Basketball news

• Can the front office turn the Lakers into contenders?

  23-06-2026 20:39 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Rob Pelinka, President of basketball operations and general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, attends the FIBA EuroBasket match between Slovenia and Poland in Katowice, Poland, on August 28, 2025. This is a European Basketball Championship game, group phase, Group D competition at Spodek Arena. (Photo by Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lak
  
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• 2026 NBA Draft grades: Updating pick-by-pick analysis from AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer through Round 2

  25-06-2026 01:27 via cbssports.com
  
  Adam Finkelstein has the breakdown of each pick in one of the best drafts in recent memory
  
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• Celtics' president Brad Stevens downplays rumors, 'Jaylen Brown is a big part of us'

  25-06-2026 00:11 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Brad Stevens is trying to slow down the rumor mill. Good luck with that.In the wake of Jaylen Brown being put in a trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, rumors have been flying around the league that Boston is listening to trade offers for Brown. Tuesday night, after the first round of the draft, Stevens, Boston's president of basketball operations, said that he has had multiple meetings with Brown this summer and that Brown is "a big part of us." Here are his quotes, via Ben Golliver of ESPN."
  
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• Jaylen Brown lashes out at Stephen A. Smith, calls ESPN 'unethical'

  25-06-2026 00:02 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown criticized Stephen A. Smith and ESPN for their coverage of his recent comments, calling the network "unethical" as part of an appearance at the Sports Beach Cannes event in France on Wednesday, June 24.Brown was a featured speaker on a panel called, "The Spiritual Game" during the annual conference, which bills itself as "a global platform connecting brands, athletes and marketers through lived experiences." Footage of his comments, which come in the midst of spe
  
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• 2026 NBA Draft team grades: Live updates for all 30 teams as Round 2 unfolds

  25-06-2026 00:00 via cbssports.com
  
  Live grades for all 30 teams as the NBA Draft wraps up with the second round
  
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• Jalen Brunson isn't ready to say if he'll join Knicks at the White House

  24-06-2026 23:52 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  James Dolan is ready to take the NBA champion New York Knicks to the White House. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson isn't ready to say whether he'll be on that trip. The Knicks owner, and longtime friend of President Donald Trump, said that the team has accepted an invitation to the White House. Brunson told New York Magazine the players had not even gotten to the conversation about it."We haven't discussed it," Brunson said. "But as a team, we'll discuss it and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
  
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• NBA Draft Day 2: Live Updates from the Barclays Center

  24-06-2026 23:44 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: DaRon Holmes II celebrates after being drafted 22nd overall by the Phoenix Suns during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s time for the se
  
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• Yaxel Lendeborg kicks off a friendly intrastate rivalry with Draymond Green

  24-06-2026 23:40 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - MARCH 08: Yaxel Lendeborg #23 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after a second half three point basket while playing the Michigan State Spartans at Crisler Arena on March 08, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg are different in so many ways. The former is 36 years old, has completed 14 seasons in the NBA, and is putting the finishing touches on a Hall of Fame career; the latter is 23, and just
  
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• Sergio de Larrea must be on the 2026-27 Dallas Mavericks roster

  24-06-2026 23:14 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BADALONA, SPAIN - JUNE 14: Sergio de Larrea of Valencia Basket warms up during the Spanish League, Liga ACB Endesa, basketball Semi Final Game 3 match played between Asisa Joventut and Valencia Basket at Olimpic Arena on June 14, 2026 in Badalona, Spain. (Photo By Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images The Dallas Mavericks turned heads Tuesday night when they were part of a four-team trade that gave them the rights to Sergio de Larrea, the 25th overall pick
  
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• NBA free agency: The Lakers kept Austin Reaves, but now what?

