Jun 24, 2022 Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — The secret about how Orlando was going to take Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft was incredibly well-kept. Among those who didn’t know: Banchero himself. Banchero said even he was kept out of the Magic decision loop until about 30 seconds before

12:52 AM ET Dan HajduckyESPN Close Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities. The basketball card that rapper and NBA superfan Drake spent at least $200,000 trying to find — the 2020-21

Jun 23, 2022 ESPN News Services The Philadelphia 76ers are trading the No. 23 pick from Thursday night’s NBA draft and small forward Danny Green to the Memphis Grizzlies for shooting guard De’Anthony Melton, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Memphis will get the rights to guard David Roddy, sources said. Philadelphia selected him at No.

6:19 PM ET NBA free agency doesn’t begin until June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, but the news is already rolling in from around the Association. Much of the early buzz is coming out of New York, where Kyrie Irving‘s contract status has pundits and fans speculating about the future of the Brooklyn Nets‘ star

2:01 AM ET NBA Insiders With the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero. The move came as something of a surprise, given that Banchero never met with the Magic and the consensus around the league was that Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. would be headed to

8:00 AM ET Gay people have made strides in many sectors of American professional life. An openly gay man runs Apple, presides as the governor of Colorado, and an open lesbian runs a Fortune 500 company. But in the highest reaches of men’s basketball, gay people are almost invisible. In 2011, 58-year-old Phoenix Suns CEO

5:39 PM ET Steve Clifford has agreed on a deal to become the Charlotte Hornets‘ coach, returning for a second run on the job, the team announced Friday. Clifford, who led the franchise to two playoff appearances in a five-year run that ended in 2018, returns in the wake of Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson

11:04 AM ET Five-star recruit Matas Buzelis — the No. 11 player in ESPN’s Top 100 for the Class of 2023 — has committed to the G League Ignite for the 2023-24 season, sources told ESPN on Friday. Buzelis, a skilled 6-foot-10 forward, will bypass college basketball and sign into the NBA’s professional pathway program

10:10 PM ET The Pistons acquired veteran guard Kemba Walker from the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade involving the Charlotte Hornets that also saw Detroit acquire the draft rights to Jalen Duren on Thursday night. Walker and the Pistons are expected to discuss a contract buyout that will allow him to

2:07 PM ET ESPN News Services The Los Angeles Lakers traded into Thursday night’s NBA draft, acquiring the Orlando Magic‘s No. 35 for a future second-round pick and cash. The Lakers used the 35th overall pick to select shooting guard Max Christie out of Michigan State. Orlando will receive the better of either the Lakers’