Category: Basketball

Basketball News

Posted on

NBA on NBC returning with Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers on opening night

NBA on NBC returning with Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers on opening night originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA is returning to NBC this fall, and the league is celebrating the reunion by putting two marquee matchups on the network from the opening tip.

The league announced Tuesday that the 2025-26 season will tip-off on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with two games on NBC and Peacock: Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their 2024-25 NBA championship banner as Kevin Durant makes his Houston Rockets debut against his former team at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The 10 p.m. ET nightcap will pin Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors against LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBC last had NBA broadcasting rights from 1990 to 2002. The network, along with Peacock, is returning as part of the league’s new media rights deal through 2036.

NBA on NBC has a star-studded list of commentators, analysts and studio talent for its return. Mike Tirico will serve as the lead play-by-play announcer with Reggie Miller as the lead game analyst. Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Jamal Crawford (game analyst), Grant Hill (game analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline), Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline), Maria Taylor (studio host), Ahmed Fareed (studio host), Carmelo Anthony (studio analyst), Vince Carter (studio analyst), Tracy McGrady (studio analyst) and Michael Jordan (special contributor) will also be featured in NBC’s coverage.

Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 with a one-hour, on-site studio show featuring Taylor, Anthony and Carter. Tirico, Miller, Crawford and Stephenson will be on the call for when Rockets-Thunder, while Eagle, Hill and ShahAhmadi will announce Warriors-Lakers with additional on-site coverage from Fareed and McGrady.

The NBA also announced the debut of Peacock NBA Monday with an exclusive streaming doubleheader on Monday, Oct. 27. The Cleveland Cavaliers will visit the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports will also present the NBA’s first Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader on Jan. 19, 2026. The slate includes Bucks-Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock exclusive), Thunder-Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), Mavericks–Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and Celtics-Pistons (8 p.m., NBC/Peacock).

NBC and Peacock will also have a couple other staples during the 2025-26 season.

Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will begin on Oct. 28. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be presented to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game will be presented to stations in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Both games will stream nationwide on Peacock.

NBC will also launch Sunday Night Basketball on Feb. 1, 2026. It will pause on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. From there, it will resume from Feb. 22 and run through April 5.

All games presented by NBC Sports during the 2025-26 season will stream nationwide on Peacock.

The NBA will release the full schedule for the 2025-26 season on Thursday.

Posted on

Kings reportedly will begin 2025-26 NBA season with road matchup against Suns

Kings reportedly will begin 2025-26 NBA season with road matchup against Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings don’t know how their 2025-26 NBA season will end, but the beginning of their journey has been revealed.

Sacramento will kick off their regular season on the road against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 22, KCRA’s Sean Cunningham reported Monday, citing sources.

Cunningham also reported that Sacramento’s home opener will be against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 24, followed by another game at Golden 1 Center against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 26.

ESPN Sacramento’s Damien Barling also reported that former coach Mike Brown’s return to Sacramento will be on Jan. 14, when the Kings host his new team, the New York Knicks.

Brown coached the Kings for nearly three seasons before being fired in Dec. 2024 after Sacramento began last season with a 13-18 record. Brown famously coached the beloved “Beam Team,” which broke Sacramento’s 16-year playoff drought by earning the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed during the 2022-23 NBA season.

After losing in the NBA play-in tournament in back-to-back seasons, the Kings are seeking a better result in the upcoming campaign, Sacramento’s first with coach Doug Christie serving in a full-time capacity.

It all begins with an October trip to the desert.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Posted on

Rick Pitino speaks on coaching future, eventual retirement plans

Rick Pitino is entering the 37th season of his career as a head coach in college basketball. However, in turning the age of 73 next month, retirement naturally continues to come up with Pitino. Pitino addressed his future in coaching and eventual retirement in an interview with Jon Rothstein on ‘Inside College Basketball Now’ on [
]

Posted on

Detroit signs veteran wing Javonte Green to one-year contract

The Detroit Pistons just added some defense and toughness to their already impressive wing rotation for next season.

Detroit has signed veteran Javonte Green to a one-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. Green becomes the 14th player on the Pistons roster for next season, although it's not yet known if this is a fully guaranteed contract.

Green, 32, is known for his defense and averaged 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds a game last season, splitting time between the Pelicans (who bought him out) and the Cavaliers (who jumped at the chance to sign him as a free agent).

Green joins a deep wing rotation that likely sees Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson starting, with new additions in Detroit Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson coming off the bench behind them. Marcus Sasser and Ron Holland II also should be in the mix. For a Detroit team that wants to see its defense move into the top 10 in the league this season (it finished last season 11th), adding Green to the mix on the wing is a plus, giving coach J.B. Bickerstaff another solid option in his rotation.

