NBA RUMORS AND NEWS

Larry Brown Sports "The NBA is set for a return in late July, but a lot of finer points are still being discussed. Some of those were shared with players on Friday’s call with player representatives. Shams Charania of The Athletic had details of the call and what was discussed on it...." June 05

12 Up "While the NBA is working on its restart plan for the league to come back on July 31, it has to make sure that it keeps all parties involved as safe as possible to follow CDC guidelines. The health of players, coaches, officials and other personnel around the league will be of the..." June 05

Clutch Points "With the NBPA approving the Board of Governors’ proposal to resume the 2019-20 season, certain dates in the future have been severely impacted by re-scheduling the rest of the campaign. For one, the start date for the 2020-21 NBA season has been pushed, tentatively, for Dec...." June 05

Heavy "Though the NBA will be returning to finish up the season, it’s never too early for the Los Angeles Lakers to start thinking about free agency. This year’s group of free agents isn’t particularly impressive, but the team can definitely find some good..." June 05

Mirror "Vanessa Bryant has led a touching tribute in the name of her daughter Gianna on what would have marked her 8th grade graduation. The 38-year-old mum of four suffered inconceivable heartache when her husband Kobe Bryant was killed alongside their daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash..." June 05

Total Pro Sports "Rudy Gobert doesn’t have time for trolls on social media. The Utah Jazz All-Star center took to Twitter and posted a response to the people in France engaging in a massive protest. For some reason, that upset a Twitter user who jumped in the comments to tell Gobert,..." June 05

Fadeaway World "It’s official: the NBA is back! With a return date set for late next month, teams and players around the league are making the necessary preparations to return to action. And with this in mind, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks and..." June 05

Nike News "Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community.  Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family. We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the..." June 05

New York Times "During a May 8 conference call with numerous N.B.A. players, Adam Silver dismissed the praise he had received in some corners for suspending the 2019-20 season before other major North American sports and downplayed the notion that it was a bold mandate from the commissioner’s..." June 05

Fadeaway World "Michael Jordan was responsible for entertaining NBA fans during a big part of the NBA hiatus and now it was revealed he had a big say in the decision of having normal playoff format when the league resumes action at the end of July. NBA commissioner Adam Silver reveals MJ’s..." June 05

TSN "Atlanta Hawks star player Trae Young played in an organized basketball game in his native state of Oklahoma on Wednesday, according to The Oklahoman. According to the newspaper, the 25-year-old Young participated in a game for the Skinz League, a local Pro-Am league. The Hawks..." June 05

Total Pro Sports "LeBron James continued his pledge that will he will continue to be “louder than ever” as protests continue in the streets of basically every major American city. The Los Angeles Lakers star took to Twitter and used his massive social media platform to shine a light on..." June 05

Daily Mail "The Washington Examiner fired a conservative journalist after she posted a picture of herself online posing with a power drill outside a boarded-up business in Los Angeles amid George Floyd protests.  Fiona Moriarty-McLaughlin was let go after video footage emerged of the the..." June 05

Fadeaway World "For the Nets, having the season suspended is probably a blessing. They are basically waiting for the return of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to the lineup together, and the former needs as much time as possible to regain his full health following a devastating Achilles injury. The..." June 05

Detroit News "Pistons coach Dwane Casey was on a video call with his players this week when the subject turned to social justice in the midst of the protests around the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That conversation turned into action on Thursday, as the..." June 05

NBC Sports Northwest "With a nationwide outcry against systemic racial injustice in the USA, police brutality and the death of George Floyd, NBA players across the nation have taken action on social media and been seen demonstrating in protests around the country. Trail Blazers All-Star..." June 05

Clutch Points "Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade urged his followers to hold police accountable by recording the brutality that takes place every day. The former NBA star quote tweeted a video of a black man being detained and consequently wrestled to the ground for resisting arrest. The..." June 05

