Basketball news

• VOTE: Grade the Rockets NBA Free Agency pickups

  06-07-2026 19:24 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Apr 24, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts after making a basket during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to partic
  
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• Amen Thompson gets huge contract extension: What it means for Rockets

  03-09-2026 18:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Amen Thompson's rise in the NBA will continue with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets and Thompson have come to terms on a new lucrative contract extension that will make the 23-year-old a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future, according to multiplereports on Thursday, September 3. Thompson has agreed to sign a 5-year, $208-million contract extension with the Rockets, ESPN reported. The uber-athletic two-way guard was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He just completed the m
  
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• Amen Thompson reportedly agrees to five year, $208 million extension with Houston

  03-09-2026 17:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Amen Thompson is poised for a breakout year. Already one of the league's best perimeter defenders whose offensive game keeps improving each season, the 23-year-old is on the verge of becoming one of the league's brightest young stars.The Houston Rockets are paying him like one. Thompson and the Rockets have agreed to a five-year, $208 million contract extension, a deal broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by other reports. The contract includes a 10% trade kicker.This is a w
  
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• Who is Uncle Dennis? What to know about Kawhi Leonard's adviser Dennis Robertson and his role in NBA's investigation

  03-09-2026 17:28 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was reportedly paid $28 million by a company funded by team owner Steve Ballmer that helped the Clippers evade the NBA salary cap, according to a report by Pablo Torre in 2025. Nearly a full year after the NBA launched a formal investigation into the matter, the it issued its findings Wednesday, docking the Clippers five first-round picks, fining Clippers owner Steve Ballmer $30 million and fining Leonard $700,000, among other penalties. On his show, "Pabl
  
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• Is there a pathway to minutes for Chris Mañon, Arthur Kaluma this season?

  03-09-2026 17:24 via sports.yahoo.com
  SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 5: Chris Manon #30, Arthur Kaluma #47, and William Hickey #66 of the Los Angeles Lakers smile after the game against the Miami Heat during the California Classic Game on July 5, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by No
  
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• NBA punishes LA Clippers over Kawhi Leonard deals: What we know

  03-09-2026 17:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Kawhi Leonard saga came to a head on Wednesday, Sept. 2, when the NBA released the results of an 11-month investigation that concluded the Los Angeles Clippers knowingly circumvented the league's salary cap through "no-show" endorsement deals for their former star forward.The Clippers are being fined $30 million, and the team will forfeit five first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA drafts. Leonard has been fined $700,000, but will not be suspended. The league, however,
  
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• What to expect from Rockets, Thunder & Knicks in 2026-27 with Sam Amick

  03-09-2026 17:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Subscribe to The Kevin O'Connor ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeKevin O’Connor is joined by Sam Amick to continue his NBA Entertainment Rankings, diving deep into offseason moves, title expectations and chaos potential for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks. They break down Houston’s all-or-nothing gamble on veterans like Kevin Durant, OKC’s roster flexibility and subtle strategy shift and the Knicks’ shot at a championship repeat amid ne
  
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• 6 winners, 5 losers from Kawhi Leonard scandal after Clippers get hit with NBA ‘death penalty’

  03-09-2026 16:56 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 09: Steve Ballmer attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks at Intuit Dome on March 09, 2026 in Inglewood, 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. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap to funnel e
  
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• Amen Thompson, Rockets reportedly work out 5-year, $208M extension

  03-09-2026 16:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Houston Rockets and Amen Thompson have reportedly agreed to a five-year, $208 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.The extension for Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, also includes a 10% trade kicker. He is entering the final season of a four-year rookie scale contract he signed in 2023 and will earn $12.3 million this season with his new deal kicking in next summer.Thompson, 23, can play guard and forward. He led the NBA in minutes play
  
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• What can the Clippers do now? Rebuilding after NBA's harshest penalties won't be easy, but there's a blueprint

  03-09-2026 15:38 via cbssports.com
  
  The Clippers, docked five first-round picks for breaking salary cap rules, are in a bad position, but it could be much worse
  