Posted on

Warriors announce preseason Jimmy Butler-Buddy Hield bobblehead giveaway

Warriors announce preseason Jimmy Butler-Buddy Hield bobblehead giveaway originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If it hadn’t been done already, Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield’s frenemyship is being immortalized for good. 

On Monday, as is customary every year, the Warriors revealed the unique bobblehead giveaways to the first 10,000 fans entering Chase Center throughout the 2025 NBA preseason.

And, of course, Butler and Hield’s “Best Buddies” bobblehead stands out, scheduled to be handed out on Oct. 17 when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since Butler arrived in the Bay Area at the NBA trade deadline last season, his comical chemistry with teammate Hield has made headlines more than once. 

As a result, the pair has hilariously established itself as the iconic duo Dub Nation never knew it needed.

Before the Butler-Hield bobblehead giveaway, on Oct. 8 ahead of a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State also will give out a Steph Curry bobblehead, commemorating the star guard’s 2025 Kia NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award. 

Given it’s the first of its kind and the lore behind it, Butler and Hield’s bobblehead will send Dub Nation running to the arena come mid-October.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Kevin Durant claims some Warriors fans are ‘scarred' by his NBA Finals MVP nods

Kevin Durant claims some Warriors fans are ‘scarred' by his NBA Finals MVP nods originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kevin Durant believes he lives rent-free in the minds of some Warriors fans for this particular reason.

The superstar forward took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, to respond to numerous users about a variety of topics, including where he ranked in Golden State’s hierarchy during its dynastic run, claiming some Warriors fans are “scarred” by him winning the NBA Finals MVP award in 2017 and 2018, rather than, for example, Steph Curry.

After veteran forward Andre Iguodala famously — and perhaps controversially — won Finals MVP over Curry in 2015, Durant was awarded the honor over Curry in each of the Warriors’ next two championships, which fueled, fairly or unfairly, a narrative about the superstar point guard’s impact on the biggest stage before Curry finally secured the accolade for Golden State’s fourth championship in 2022.

Durant, based on his post, seems to believe that some Warriors fans might harbor some resentment for Curry not winning the award for each of the first three championships.

2017 NBA Finals stats

Durant (Five games): 35.2 PPG, 8.2 REB, 5.4 AST, 1.0 STL, 1.6 BLK, 55.6 FG%, 47.4 3PT%

Curry (Five games): 26.8 PPG, 8.0 REB, 9.4 AST, 2.2 STL, 44 FG%, 38.8 3PT%

2018 NBA Finals stats

Durant (Four games): 28.8 PPG, 10.8 REB, 7.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.3 BLK, 52.6 FG%, 40.9 3PT%

Curry (Four games): 27.5 PPG, 6 REB, 6.8 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.8 BLK, 40.2 FG%, 41.5 3PT%

Do the numbers lie?

While Durant has more Finals MVPs (2) than Curry (1), it’s fair to assume that Curry is more than content with his four championships.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Kings reportedly the ‘most likely' destination for free agent Russell Westbrook

Kings reportedly the ‘most likely' destination for free agent Russell Westbrook originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears the Kings, after all, could be adding a former NBA MVP.

Despite the mixed signals over a large part of the offseason, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on Monday that Sacramento is the likeliest destination for free-agent point guard Russell Westbrook.

“League sources consider the Sacramento Kings the most likely destination for Westbrook, who will turn 37 during the first month of the season,” MacMahon wrote.

 “If that’s the case, Westbrook would likely come off the bench again and share ballhandling duties with free agency addition Dennis Schroder.”

The nine-time NBA All-Star is coming off a fluctuant season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. 

That said, the Kings, looking to retool their backcourt this offseason after trading star De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs before the trade deadline last season, continue to look for veteran ball-handling experience in addition to Schröder.

Surely, a 36-year-old Westbrook could provide a good spark off the bench in addition to serving as a legitimate scoring threat alongside Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

If the move were to finalize, the Kings would be the future Hall of Fame guard’s sixth team in the last seven seasons. 

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Posted on

What Celtics waiving Miles Norris means for end of Boston's roster

What Celtics waiving Miles Norris means for end of Boston's roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics continued their August roster tinkering Sunday by waiving two-way forward Miles Norris.

The Celtics now have one available two-way slot that could be utilized to sign second-round draft pick Amari Williams. The Celtics previously signed fellow second-round pick Max Shulga to a two-way deal, and combined with a recent trade that delivered two-way forward RJ Luis Jr. from Utah, Boston was facing a temporary two-way log jam.

Boston signed Norris in March, and he appeared in three regular-season games. The 25-year-old forward brought an intriguing blend of size (6-foot-10) and shooting ability, but the Celtics were forced to trim after acquiring Luis Jr. from the Jazz as part of the Georges Niang deal last week.