  24-06-2026 23:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Free-agent position rankings: Point guards | Shooting guards | Small forwards | Power forwards | Centers | Big BoardNBA free agency just got extra boring (outside of a certain 41-year-old future Hall of Famer who hasn't decided the status of his 24th professional season).With Trae Young off the board after agreeing to re-sign with the Washington Wizards for $212 million over four years, Austin Reaves was the next chip to track.Well, not anymore.Reaves — who really broke out this season for
  
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• Knicks' Leon Rose on 'tough' decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after 2025 season: 'We were right on the doorstep'

  24-06-2026 22:45 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  After leading the Knicks for five seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons and their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau was surprisingly fired by team president Leon Rose at the end of the 2025 season.The move raised many questions about New York's direction as it felt like Thibodeau was a driving factor in the team's growth and success. Firing Thibodeau was critiqued even more after Rose decided on hiring longtime coach Mike Brown, who's best
  
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• Nick Martinelli’s Best Team Fits Going Into Round Two of the 2026 NBA Draft

  24-06-2026 22:43 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Feb 24, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images The floaters, the left-hand bias, the unorthodox release, the unique basketball IQ and the genuine will to win were all cornerstones of Nick Martinelli’s game in his career as a Wildcat. Another program legend will deservedly enter the biggest stage
  
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• Plaschke: Lakers' Austin Reaves got paid, now he needs to earn it

  24-06-2026 22:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Lakers guard Austin Reaves runs on to the court in his signature white headband before a playoff game this spring at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)He’s no longer a cute little kid.He’s a $185-million man.He’s no longer a quintessential underdog routinely pardoned for his bad defense, his questionable durability and his tendency to tighten up in the playoffs.He’s a big dog who needs to own it.Austin Reaves, the most beloved Laker, became the m
  
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• How good of a season must Kentucky have to keep Mark Pope off the hot seat?

  24-06-2026 22:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Mark Pope and Rick Pitino celebrate the upcoming basketball season during Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 at Rupp Arena. | Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Greetings, BBN!It’s been quite the roller coaster of an offseason for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Basketball program. Following a 22-14 season that ended with a blowout in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Pope watched much of his roster leave Lexington, then struggled to fill it out whe
  
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• 2026 NBA Draft Second Round: Rockets Thoughts and Discussion

  24-06-2026 22:14 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: A generic photo of 2026 NBA Draft signage before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Hannah Ally/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images The 2026 NBA Draft first round
  
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• NBA analyst says Lakers would trade LeBron to Cavs for this price

  24-06-2026 22:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Los Angeles, CA - April 06: Lakers forward LeBron James, #23, left, goes to the basket for a shot as Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen #31 defends in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) The Cleveland Cavaliers will forever be linked to LeBron James. The King hasn’t played for his hometown team since 2018, but could return for the final chapter of his career if the Los Angeles Lakers agree to facilit
  
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• 'Super blessed': Karim López makes NBA history as first Mexican-born first-round draft pick

  24-06-2026 21:44 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Karim López arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft on Tuesday in New York. (Adam Hunger / AP Photo)Until Tuesday night, only one Mexican-born player had been an NBA draft pick. Eduardo Nájera was selected 38th overall in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 2000 and enjoyed a 12-year career as a backup forward with five teams.Karim López joined him when the Detroit Pistons snapped him up at No. 21, making him the first Mexican-born first-round dra
  
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• Yaxel Lendeborg reacts to being drafted by the Warriors

  24-06-2026 21:21 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Yaxel Lendeborg speaks to the media after he is drafted eleventh overall by the Golden State Warriors during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images In today’s Dub Hub:Yaxel Lendeborg reacts to the Warriors selecting him with the No. 11 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft.Mike Dunleavy Jr. explains his viral draft war room interaction with Warriors’ own
  
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• 2026-27 NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Cameron Boozer opens as favorite

  24-06-2026 20:58 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The top of the 2026 NBA Draft went pretty much as expected on Tuesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with AJ Dybantsa taken No. 1 by the Washington Wizards, Darryn Peterson selected No. 2 by the Utah Jazz and Duke's Cameron Boozer going third to the Memphis Grizzlies.Peterson opened as the favorite at sportsbooks to be selected No. 1 overall, but was surpassed by Dybantsa in March. Dybantsa's odds kept increasing as the draft approached and he was up to a -2500 favorite at some sportsbook
  
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• Cameron Carr’s wild draft night: From ‘I’m getting traded’ to ‘We’re going to be best friends’

  24-06-2026 20:54 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Cameron Carr experienced nearly every emotion imaginable on NBA draft night.The former Baylor star went from waiting longer than expected to hear his name called, to realizing he had been traded to the Lakers, to discussing what it means to join one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. Along the way, he delivered some of the most memorable sound bites of the evening.New Lakers draft pick Cameron Carr opened up about his viral trade reaction, joining Los Angeles and overcoming adversity. G
  
