Basketball news

• Eastern Conference Offseason Tracker [UPDATED]

  01-07-2026 20:23 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Knicks are champions, but the rest of the Eastern Conference isn’t standing still. We’ll keep this hub updated throughout free agency with every signing, trade, waiver and notable roster move involving New York’s conference rivals.Last Updated: July 1, 2026, 3 pm EST.Atlanta HawksReported moves:Acquired Devin Carter and a 2033 second-round pick from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the draft rights to Alpha Kaba.Declined the team option on Jonathan Kuminga, making him a
  
  Read more

• NBA free agency 2026: Early winners and losers, including LeBron James, the Celtics and unpredictable star guards

  02-07-2026 20:27 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  We are approaching 48 hours into 2026 NBA free agency, and a lot has happened.Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again. LeBron James is no longer a Los Angeles Laker. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the Miami Heat. Jaylen Brown is no longer a Boston Celtic.Should we go on? LaMelo Ball is a Minnesota Timberwolf. Ja Morant is a Portland Trail Blazer. The Lakers spent $70 million in salary cap space, much of it on Walker Kessler.Our heads are spinning. We can imagine how you feel. So, we've sorted it al
  
  Read more

• Boston/Philly blockbuster, Toronto’s upside & a Lakers shake-up. Plus, where's LeBron going?

  02-07-2026 20:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Subscribe to The Kevin O'Connor ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeKevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh recap the wild first week of free agency.Jaylen Brown is now officially a Philadelphia 76er - but what was the Boston Celtics front office thinking? What do the Toronto Raptors’ chances look like after getting Kawhi Leonard? The Lakers have fully moved on from LeBron James, but are they going in the right direction?01:17 Jaylen Brown traded to 76ers34:51 Impact of Kawhi Leonard in
  
  Read more

• NBA to test new free throw rule, and it’s WILD

  02-07-2026 20:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NBA is looking to speed up the flow of the game, and is tentatively planning to take a page out of the NBA G-League’s book to make it happen. The NBA made an announcement on Thursday that it would test out the “one free throw rule” during the 2026 Summer League, gauging whether or not it should become a staple of the NBA.This might sound extremely confusing at first glance, so let’s break down how this would work. During the passage of a normal game (i.e. not in the f
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• NBA free agency: The most notable July 4 transactions in league history as teams wait on LeBron James

  02-07-2026 19:54 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NBA free agency is in full swing, but the best player available remains unsigned. Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has his sights set on a new franchise next season, and various teams are already reportedly lining up to sign him. Given James' penchant for hijacking the news cycle, could that decision come July 4? The holiday doesn't often feature major sports stories, giving James a chance to dominate coverage if he makes his announcement on that day. There's some precedent for J
  
  Read more

• AJ Dybantsa, Darius Acuff Jr. among the rookies to watch this summer

  02-07-2026 19:16 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  While free agency is not over, things have slowed down after a furious first few days. And now the attention turns to Summer League action, which begins with smaller tournaments in California and Utah this week before the entire NBA meets in Las Vegas on July 9.Summer League and regular-season play are two entirely different animals, but the action gives fantasy managers a small glimpse into how teams hope to use their rookies. Here are ten players to watch over the next two-plus weeks.Ja Morant
  
  Read more

• 2026 NBA Summer League: 10 returnees fantasy managers should be watching

  02-07-2026 19:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The final game of the 2025-26 season was played on June 13, 2026, when the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals to capture their first championship since 1973. That celebratory moment felt like a lifetime ago.In the past four weeks, the NBA Draft Lottery, NBA Draft, and free agency have all either concluded or commenced. There’s been plenty of roster movement — league-altering trades, agreed-upon free agency deals and more. And just as we try to catc
  
