The Warriors are reportedly at the doorstep of making their first trade of the season.

Golden State, per multiple reports, is finalizing a deal to acquire Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN’s Shams Charania, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Marc Stein and others reported details of the trade first.

The Warriors are likely to send ...Read more

PHOENIX — There was some comforting familiarity Saturday afternoon in a rivalry renewed amid unusual circumstances.

UCLA and Arizona engaged in another classic.

In a sequence that seemed as bizarre as the fan shown drinking a beer out of a shoe on the video board, the Bruins stormed back from what looked like certain defeat.

A flurry of ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Austin Reaves paused as he held a microphone in his hand, the Minnesota cold waiting for him as he got ready to try to answer for his team's lousy offense.

Had the Lakers stunk all season on that side of the ball, had they been a stagnant mess from Day 1, maybe the answers would be clearer. But the Lakers used to be able to ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Sunday night at the Chase Center will be a test of how many people held onto their commemorative Klay Thompson captain’s hats or sold — at wild profit margins on eBay — them.

The Warriors were supposed to get only two home games against the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson’s new team after 13 years in Golden State. But ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — About 90 minutes before tipoff, Dalton Knecht approached the assistant coach sitting on the bench of the Los Angeles Lakers. The coach who once played menacing defense on the court and later strode the sideline with a steely stare, now seems more relaxed as the gray and white specks have shown up in his goatee.

“What up O.G.!?...Read more

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the more prideful teams in the NBA. They had already lost to the Nets twice this season, once by 13 points at FedExForum on Oct. 30 and again by two points at Barclays Center on Nov. 4., so you knew their third meeting with Brooklyn in Memphis on Friday would be circled on the calendar.

Neither team qualified ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid left Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers after being struck on the right side of the face underneath the basket.

The 76ers center suffered a sinus fracture while trying to make a defensive play 12 seconds before halftime. Embiid fell to court and remained there until the Sixers called timeout with 6.1 ...Read more

DENVER — A game that wasn’t on the schedule two weeks ago could maybe — just maybe — end up being one of the most impactful results of the Nuggets’ season.

After getting eliminated from the NBA Cup in the group stage, they needed to be scheduled for two make-up games in December. One of those was Friday night’s 120-98 win over the ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A lot had changed since the 76ers faced the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — or so we thought.

As we found out in Friday night’s 121-107 loss at the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers are still snakebitten and prone to injury, especially Joel Embiid.

Embiid left the game 6.5 seconds before intermission and ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The extended break for both the Lakers and Timberwolves did neither team any good when they took the floor Friday night at Target Center. Both looked rusty, to say the least, and the Lakers were without LeBron James, who is away from the team.

Free-flowing offense was nowhere in sight, but the Wolves still had a few players who ...Read more

MIAMI — So who is Bernie Lee, the agent for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, the representative who has put himself at the forefront of recent trade speculation fostered by ESPN regarding his client’s future?

More than anything, he’s a passionate (sometimes overly passionate) defender of his clients and a presence with a high visibility ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The world has caught on to Hawks forward Jalen Johnson.

That’s not necessarily new for this season, but Johnson, who turns 23 next Wednesday, has built off his breakout performance from last season. Johnson has been relatively healthy this season, missing only two of the 26 games the Hawks have played.

Johnson has put up career...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid left Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers after being struck in the face underneath the Pacers’ basket.

The 76ers’ center was hit in the face while trying to make a defensive play 12 seconds before the halftime intermission. Embiid fell to court and remained there until the Sixers called a timeout ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James remained away from the Lakers in Minnesota on Friday, the 39-year-old listed as out with a left foot injury.

James hasn't been around the Lakers because of "personal reasons," according to the Lakers and coach JJ Redick.

Asked if he knew when James would return to the Lakers, Redick said, "no."

James showed up on ...Read more

Here is a look at the upcoming NBA Cup semifinal games in Las Vegas:

— What: NBA Cup semifinals

— When: Saturday

— Where: T-Mobile Arena

— Matchups: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (1:30 p.m., TNT/truTV); Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (5:30 p.m., ABC)

Line: Bucks -3 1/2, total 229; Thunder -5 1/2, total 212 1/2

...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Heat on Friday set up a small trade that could have a wide-ranging impact across their roster and payroll.

Reaching an agreement with the Indiana Pacers, the Heat will send out center Thomas Bryant once he is eligible to be traded Sunday.

While the Heat will receive the right to swap 2031 second-round draft slots with the ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The first Kentucky-Louisville game in this new era of college basketball in the commonwealth is almost here.

Mark Pope’s Wildcats will see Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals on the Rupp Arena court at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, the first meeting between the two new coaches. Pope knows plenty about this rivalry, playing in two editions of it...Read more

MIAMI — Jimmy Butler made sure this wouldn’t be hair raising, sporting tightly woven orange braids.

So the Miami Heat settled for a bit of four-play, extending their winning streak to four with a 114-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night at Kaseya Center.

Avenging a loss the previous time the teams met, the Heat rode the ...Read more