MINNEAPOLIS — We of the United States are one of the world’s top seven or eight countries, there’s not much question about that, but there’s an admission to make for those of us of a certain age in the male division of the population.

That would be the fact it has taken long-term therapy for us to gain a proper appreciation for the ...Read more

BOSTON — Giannis Antetokounmpo would have been controversial and risky, but understandable.

Paul George and a handful of picks? For a 29-year-old franchise pillar coming off his best season? That’s baffling.

And yet, that’s how the Jaylen Brown saga resolved Wednesday, with the Boston Celtics shipping their longest-tenured player to a ...Read more

The trade that rocked the NBA was bittersweet for Jaylen Brown, who spoke out Thursday for the first time since the Boston Celtics agreed to send him to the rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Brown spent his first 10 seasons with the Celtics and won NBA Finals MVP in their 2024 championship run, but this week’s blockbuster followed widespread ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Anfernee Simons has agreed to sign a two-year, $12.3 million contract with the 76ers, a source confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday afternoon.

After trading for star Jaylen Brown Wednesday night, the Sixers turned to some much-needed bench bolstering after losing sixth man Quentin Grimes, who will reportedly sign ...Read more

I still remember that Los Angeles Clippers’ news conference – it was either that or a signing celebration – in late July of 2019. The site was a kids’ recreation center in South L.A., and the assemblage was a mixture of media members with notepads and cameras, sponsors and members of the organization, with lots of kids on the premises ...Read more

MIAMI — In the end, Norman Powell proved to be only a short-term rental for the Miami Heat, with the guard Wednesday reaching a free-agency agreement to move on to the Chicago Bulls.

Despite a breakout season with the Heat that led to his first career All-Star appearance, Powell wound up being squeezed by the hard cap created by the trade ...Read more

NEW YORK — Former NBA player Malik Beasley may be accused of rigging pro basketball games, but at least he picks up when his mother calls — most of the time.

The 29-year-old former guard's actor parents signed off on his $100,000 bond at a hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court Wednesday, where his mom told a judge Beasley mostly picks up the ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Well, aren’t we all a bunch of idiots?

So much for the two timelines thing.

And for the long, arduous process of building a contender piece by piece.

So much for all of the hand-wringing about Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes and LaBaron Philon Jr.

And about Mike Gansey, for that matter.

The Philadelphia 76ers did the ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jonathan Isaac isn’t going anywhere.

The Magic signed the veteran forward to a new deal, the team announced on Wednesday.

While the team didn’t disclose details of the contract, Isaac signed a one-year deal, a league source told the Orlando Sentinel.

Orlando previously waived Isaac over the weekend to avoid fully ...Read more

BOSTON — In a stunning, franchise-shaking move, the Celtics reached an agreement Wednesday to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

In return, Boston reportedly will receive nine-time All-Star wing Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Brown had been the ...Read more

DENVER — The Nuggets have reached out to LeBron James to express interest in the 21-time All-NBA forward in free agency, a league source outside of the Nuggets told The Denver Post.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that James will join a new team this offseason, ending an eight-year stint with the Lakers highlighted by a ...Read more

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has denounced the racist hate and abuse directed at Alyssa Thomas since the Phoenix Mercury forward committed a flagrant foul against star guard Caitlin Clark.

"It's absolutely unacceptable," White told the media before the team's practice on Wednesday. "I think as a league as a whole, there's been so ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — A heartwarming reunion is underway in Orlando.

Free agent center Nikola Vucevic has signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return to the Magic, ESPN first reported Wednesday morning.

But as Vucevic returns, another fan-favorite big man departs.

Free-agent center Moe Wagner, the older brother of Magic star Franz Wagner, is ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have lost one of their most important players during their resurgence over the past two years: Tobias Harris. Harris has signed a two-year, $31 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, leaving the Pistons behind, a source familiar with the deal told The Detroit News.

Harris aimed to return to the Pistons after ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers secured their starting center of the future in a massive trade with Utah on Wednesday, agreeing to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz in exchange for 24-year-old Walker Kessler, sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed Wednesday to the Los ...Read more

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics made clear entering this offseason that they wanted to add an impact center.

On Wednesday, they did, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $47.4 million contract with Mitchell Robinson, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Robinson, who played a key role on the New York Knicks’ championship team, was...Read more

DALLAS — Dusty May should still be the head coach at the University of Michigan, where he should be preparing for another season, and soon watching a national title banner drop from the rafters at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

Instead, he’s the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, and the fact that he even considered leaving one of the best ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In what Eastern Kentucky University athletics director Kyle Moats describes as a “football move,” EKU will officially switch conferences July 1. On Wednesday, Eastern formally leaves the ASUN to join an all-sports version of the United Athletic Conference.

Essentially, the football-playing schools from the ASUN are ...Read more

DENVER — The Joker’s on us. Why would LeBron James take Tim Hardaway Jr. money to sign with the Nuggets when Tim Hardaway Jr. wouldn’t take Tim Hardaway Jr. money to sign with the Nuggets?

Don’t get me wrong. Dream big or go home, right? King James and Nikola Jokic would destroy at least 60 rims during the regular season and break the ...Read more