’s
Forsberg: Why Jrue Holiday might be motivated to play for C’s originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Celtics reportedly are interested in acquiring Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers, but would Holiday be interested in playing for Boston? On paper, Holiday seems like the perfect fit for the Celtics backcourt. The five-time All-Defensive selection would fill the void …
Read More »Watch Trail Blazers tribute videos to Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is the greatest Trail Blazer of all time. Go ahead and make your Clyde Drexler or Bill Walton cases if you want, but Lillard spent 11 seasons in Portland, scored more than 19,000 points, was active in the community and gave Trail Blazers fans reason for hope for more than a decade. Now that Lillard is on his …
Read More »Heat not expected to pursue James Harden after missing out on Damian Lillard, per report
The Miami Heat were the favorites to land Damian Lillard for most of the offseason, but now that the Portland Trail Blazers have traded their superstar point guard to the Milwaukee Bucks, Pat Riley and the rest of his front office will have to pick up the pieces and come up with a new plan with training camp mere days …
Read More »Why Wiggins, Payton II hold Warriors’ key to 2023-24 success
Why Wiggins, Payton II hold Warriors’ key to 2023-24 success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors’ 2023 NBA offseason, like a handful of other teams, was defined by a blockbuster move that gave Golden State another star. Damian Lillard being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday to the Milwaukee Bucks to join …
Read More »Internal competitions starting soon in Colorado
Sixers training camp preview: Internal competitions starting soon in Colorado originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia A strong first impression never hurts. When new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse opens training camp next week in Colorado, he should see quite a few players aiming to gain an edge in internal competitions. The Sixers’ starting lineup, rotation and regular-season roster are …
Read More »Damian Lillard is going to solve the Bucks’ biggest problem and make them an unstoppable offensive force
The Milwaukee Bucks crashed out of the 2023 NBA playoffs in the first round because when they really needed a basket, they couldn’t get one. You can point to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s back injury, but the fact remains that late-game scoring has been a major issue for this team ever since they rose to contender status. Even when they broke through …
Read More »How and why Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks
Subscribe to Ball Don’t Lie Jake Fischer and Dan Devine go deep into the Damian Lillard trade to find out why the Blazers didn’t want to send him to Miami, which teams are vying for Jrue Holiday, and whether the Suns got better or worse. This embedded content is not available in your region. On this episode of No Cap …
Read More »Mark Cuban said ‘gamblers,’ not fans, are the ones griping about NBA load management
With the rise in sports betting, there has been another spike. The amount of people who know very little about sports betting but want to blame sports betting for practically any issue is multiplying. Even with that becoming a thing, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban went to a new level on ESPN when asked about NBA player load management. Somehow, …
Read More »Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey from 1972 NBA Finals sells for record $4.9 million
Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey from the Los Angeles Lakers’ first ever championship in Los Angeles sold this week for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s New York. It’s officially the third-most valuable NBA jersey ever sold publicly. This iconic No. 13 gold jersey was the first Chamberlain championship jersey to ever appear at auction. Only Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals …
Read More »2023-24 Fantasy Basketball Drafts: Power Forward preview
Julius Randle is one of the last true power forwards fantasy drafters can select. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) (Elsa via Getty Images) Special to Yahoo Sports We are previewing every position ahead of the 2023-24 fantasy basketball season. Next up, here are the power forwards. Draft Strategy While in real life the NBA continues to move further away from traditional …
Read More »NBA nearing plans for Warriors to host 2025 All-Star Weekend at Chase Center, per report
Getty Images The NBA is nearing plans for the Golden State Warriors to host the 2025 All-Star Weekend at the Chase Center, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The 2024 All-Star festivities will be held in Indianapolis, which was initially slated to host in 2021 before COVID-19 forced the league to adjust its plans. The 2025 event, which has not …
Read More »NBA ‘nearing plans’ for Warriors to host 2025 All-Star weekend
Report: NBA ‘nearing plans’ for Warriors to host 2025 All-Star weekend originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Chase Center could be home to the greatest NBA players in 2025. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources, that the NBA is “nearing plans” for the Warriors to host All-Star Weekend in 2025 at Chase Center. The NBA is nearing …
Read More »Damian Lillard trade: The Blazers just didn’t want the Heat’s stuff, according to everybody
Now that Damian Lillard is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, there will be plenty of retroactive analysis of the months that preceded it. Did the Blazers play their cards right? Could Lillard have done anything differently? For some, the big question is why Lillard, after making it known that he wanted to play for the Miami Heat, got traded somewhere …
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