  Read more

• 76ers Surge at Sportsbooks, Prediction Markets After Jaylen Brown Trade

  02-07-2026 19:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.The Boston Celtics trading former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers dramatically impacted NBA Finals odds at sportsbooks and NBA prediction market prices.Key TakeawaysThe 76ers are fifth in odds to win the NBA Finals at BetMGM.Kalshi and Polymarket bumped the 76ers from 1% chance of winning the title to as high as 6%.Reports suggest Brown wore out his welcome in Boston.Brown, who spent his f
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Bill Simmons heard Jaylen Brown trade after anesthesia, thought 'I died'

  02-07-2026 18:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Count Bill Simmons among the Boston Celtics fans who were stunned by how the little the team got when they traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. But what Simmons was going through at the moment the transaction went down made for a one-of-a-kind reaction.Simmons, a longtime Boston sports supporter, gave his first thoughts on the move during a live recording of "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Thursday, July 2, and revealed that he found out Brown had been traded from his wife after finishin
  
  Read more

• Excitement might be scary, but the Jaylen Brown trade was a no-brainer

  02-07-2026 18:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON, MA - MAY 2: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talk after the game during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE v
  
  Read more

• The LeBron James pitch rankings: How 29 teams can sell themselves as NBA legend takes free agency meetings

  02-07-2026 18:17 via cbssports.com
  
  Rich Paul and LeBron will be hearing from any and all interested suitors in the coming days, so here's how every team can make its best case
  
  Read more

• Raptors agree to multi-year extension with Darko Rajaković after franchise's first playoff appearance in 4 years

  02-07-2026 18:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Darko Rajaković's Toronto Raptors took the proverbial third-year leap this past season. The 47-year-old Serbian head coach oversaw a 46-win campaign that returned the Raptors to the playoffs for the first time in four years and rewarded them with the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.The breakout signaled significant progress in the franchise's reset three years removed from the final season of the Nick Nurse era. Although Toronto was short-handed during its first-round series versus the
  
  Read more

• Is Jaylen Brown for Paul George the worst Celtics trade of all time?

  02-07-2026 18:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON - FEBRUARY 27: Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown (7) has an animated second quarter conversation with head coach Brad Stevens, left, as teammate Kyrie Irving comes over and joins in. The Boston Celtics host the Portland Trail Blazers in a regular season NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images Today is a tough one, Celtics fans. It’s the day after what’s being viewed as potent
  
  Read more

• Here’s what Santi Aldama brings to the Dallas Mavericks

  02-07-2026 18:02 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  DALLAS, TX - NOVEMBER 22: Santi Aldama #7 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 22, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty
  
  Read more

• Brad Stevens spent years earning trust. He spent most of that trust trading Jaylen Brown.

  02-07-2026 18:02 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Boston, MA - May 2: Boston Celtics fans react in the fourth quarter. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers played in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images As President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens has spent years building up a healthy trust bank.The Derrick White trade was a hefty deposit. Kristaps Porziņģis for Marcus Smart?
  
  Read more

• Raptors sign coach Darko Rajakovic to multi-year extension

  02-07-2026 17:39 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  With the trade for Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors announced themselves as a major threat in the East. They had locked down a roster capable of winning the conference.Now, they have locked down their coach, too. Toronto announced a multi-year extension with coach Darko Rajakovic, who was about to head into the final year of his contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed."I'm proud of the progress we've made, but our team knows there is still a lot of work to do, and I am looking forward t
  
  Read more

• 2026 NBA free agency rankings, tracker: Resetting the market with most of top 40 signed

  02-07-2026 17:18 via cbssports.com
  
  Most players have agreed to new deals, but big names -- like LeBron James and Jalen Duren -- remain on the market
  
  Read more

• Paul George’s trade tree has become one of the wildest in NBA history

  02-07-2026 17:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 08: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Imag
  
  Read more

• 2026 LeBron James Next Team Odds: The King Ready To Work For Minimum To Get On The Right Team

  02-07-2026 17:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.Just when you thought Giannis moving to South Beach was the biggest story of the Summer… LeBron James reminds everyone who the biggest star in the NBA really is.We have officially reached the ultimate flashpoint of the summer, and Kalshi's LeBron James Next Team odds are responding to a full-blown tectonic shift in player movement with the news that James will be moving to pastures new for the 2026-2
  
  Read more

• State of the NBA: Parity… or just plain dumb randomness?