The Celtics selected 6-foot-11 Williams with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old big man showed some intriguing potential at NBA Summer League with his blend of playmaking and shot-blocking. Williams must show he can improve as a finisher around the basket at the pro level.

Shulga was the 57th pick in this year’s draft. Luis Jr., the Big East Player of the Year out of St. John’s, went undrafted in June but latched on with the Jazz in the aftermath.

Two-way slots are important as Boston looks to develop young, cost-efficient talent for the back end of the roster. The Celtics have utilized 2-way deals in the past to mold current roster players like Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta, both of whom could see big minutes during the 2025-26 season.

With all the departures this offseason, the Celtics could have ample opportunity for younger players to show their potential. Williams, especially with a thinned frontcourt, seems particularly important for depth purposes.

!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();
Posted on

Mabrey leads Connecticut against Golden State after 22-point game

Connecticut Sun (5-25, 3-8 Eastern Conference) at Golden State Valkyries (15-15, 7-10 Western Conference) San Francisco; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Valkyries -9; over/under is 157.5 BOTTOM LINE: Connecticut Sun visits the Golden State Valkyries after Marina Mabrey scored 22 points in the Sun's 94-86 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. The Valkyries are 9-5 in home games.

Posted on

Charges against Marcus Morris Sr. dismissed after markers to casinos paid off

The charges against former NBA player Marcus Morris Sr. for fraud involving outstanding debts to two Las Vegas casinos have been dropped after the markers were paid off, according to court documents reviewed by KLAS television 8 in Las Vegas.

Morris was arrested in Florida late last month on what were officially fraud charges related to insufficient funds to cover a total of $265,000 in lines of credit to gamble at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, with these issues dating back to 2024. The casinos simply wanted their money back, and once the lines of credit were repaid, the charges were dismissed.

From the start, Morris strongly denied that there was any malice or intent to defraud anyone involved, as he explained in a conversation with his twin brother Markieff Morris on their YouTube channel.

"Don't ever put my name with nothing but fraud. This is not fraud activity. I have never wrote a check to no casinos in exchange for money that I can put in my pocket. I wrote exchange for credit thinking that you know the source of the income and you know what I've done in the past years to pay it back plus put the money back that I chose to take from y'all to gamble with. So you know I want to just clear that up and then you could take it how you want."

This case is now in the past. Morris played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Clippers, 76ers and most recently, the Cavaliers. Morris did not play in the league last season and does not have a contract for the upcoming season.

Posted on

Trae Young reportedly 'resigned' to idea he will not sign extension with Hawks this summer

Atlanta was aggressive this offseason in retooling its roster. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking to Atlanta. The Hawks sign-and-traded for Nickeil Alexander-Walker to add shooting and more defense on the wing. The Hawks went out and got Luke Kennard. Add in Jalen Johnson's return to health, along with the potential of a Zaccharie Risacher leap in his second season, and the Hawks look like a potential top-four team in the East.

The one area Atlanta was not aggressive this summer: Talking contract extension with Trae Young. While that may leave Young frustrated, both sides appear resigned to the idea of Young playing out this season on his current contract and figuring out the future next summer, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.

"Yet league sources tell me there are no plans for Young and the Hawks to engage in extension talks this summer. This, though, does not necessarily come as a surprise... Sources say Young's side has actually been resigned for some time to the prospect of seeing out the final guaranteed year on his current contract rather than securing an extension, like his current contract, worth in excess of $200 million. He'd then have to make a decision about his $49 million player option for 2026-27."

To be clear, Young isn't looking to leave the Hawks and they aren't looking to trade him.

This is a matter of the Atlanta organization wanting to play this season out with this improved roster, see what things look like and how it all meshes, and then make financial commitments next summer, when Porzingis will be a free agent and Young can opt out of the $48.9 million final year of his contract and hit the market as well. The risk for the Hawks is that Young opts out and signs elsewhere, and they lose him for nothing. However, considering how tight the free agent market has been in the apron era, Atlanta may be willing to take that risk.

Next June, the Hawks also have the Pelicans' first-round pick unprotected (part of New Orleans trading up in this year's draft to get Derik Queen). If New Orleans struggles this season — a genuine possibility — this could end up being a high draft pick in a deep draft at the top, which could have Atlanta tweaking its vision for the future.

For Young, he can turn his frustration into an opportunity — if the four-time All-Star can spark the Hawks' offense and lead this team to a high seed and a playoff run, his value goes up heading into the next round of negotiations (with the threat of him becoming a free agent and just walking away looming). However it plays out, it looks more and more like Young will not be joining Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox and other stars who signed extensions this summer.