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• NBA hammers Clippers over Kawhi Leonard scandal; Dante Moore No. 1 in CFB QB rankings

  03-09-2026 15:11 via cbssports.com
  
  Plus, your 2026 fantasy football draft guides are here
  
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• Keaton Wagler caught in midst of Clippers chaos

  03-09-2026 15:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the fifth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler after he was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images Just 71 days ago, the Los Angeles Clippers selected star All-American guard Keaton Wagler with the No. 5 overall pick. A lot has changed in the roughly two months since they made that pick, however, and right now is not a gr
  
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• Clippers will be irrelevant for years after NBA drops hammer on franchise

  03-09-2026 15:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NBA brought the hammer down on the Clippers for circumventing the league’s salary cap rules by “initiating off-court income opportunities” for star forward Kawhi Leonard.And the impact of the harsh penalties after the yearlong investigation will be felt for years to come. Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers in action against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Getty ImagesAmong the punishments the NBA dished ou
  
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• Where does Knicks' Jalen Brunson rank among the NBA's best point guards?

  03-09-2026 14:50 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Following last year’s historic run to the NBA championship, there’s little a critic can say to Jalen Brunson. New York’s captain averaged 28.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists en route to a Knicks championship, hitting clutch shots and stringing together all-time performances along the way.With training camp still a month out, fans have had to occupy their free time with the sort of debates a run like that naturally sparks. One of those debates is where Brun
  
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• Will the Clippers’ $30m fine tame the NBA’s billionaire class? We’re about to find out

  03-09-2026 14:18 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard found themselves in the middle of one of the biggest scandals in NBA history. Photograph: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty ImagesWhen Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for $2bn in 2014, it was widely regarded as a coup for the NBA.Not only is Ballmer one of the richest men in the world – worth an estimated $152.7bn – but his passion and enthusiasm for the sport stood in stark contrast to the team’s embattled former owner. Donald Sterling, who bo
  
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• Schedule Preview, Part IV: The home stretch

  03-09-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 6: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs blocks shot of Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at Frost Bank Center on April 6, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images You got to hand it to baseball on this one, the dog
  
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• Ranking the Suns’ depth pieces entering the season

  03-09-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up court around Nikola Topic #44 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 William Purnell/Getty Images) | Getty Images We begin ranking
  
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• Hey, remember Joe Smith? The Clippers certainly do…

  03-09-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 15: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 15, 2026 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE
  
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• Clippers’ staggering Kawhi Leonard bill is almost too insane to believe

  03-09-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  In the summer of 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers grabbed every single chip they could find and pushed them into the middle of the table. The result was Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and a revamped roster ready to compete for an NBA championship. A complete transformation of the team and superstars to put on the marquee.But in the NBA, when you go all-in to win a championship in the present, there’s always a price to pay down the road. The Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard gam
  
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• Beer goggles: The future is bright and blurry in Brew City

  03-09-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  MILWAUKEE, WI - CIRCA 1970's: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action during an early circa 1970's NBA basketball game at the Milwaukee Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Abdul-Jabbar played for the Bucks from 1969 - 75. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images “I can’t believe this just happened!” You either said it or you heard it, on a day you never thought would come—when the Bucks traded away a player we got to watch grow up, a player who be
  
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• Kawhi Leonard Next Team Odds: Raptors Reunion Chance Surges as NBA Rules Against Star

  03-09-2026 13:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.Just what will be Kawhi Leonard's next team? The NBA investigation into sponsor deals has concluded, with Leonard "escaped" with just a $700,000 fine. The NBA punished the Clippers on Wednesday for violating salary cap rules. Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year ban, the Clippers were dealt a $30 million fine, and the team faces a forfeit of five draft picks. Kawhi Leonard himself faces a perso
  
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• Swanson: Kawhi Leonard is a Hall of Fame scam artist who deserves Clippers fans' boos