Fadeaway World "Charles Barkley is one of the game’s most interesting characters. His humor and honesty make him one of the best commentators the NBA has to offer and his career as a premier power forward makes him an ALl-time great basketball player. But, perhaps, one of the most interesting..." June 05

Bleacher Report "Germany's Basketball Bundesliga is asking players to wear tracking chips for the duration of the 10-team tournament that is set to begin on Saturday.  BBL commissioner Stefan Holz told ESPN's Zach Lowe and Jonathan Givony the league wants players to wear a..." June 05

Nets Daily "Kevin Durant will not return for the 2019-2020 season, according to multiple sources. The decision was made after Durant and the Brooklyn Nets evaluated their options after the NBA announced its plan to return on July 31. There’s no word on whether Kyrie..." June 05

Fadeaway World "The NBA is all about your reputation. If players feel like you can be pushed around, nobody’s going to want to play with you, regardless of how talented you are. That’s why all coaches crave tough players and hardnosed competitors on their squads. Toughness is a two-way..." June 05

Hoops Rumors "It got a bit lost in the shuffle amidst all of Thursday’s updates, but the NBA provided some important details on how this year’s draft lottery seeding and odds will work. They are as follows: The eight teams not included in the Orlando restart will be the..." June 05

Larry Brown Sports "Alvin Gentry is opposed to the idea of older coaches not being allowed on the bench when the NBA season resumes in July. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on TNT Thursday that older coaches might not be allowed to be on the bench because the CDC classifies those 65 and over..." June 05

Sportsnaut "The upcoming NBA offseason is going to be frantic with the current campaign set to return in late July. Teams are going to have less than two months in between the end of the 2020 NBA Finals and opening night next season. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see how teams..." June 05

SI "The WNBA is in the early stages of proposing a 22-game regular season that would begin on July 24, according to ESPN's Mechelle Voepel. The league is planning on playing its games at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The playoffs would end in October, though details have not..." June 05

Clutch Points "Spencer Dinwiddie hasn’t seen the NBA hardwood in nearly three months, but that has not kept the Brooklyn Nets point guard from thinking of a way to help his community. Besides the recent initiatives to help Brooklyn victims of the coronavirus pandemic, Dinwiddie..." June 05

Yardbarker "The publisher of the NBA 2K video game paused all online game activity for two hours Thursday in honor of George Floyd and his memorial service. Online play was paused from 2-4 p.m. ET while Floyd's service took place in Minneapolis, and it was an incredible moment of support..." June 05

The Big Lead "NBA commissioner Adam Silver joined the Inside the NBA crew Thursday night to discuss the league's plan for returning to action. Silver went through the plan and answered questions, but one thing stood out: he claimed the league would not have to shut down if a player tested..." June 05

ESPN "National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts expressed concern over the NBA's tentative timeline to open training camps for the 2020-21 season on Nov. 10 -- less than a month after the proposed end of the NBA Finals in Orlando, Florida. "I was..." June 05

Fadeaway World "With the NBA’s return officially in place, teams and players around the league are gearing up for their shot at the title. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Paul Millsap, the Nuggets are primed to be one of the Western elites when the season returns — but how far they..." June 05

CBS Sports "The NBA board of governors approved the league's return to play proposal on Thursday by a vote of 29-1. Assuming the players pass the plan during their vote on Friday, basketball will return on July 31 at Disney World in Orlando. Twenty-two teams will be in attendance, and they'll play..." June 05

USA Today "Black people in America are fighting two viruses.  On one hand, the global pandemic brought on by COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting black communities. The other virus – racism and its impact on black communities in America –  is also alive and..." June 05

Hoops Rumors "While every NBA team probably has at least one reason not to be thrilled with the 22-team plan and format the league has settled on for this summer’s return to play, the Magic and Grizzlies are among those who should theoretically have the biggest..." June 05

ESPN "After nearly five months of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese Basketball Association will return June 20, after government health and athletic officials gave the final approval. The 20 teams will be divided equally and play in two cities. All games will be played..." June 05

