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VJ Edgecombe's former coaches detail his rise from relative unknown to elite draft prospect: 'He produces winning plays'

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — In the first moments of New York’s 2023 Class AA state championship game, VJ Edgecombe received an up-the-court pass after a defensive stop, then elevated off two feet to throw down a dunk for his Long Island Lutheran team.

“I remember that play starting the game, like, ‘Whooo, no one’s beating us today,’ ” Long ...Read more

Ira Winderman: Time for Heat to consider dealing ... anyone and everyone?

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — All roads apparently lead to this intersection for the Miami Heat, where the hope of a union with Kevin Durant meets the reality of obstacles at play.

Over. And over. And over again.

So within a matter of days, likely ahead of the June 25 first round of the NBA draft, it again could be a case of coming up short amid lust for the ...Read more

Ron Jenkins/Getty Images North America/TNS

Patrick Reusse: On a traumatic day, Lynx advocate, inspire and keep on winning

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — This was more than 90 minutes before the Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks would have a noon tipoff at Target Center. The WNBA game was scheduled to be televised nationally on CBS.

There were 15 girls, maybe ages 10 to 13, ready to make a left turn from the skyway to the arena entry. The youngsters were wearing T-shirts saluting ...Read more

Caitlin Clark returns with 32 points as Fever hand Liberty first loss of season

Sports / Basketball /

Caitlin Clark is back.

The WNBA’s brightest young star returned Saturday afternoon against the Liberty after missing five games with a quad injury and lit up the defending champs in the Fever’s 102-88 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Clark’s 32 points was enough to overcome Sabrina Ionescu’s 34 and hand the Liberty (9-...Read more

Storm comply with Li Yueru's trade request, send center to Wings

Sports / Basketball /

SEATTLE — Ten days after Li Yueru’s trade request, the Storm sent her to the Dallas Wings in exchange for a 2026 second-round and 2027 third-round draft pick on Saturday.

Li, a 6-foot-7 center and third-year veteran from Changzhi, Shanxi, China, was unhappy with her backup role in Seattle, where she appeared in nine of 11 games while ...Read more

Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

News of shooting mars Lynx planned celebration, saddens coach Cheryl Reeve

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — Saturday afternoon at Target Center was supposed to be a celebration of Seimone Augustus’ Hall of Fame career, the legacy of four WNBA titles, the joy of success past and a bright future.

But Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve sat down 90 minutes before her team’s nationally televised game with the Los Angeles Sparks, in a quiet room, ...Read more

Chris Torres/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

David Murphy: Trade up for Dylan Harper? Sure, but Sixers have a fine consolation prize at No. 3.

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — The more I watch VJ Edgecombe, the more I think that the Sixers shouldn’t be looking to trade down.

Trade up? Sure. But that’s probably not going to happen. Not with a prospect like Dylan Harper on the board. Most years, he’d be the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick. He isn’t a surefire generational talent like Cooper ...Read more

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images North America/TNS

What lessons can Warriors learn from Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals?

Sports / Basketball /

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors’ brand of basketball, once revolutionary, appears downright antiquated compared to the breathtaking hoops being played in the NBA Finals.

The Pacers and Thunder look light years ahead of Golden State as young, flexible and tactically modern rosters zoom up and down the court.

Athleticism, overt defensive ...Read more

Aces star A'ja Wilson in concussion protocol, return uncertain

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson will not take the court when the Las Vegas Aces host the Dallas Wings on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

The three-time WNBA MVP was ruled out hours before tipoff. She is in concussion protocol, the team said.

This comes after Wilson took a hit to the face and briefly returned to play before exiting in the third ...Read more

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/TNS

Nuggets' Russell Westbrook to decline player option, enter free agency, source says

Sports / Basketball /

DENVER — Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook is expected to decline his $3.5 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, a league source told The Denver Post on Friday, confirming a report by league insider Marc Stein.

Westbrook, 36, signed with Denver last summer at the veteran minimum for two years, with a player ...Read more

Heat interested in Kevin Durant, with latest trade clock already ticking

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — With the Miami Heat again intrigued by the possibility of landing Kevin Durant, a potential union could come down to whether there is mutual interest from the 15-time All-Star.