  03-09-2026 13:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Kawhi Leonard celebrates with a teammate during a game last season. (Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)Clippers fans, please join the rest of L.A. in booing Kawhi Leonard.With your whole chests, let him hear it, the entitled scoundrel.Greedy villain.Selfish charlatan.The Clippers’ star and his team found the one NBA franchise that was desperate enough to allegedly acquiesce to all of his out-of-bounds demands, to break the rules if only he would please, please pick them.Yearning to be loved
  
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• Open Thread: The NBA concludes its yearlong investigation into the Clippers salary circumvention

  03-09-2026 13:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Mar 7, 2023; Inglewood CA, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard at a topping off ceremony at the Intuit Dome. The arena, the future home of the LA Clippers, is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports I spent Wednesday evening racking my brain for a way to combine “karma” and “Kawhi” but the best I came up with was “Kawharma” which sounds more like Middle Eastern meat cooked on a spit. It’s still apropos as Kawhi
  
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• Will Kawhi penalties help Celtics maximize the Clippers' 2028 pick?

  03-09-2026 11:51 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Will Kawhi penalties help Celtics maximize the Clippers' 2028 pick? originally appeared on NBC Sports BostonThe NBA dropped a hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for salary cap circumvention related to the signing of Kawhi Leonard, which included taking away five future first-round draft picks from the team starting in 2029.The Boston Celtics have a vested interest in the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick as part of the draft compensation received during the Jaylen Brown trade to
  
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• Two paths to stardom for Rockets Amen Thompson (besides developing a three)

  03-09-2026 11:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 01: Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets celebrates a basket and a foul call during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, 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. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Get
  
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• NBA investigation ends with LA Clippers sent 25 seasons back in time

  03-09-2026 11:08 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play during the first quarter of the NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome on April 07, 2026 in Inglewood, 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. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images The NBA’s nearly year-lo
  
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• LA Clippers fined $30m over Leonard pay scandal

  03-09-2026 08:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Kawhi Leonard joined the LA Clippers in 2019 [Getty Images]The LA Clippers have been fined $30m (£22.2m) by the NBA for violating salary rules in order to funnel millions of dollars to star player Kawhi Leonard.The fine - the largest in the league's history - comes after the NBA report said Leonard pressured the Clippers into "obtaining off-court income opportunities [and] successfully obtaining those opportunities".The investigation was opened in September 2025 when podcast journalist Pab
  
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• NBA punishes Clippers, Steve Ballmer: 5 key findings from the league's Kawhi Leonard investigation

  03-09-2026 06:31 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  A day short of a full year since Pablo Torre unearthed evidence that the Los Angeles Clippers under owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the NBA’s salary cap in their dealings with star forward Kawhi Leonard, the league released the findings of its own investigation into the franchise and Leonard.The 35-page report from the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as a damning rebuke to the Clippers’ denials they had sidestepped league rules. NBA commissioner Adam Silver evi
  
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• Frances Tiafoe wants to feed off ‘Knicks energy’ to end US Open drought — even if his NBA fandom is elsewhere

  03-09-2026 06:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  TiafoeIn the hunt to be the first American to end the Grand Slam drought, Frances Tiafoe is hoping to channel the Knicks’ championship energy while he’s in Flushing Meadows. Tiafoe advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open, defeating Rei Sakamoto in three sets in front of noted celebrity Knicks fan Ben Stiller on Wednesday night, and was asked afterward about the noticeable number of fans wearing Knicks gear at this year’s tournament. Tiafoe, whose sporting allegia
  
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• Winners and losers from NBA finding, penalties on Clippers, Kawhi Leonard investigation

  03-09-2026 06:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Adam Silver and the NBA brought the hammer down on the Clippers.Announcing the findings and penalties from a year-long investigation into the Clippers using team sponsors and business partners to circumvent the salary cap and funnel more money to Kawhi Leonard, the league came down with the harshest penalties in league history:• The Clippers surrender five first-round draft picks (2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033).
  • The Clippers are fined $30 million.
  • Clippers owner Steve Ballm
  
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