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Both teams have reasonably experienced squads, with the Jazz boasting of multiple NBA players such as Udoka Azubuike, Jarrell Brantley, Trent Forrest, Elijah Hughes and Juwan Morgan, with assistant coach Bryan Bailey serving as the head-coach for the summer league. The LA Clippers, on the other hand, feature 2021 draftees Jason Preston and Keon Johnson, with Jeremy Castleberry taking up the mantle of head-coach. Match Details Fixture – Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021...

The Pelicans won the lottery drawing with a 6.0 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. It’s safe to say New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry was just a little bit excited about the idea of selecting Zion Williamson at the 2019 NBA Draft in June. NBA DRAFT BIG BOARD:Ranking the top 50 players in 2019 class This year’s lottery had to be a disappointment for many Knicks fans after New York finished with the worst record in the league (17-65) for the 2018-19 regular season....

The Mavericks and Hawks swapped Luka Doncic (No. 3 overall) and Trae Young (No. 5) early in the evening, and the 76ers surprisingly sent Mikal Bridges to the Suns after taking the Villanova star at No. 10. But it was a smooth draft for the most part, especially in the second round with teams firing off picks at a rapid pace. Here are the NBA Draft picks, complete with grades and analysis for each selection…...

However, not every big man prospect can be a so-called unicorn. In fact, not every big man needs to be. There are only 17 centers in the NBA this season (min. 500 minutes played) attempting more than 0.5 3-pointers per game. They play for 13 teams, which means about half the league is currently sorting out how to play full-time without a floor-spacing big man. MORE: Every NBA team’s ugliest draft mistake...

All of those elements were on display Sunday night when Green faced reporters after the Warriors’ Finals Game 2 victory over the Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Sitting alongside teammate Kevin Durant, Green was posed a question about how he has been able to restrain himself after last year’s pivotal suspension against the Cavs. MORE: LeBron James goes full Popovich in response to poorly worded question The reporter began his question by saying, “I’m interested in your thoughts of how you’ve been able to restrain yourself emotionally and avoid getting —” before he was cut off by Durant, who chuckled and said, “Geez....

Despite entering the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat reached the 2020 NBA Finals in the exact same amount of games as the Lakers (15). Miami may be considered the underdog once again as it faces a dominant LA squad led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but All-Star forward Jimmy Butler isn’t buying that narrative. MORE: Predictions, picks, schedule for 2020 NBA Finals...

Wade has spurned Miami and will join to his hometown Bulls, The Vertical first reported Wednesday night. MORE: Wade among Heat’s all-timers | Free agent tracker Chicago was willing to give Wade the money ($47.5 million over two years, according to The Vertical) the Heat reportedly weren’t willing to spend. The Bulls were working Wednesday night to create enough cap space to sign the free-agent shooting guard by trading Mike Dunleavy and Jose Calderon....

The Clippers are exploring the possibility of signing both Leonard and Jimmy Butler to play together, according to the New York Times. The reason for this is Leonard wants to be paired alongside a top-flight free agent, according to the report. This isn’t an entirely new idea, as the Clippers have been exploring adding Butler for a while and also have discussed the possibility of signing both players in recent weeks....

Stoudemire and Ellis are healthy and hoping to sign with a contender, according to a report from ESPN, which cites an unidentified league source. The pair will hold a workout Monday for about 12 teams, according to Yahoo Sports. The Lakers, Warriors and Knicks, among others, are expected to attend. Stoudemire, 36, last appeared in an NBA game in 2015-16 with the Heat. He scored 18.9 points per game and made six All-Star teams during his 14-year career but struggled with injuries over his last few seasons....

Let’s take a look at the NBA Games on 29th January: Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers - Quicken Loans Arena - 7:00 PM ET Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons - Little Caesars Arena - 7:00 PM ET Oklahoma City Thunder vs Orlando Magic - Amway Center - 7:00 PM ET Chicago Bulls vs Brooklyn Nets - Barclays Center - 7:30 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets - Toyota Center - 8:00 PM ET...

This time around, the NBA community could have a real conversation on its hands. A few worthy candidates are already on the MVP radar. It’s still early, of course, but it’s worth taking a closer look at which players are storming out of the gates and seeking that coveted MVP trophy. TRADE GRADES: 76ers take calculated risk with Butler deal 1. Giannis Antetokoumpo, Bucks Stats: 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5....

The NFL, in short, was being very much the NFL we’ve gotten to know, even with public dissent taking place up the highway from them at the Houston airport. At the same time, though, the NBA and its people have continued to be who they’ve always been. As Super Bowl week continues, the contrast between the cultures of those sports has never been sharper. While the Patriots and Falcons players have faced their biggest audience and kept a lid on any talk of the turmoil surrounding new president Donald Trump and his actions — even while many have direct connections to them — NBA people have not hesitated in any way to speak their minds....

On the first of two incredible dunks, Antetokounmpo takes all of just two dribbles to get from half court to the rim, because his limbs are that freaking long. Jonas Valanciunas was helpless. MORE: From obscurity in Greece to Bucks stardom, Giannis Antetokounmpo just keeps getting better That second one you can file under “Things that only Giannis does.” He’s right-handed, yet takes the ball through the rim with his left over three defenders....

But that only starts to explain the trouble Miami had on defense. Roy Hibbert got out to a good start in the post, Lance Stephenson ruled the screen and roll and David West had his way as a screener. MORE: Forecasting Heat-Pacers series | Eastern Confence Finals schedule Because the Pacers made use of so many weapons, the Heat defense was overextended at all times and their ability to create turnovers was rendered meaningless....

The Wizards, not the Pacers, put on a defensive clinic. John Wall was at the center of that effort, as he posted back-to-back blocks of the Pacers' Lance Stephenson and Paul George. Those were just two of the team's eight first-half blocks, however. Watch Wall in action below. 

Kevin Durant needed to be wanted. He didn’t want to be needed. He went to the bench with 6:48 to go in the first quarter of the Warriors’ Game 4 matchup on the road against the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals Monday night, having not scored a single point. He wouldn’t re-enter the contest until the 9:23 mark of the second. It didn’t matter. Durant would heat up before the half and go to the break as one of three Golden State players with 10 points at that juncture....

Durant has not played since straining his calf in Golden State’s Game 5 win over the Rockets last week and he’s still “not close” to returning, according to a report from ESPN. Golden State guard Stephen Curry was asked during an interview with “The Jump” how the team’s offensive strategy has changed without Durant on the floor. “Without KD, we have to play differently,” Curry said. “We have to highlight what everybody’s strengths are and do it by committee....

#10 Miami Heat - Current Record: 11-4 The Miami Heat have defied expectations with each passing week, and they extended their record to 11-3 after opening Week 5 with comfortable wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. However, they were blown away by the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, casting doubt on their ability to contend in the East. Ultimately, the Heat have still made an excellent start to the season, although we still need to see more when they face off against the NBA’s big hitters....

Yet, the Lakers are expected to make major additions to the roster in the coming months, with the team having around $35 million available in cap space. This gives the Lakers the room to sign an All-Star free agent to a max-contract, and here are three of the stars being linked with a move to Los Angeles. #3 Kyrie Irving The Boston Celtics are on the verge of being eliminated from the 2019 postseason, and it appears more likely than ever that Kyrie Irving will leave the team this summer....