6:55 PM ET Once free agency starts on Sunday, the Rockets are planning to recruit Jimmy Butler to push the Philadelphia 76ers for a sign-and-trade deal that would allow the All-Star forward to join James Harden and Chris Paul in Houston, league sources tell ESPN. The Rockets don’t have the salary-cap space to sign Butler,

4:04 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN WALTHAM, Mass. — Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the Boston Celtics. And yet, as the start of free agency approaches this weekend, Marcus Smart remains optimistic about the state of the franchise — even as both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford appear headed elsewhere next month. “I’m

8:08 AM ET Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden for MVP? Luka Doncic or Trae Young for Rookie of the Year? The wait is almost over for the “2019 NBA Awards Show,” hosted by Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (9 p.m. ET, TNT). Here’s the list of finalists for each major award. Note: Six of the

11:58 PM ET Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Milwaukee Bucks player to win the Most Valuable Player award. The award was announced on Monday at a ceremony in Los Angeles. At just 24 years old, Antetokounmpo became the third-youngest player to win the MVP over the past 40 seasons, behind Derrick Rose

5:23 PM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers demurred when asked if he was optimistic heading into formal conversations with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson this week regarding their respective futures with the team. “We’ll see,” Myers said during a Monday news conference to introduce Warriors rookies Jordan Poole, Alen

10:40 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Unable to send disease fighters to help battle one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks in history, U.S. health officials are turning to basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo for help. Mutombo, regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history and a well-known philanthropist in

11:26 PM ET Los Angeles is wasting little time pitching Kawhi Leonard on a potential move to the Clippers. Two digital billboards went up over Interstate 5 in Downey, about 10 miles southeast of Staples Center, encouraging the Southern California native to come home. Free agency around the corner? Must be billboard season in LA.

12:21 AM ET The agent for Willie Cauley-Stein has encouraged the Sacramento Kings to allow his client to become a unrestricted free agent. “I’m hopeful they will not even give Willie his qualifying offer,” Roger Montgomery of Roc Nation Sports told the Sacramento Bee. The 7-foot Cauley-Stein has played all four of his NBA seasons

6:05 PM ET Ohm Youngmisuk Close ESPN Staff Writer Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate

1:47 AM ET Associated Press TOKYO — Japanese basketball officials, fans and media hailed the selection of Rui Hachimura in the 2019 NBA draft, saying the move will usher in a new era for the sport in Japan. Hachimura became the first player from Japan to be chosen in the first round of the NBA