In the wake of reports linking the Heat to a potential deal for Durant, the Sun Sentinel has confirmed Heat interest. That Heat are not permitted to comment on...Read more

Sarah Stier/Getty Images North America/TNS

Sixers exploring every option to land impact player, including moving up for Dylan Harper in NBA draft

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers are in the process of exploring every option available to secure an impact player in the upcoming NBA draft.

A source confirmed a HoopsHype report that the team reached out to the San Antonio Spurs about obtaining the second pick. This comes after league executives told The Philadelphia Inquirer they expected the ...Read more

Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Chicago Sky won't tank -- or panic, GM says. What's the plan after the 2-6 start and a season-ending injury?

Sports / Basketball /

CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky will not tank.

General manager Jeff Pagliocca made that clear in the wake of Courtney Vandersloot’s season-ending ACL tear Saturday against the Indiana Fever.

Things are dire in Chicago. At 2-6, the Sky have the third-worst record in the WNBA, ahead of only the Connecticut Sun (2-7) and Dallas Wings (1-9). And ...Read more

Lance King/Getty Images North America/TNS

Duke stays home, NC State, UNC head on the road in 2025 ACC-SEC Challenge

Sports / Basketball /

RALEIGH, N.C. — Matchups for the 2025-26 men’s basketball ACC-SEC Challenge have been set as the ACC seeks to improve on its dismal performance in last year’s event.

Duke will play at home for the second consecutive year in the event while North Carolina and N.C. State have road games and Wake Forest draws a home game.

Duke, coming off a...Read more

Chris Coduto/Getty Images North America/TNS

Kristian Winfield: Kevin Durant sweepstakes: Could -- and should -- Knicks deal for KD?

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The Knicks have entered the Kevin Durant sweepstakes — and there’s a chance they could win it outright.

The Durant in Phoenix era is coming to an end, and according to ESPN, the two sides have met “multiple times over the past week” to discuss trade scenarios following a disappointing season that ended without a playoff ...Read more

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jaylen Brown undergoes knee surgery, expected back for Celtics training camp

Sports / Basketball /

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown had surgery Wednesday to repair the knee injury that hindered him for the final several months of the 2024-25 Celtics season.

Brown underwent what the team called a “right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure” 3 1/2 weeks after Boston’s season ended with a second-round series loss to the New York Knicks. He “...Read more

Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America/TNS

Knicks OK with coaching due diligence leading to denials

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The Knicks have cast a wide net in their head coaching search following their Eastern Conference finals loss to the Indiana Pacers — a defeat that ultimately led to the decision to part ways with Tom Thibodeau after the franchise’s most successful season in a quartercentury.

As part of that process, league sources tell the New ...Read more

Codie McLachlan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Unemployed bettor needs NBA, NHL champions to turn $13 parlay into $270K

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — Drew Hirschman is unemployed and lives with his parents. But the recent college graduate is six wins away from a $270,761.40 payday.

Hirschman, 24, placed a $13 five-team futures parlay at DraftKings sportsbook before last year’s WNBA Finals. He needs the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Finals and the Edmonton Oilers to win...Read more

William Purnell/Getty Images North America/TNS

Chet Holmgren is proof that barbers are becoming a part of the NBA lifestyle

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — About eight years ago, Meleyen Tengben checked his Instagram direct messages and he saw a message from a freshman at Minnehaha Academy named Chet Holmgren.

Tengben is a barber who has started his own shop in Brooklyn Park (with a new location coming soon in Atlanta). He had been cutting the hair of Holmgren’s friend and ...Read more

John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

Heat interested in Kevin Durant for a fourth time: Where things stand as Suns explore trade

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — Months after making a trade offer for Kevin Durant, the Heat again have interest in acquiring the 15-time All-Star forward, but only at the right price, a source with direct knowledge said Wednesday.

Confirmation of the Heat’s renewed interest in Durant came after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Heat and Suns ...Read more