  02-07-2026 17:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 28: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks controls the ball against Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the second half at the TD Garden on October 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images I have this thing hap
  
  Read more

• Knicks unveil 2026 Summer League roster

  02-07-2026 16:52 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Gett
  
  Read more

• Jaylen Brown trade: Celtics' concern over Twitch streams, comparison to Jayson Tatum may have played role in deal

  02-07-2026 16:26 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NBA has a way of hijacking the sports world's attention, even in the depths of the offseason. The sport proved as much Wednesday, as the Boston Celtics shockingly shipped guard Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package involving Paul George. The deal was met with … a lot of questions for the Celtics. While Brown isn't an analytical darling, he has a track record of rising to the occasion. He was, after all, the MVP of the 2023-24 NBA Finals. George, on the other hand, is an
  
  Read more

• The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown trade actually makes sense

  02-07-2026 16:24 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 02: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on May 02, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
  
  Read more

• Goodbye, Unc: Tobias Harris’ Pistons legacy will live on

  02-07-2026 16:13 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  DETROIT, MI - MAY 13: (EDITORS NOTE: A special camera filter fractal was used for this image) Tobias Harris #12 of the Detroit Pistons stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 L
  
  Read more

• Jaylen Brown trade grades: Experts analyze Celtics-Sixers blockbuster

  02-07-2026 16:07 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Jaylen Brown trade grades: Experts analyze Celtics-Sixers blockbuster originally appeared on NBC Sports BostonThe Boston Celtics trading Jaylen Brown wasn’t a huge surprise. He had reportedly been offered in a package for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his name was in many other trade rumors over the last few weeks. The surprising aspects of the eventual Brown trade were the return and the team that acquired him.The Celtics, per multiple reports, sent Brown to the riv
  
  Read more

• Rob Pelinka’s Lakers overhaul cannot be another Hollywood flop

  02-07-2026 16:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Rob Pelinka, this is what you planned for. This is what you’ve spoken about publicly for at least the last year. This is what you’ve set the Lakers up for and made sure it would happen. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, has built his roster around Luka Doncic.Getty ImagesThis is what you sold superstar guard Luka Doncic on after acquiring him in February 2025 and signing him to a three-year extension last summer. An offseason of &l
  
  Read more

• Where the Sixers stand financially after the Jaylen Brown trade

  02-07-2026 15:56 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 02: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics embrace after the 76ers defeated the Celtics 109-100 in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on May 02, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Madd
  
  Read more

• 5 potential Mitchell Robinson replacements Knicks can consider

  02-07-2026 15:28 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Knicks already took their first steps toward repeating the success of their 2026 championship, locking up their bench backcourt to new deals. Unfortunately, they lost a key ingredient to their run as well, with Mitchell Robinson heading to Boston for three years and $47.4 million.This was a contract value the front office couldn’t match without going into the second apron, a hard line for this offseason. With Robinson gone, the Knicks need to fill the hole left at their center pos
  
  Read more

• LeBron James to the 76ers? Why Jaylen Brown could help lure The King to Philly

  02-07-2026 15:21 via cbssports.com
  
  The Sixers have reportedly 'thrown their hat into the ring' for LeBron's services; he'd be a perfect on-court fit
  
  Read more

• Why LeBron James should end his career with the New York Knicks

  02-07-2026 15:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  I’m going to preface this with the following:There’s a good chance that you are a Knicks fan reading this. A good portion will naturally see this and immediately go to the comments and say how much you don’t want this to happen. That is fine. I am not fully advocating for it either.Weighing the pros and cons of LeBron James as a Knick in 2026 is a legitimate thought exercise that we’d be able to do if it was something that felt near-inevitable, rather than a fun thought.S
  
  Read more

Follow @Newslocker_NBA on Twitter!