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• NBA Draft grades: 8 ‘A’ picks from 2026 first-round

  24-06-2026 20:49 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Cameron Boozer poses for a photo during the 2026 NBA Draft (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the books, and SB Nation draft expert Ricky O’Donnell graded every pick from the first round. A total of eight teams managed to nail the first round in his eyes, earning an A-grade or higher for their selections. Grading was a blend of two factors: Where the player was on the NBA big board ahea
  
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• What was up with Warriors owner Joe Lacob, GM Mike Dunleavy arguing before pick?

  24-06-2026 20:48 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Golden State Warriors made a pick we graded an A, one of the best in the first round, selecting Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11.However, it wasn't smooth sailing getting there — Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy were seen arguing in the run-up to making that pick, something shown on the ESPN draft broadcast.Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. appear to be arguing before the team selects Yaxel Lendeborg at the No. 11 pick, as seen
  
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• Pistons were planning ‘real run’ at Austin Reaves in free agency

  24-06-2026 20:42 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 23: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on December 23, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via
  
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• NBA Draft grades roundup: How experts view Celtics' Chris Cenac Jr. pick

  24-06-2026 20:34 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NBA Draft grades roundup: How experts view Celtics' Chris Cenac Jr. pick originally appeared on NBC Sports BostonDid the Boston Celtics find a gem with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft?The Celtics used the selection on Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., a 6-foot-11 big man who played just one season at Houston. As a freshman, Cenac Jr. averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor in 37 games.With his size and wingspan (7-foot-5), Cenac Jr. is an exciti
  
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• Spurs boss gives definitive answer on future of NBA Finals scapegoat De’Aaron Fox

  24-06-2026 20:33 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  De'Aaron Fox spurs tradeHalt the NBA Trade Machine mock deals for De’Aaron Fox. The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and the Spurs have given their embattled guard, blamed for San Antonio losing to the Knicks in the NBA Finals, a vote of confidence.Spurs general manager Brian Wright said the team has “ultimate faith in De’Aaron and who he is as a player, what he’s been for us, and what he means to this team, and there’s no wavering in that at all
  
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• Kawhi Leonard trade chatter resurfaces after insider’s blunt prediction

  24-06-2026 20:33 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard, Keaton WaglerThe Clippers may have landed a potential franchise cornerstone on draft night, but the biggest question hanging over the organization still revolves around Kawhi Leonard.According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Clippers are expected to explore trading Leonard if the two sides cannot reach an agreement on a contract extension this offseason.“If an extension is not worked out, I expect the Clippers look to move Kawhi,” Haynes said on NBA TV.
  
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• NBA Draft: 1 interesting fact about all 30 first round 2026 picks

  24-06-2026 20:16 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poses with the 2026 NBA Draft prospects for a portrait before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NB
  
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• NBA Draft: Warriors first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg admits he 'used to hate' Stephen Curry

  24-06-2026 20:14 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  When former Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg was growing up, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA. And like most sports-watching fans at his age, he had to pick a side in that debate.So when it came time to argue with his friends, Lendeborg defended Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers, per ESPN. It reached a point where Lendeborg said he “used to hate” Warriors star Stephen Curry. Now, he’s going to have to adjust to being Cu
  
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• Jayden Quaintance expects to undergo knee procedure, miss the start of the 2026-27 season

  24-06-2026 20:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance shoots baskets while warming up with his team before the Hoosiers and Wildcats play college basketball at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky December 13, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Spurs knew they were taking the long approach when they drafted Jayden Quaintance with the 20th overall pick.While he fits the exact big man prototype they were missing last season, he only played in four games for Kentucky this year after su
  
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• Celtics’ Brad Stevens non-committal on Jaylen Brown’s future in awkward Giannis Antetokounmpo trade fallout

  24-06-2026 20:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Jaylen Brown CelticsBrad Stevens may be leaving the door open for a potential Jaylen Brown trade.With Brown’s future murky after he was included the Celtics’ offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, remained uncertain about what’s to come for Brown.“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens told reporters Tuesday night. “I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team.”5/
  
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