Sports Business Daily "Nets F Kevin Durant has purchased a minority stake in the Union, between 1% and 5%, according to a source. It’s unclear if Durant’s investment in the MLS team is a personal one or through Thirty Five Ventures, a business he co-founded with partner Rich Kleiman...." June 05

Yardbarker "NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on TNT’s Inside The NBA this evening to discuss the league’s officially confirmed 22-team return this summer. Silver touched on a potpourri of topics. Though more radical season structuring options were discussed, Silver..." June 05

ESPN "It has been nearly three months since the last NBA game was played. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and man, there's a lot to love about every team that's going to compete for the 2020 NBA championship in Orlando next month. Now that the league's board of..." June 05

TMZ "Kobe Bryant fans in Europe paid homage to the Mamba in a HUGE way this week ... finishing up a 39-foot-high mural of Bean that's now the biggest on the continent. Locals in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina began painting the tribute at an elementary school about two..." June 05

Cleveland.com "On Feb. 6, the Cavaliers stunned the NBA by trading for two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond. At that time, Cleveland believed it had the final two months to begin conducting a Drummond experiment. General manager Koby Altman has long been a fan, their relationship going back to..." June 05

CBS Sports "The 2019-20 NBA season will resume after all, as team owners voted 29-1 on Thursday afternoon approving a proposal to play out the remainder of the season at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The league is targeting a start date of July 31, and will bring 22 teams to Orlando to crown a..." June 05

NBC Sports Chicago "The Bulls began the 2019-20 season with such promise, even talking playoffs. They will end it with such peculiarity, now talking pandemic. Pending expected ownership approval in a Thursday morning Board of Governors call, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will announce a 22-team..." June 05

Sun Sentinel "It's game on again for the Miami Heat and NBA . . . but only if health hurdles can be cleared. The NBA Board of Governors, as expected, on Thursday approved, by a 29-1 vote, a return-to-work plan that will include 22 of the league's 30 teams, ending the season for eight teams..." June 05

Detroit News "For two years, the Pistons have had one of the more unusual structures to their front office in the NBA. After moving on from Stan Van Gundy and Jeff Bower, who were team president and general manager, respectively, the Pistons brought in Ed Stefanski, who served as senior adviser to team owner..." June 05

ESPN "The NBA has announced its return, 85 days after suspending the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the NBA's board of governors overwhelmingly approved a proposal for 22 teams to return to play, starting July 31 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports..." June 04

USA Today "At Thursday's memorial service in Minneapolis, George Floyd's nephew recalled his uncle's love of sports and affinity for NBA superstar LeBron James.  Brandon Williams was one of several family members who spoke at the service for Floyd, who died..." June 04

Sportsnet "Like a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, the NBA is going to Disney World! The only difference being instead for one day with a celebratory parade, this will be for three months playing inside empty gyms without anyone cheering as 22 teams complete the rest of the 2019-20 season and..." June 04

Clutch Points "As the NBA season is officially coming back on July 31, situated at the beautiful Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Milwaukee Bucks are sitting in prime territory atop the Eastern Conference standings. In the newly-established format that will end in October with the..." June 04

Sportsnaut "Now that the 2020 NBA Draft is officially slated to start in October after it was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’re going to start hearing rumors and seeing mock drafts. The draft itself will likely be held virtually. The lottery results..." June 04

Fadeaway World "You can’t write the history of the NBA without Steve Kerr’s name on it. He’s a winner, but he wasn’t born like that, he had to work his heart off in the gym for every single minute of playing time, even far before making it to the NBA. Kerr has been around..." June 04

Pro Basketball Talk "The NBA is back. Or will be. Soonish. Thursday the NBA owners approved a restart plan featuring 22 teams, with training camps opening in late June and games starting July 31. What exactly will all that look like? What are the timelines, and how many games a day?..." June 04