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Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Philly awarded WNBA franchise that will begin play in 2030

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — The WNBA is coming to Philadelphia.

The league announced Monday that the city has been awarded an expansion team, which will begin play during the 2030 season. It will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the 76ers.

“Philadelphia has long-deserved a WNBA team,” league commissioner...Read more

WNBA to expand to Detroit in 2029: 'It's going to be great'

Sports / Basketball /

DETROIT — The WNBA is returning to Detroit.

The WNBA announced Monday morning that Detroit and its ownership group have been awarded an expansion franchise, arriving in 2029. Detroit was home to the Detroit Shock from 1998-2009, winning three WNBA titles, before relocating to Tulsa, Okla.

Led by Tom and Holly Gores, Detroit formally ...Read more

Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

Aces shake up roster with trade for No. 2 overall pick in 2022 draft

Sports / Basketball /

LAS VEGAS — The Aces acquired 6-foot-4-inch forward NaLyssa Smith from the Dallas Wings on Monday in an attempt to bolster their frontcourt.

The Wings will receive the Aces’ first-round pick in the 2027 WNBA draft. The Aces, with 12 active players on their roster, must waive someone before Smith can take the court.

Smith was the No. 2 ...Read more

Harry How/Getty Images North America/TNS

Bill Plaschke: The Candace Curse was on full display in another Sparks debacle

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — The Candace Curse struck early.

On a day the Sparks retired the jersey of the superstar whose departure has coincided with their five-year funk, Candace Parker nearly missed her pregame news conference.

With a room full of media types eager to write that rare positive Sparks story, Parker got caught in convention traffic and ...Read more

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/TNS

How Ben Tenzer ascended from chauffeuring star athletes to the top of Nuggets' front office

Sports / Basketball /

DENVER — Ben Tenzer spent enough hours at his friend’s house for it to qualify as a second residence by high school. When he would eventually return to his actual home, his parents would ask how his day was. The replies always kept them on their toes.

“Oh, it was fun,” Tenzer would say, as his dad, David, remembers the exchanges usually...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Mirjam Swanson: LeBron is right, Lakers need win-now moves … to impress Luka

Sports / Basketball /

Imagine if your dentist paused late in your next appointment and said: “I know you’re brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing every night. I understand that, but I value a cavity-free visit.”

Would you be confused? Would you wonder if your dentist was about to hawk some new anti-cavity miracle mouthwash?

Or what if your high school ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bill Plaschke: Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick should be safe under Dodgers regime … for now

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Memo to Mark Walter:

Check your swing.

Now that you're the majority owner of the Lakers, everyone is expecting you to whack their two most prominent leaders in hopes of transforming the basketball team into your baseball team, but you should instead initially act in terms your Dodgers would understand.

Take a pitch.

Keep Rob ...Read more

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jim Souhan: Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards has lessons to learn from Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — Since Kevin Durant won’t be sitting in the locker next to Anthony Edwards next season, he should find someone new to emulate.

I have just the role model for him: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Sunday night, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship. This season, SGA won the scoring title, the MVP ...Read more

Harry How/Getty Images North America/TNS

Sparks fall to Sky on day of Candace Parker's jersey retirement ceremony

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — When Candace Parker was on the court, the Sparks were dominant. On the afternoon her jersey was retired, they had a chance to channel that energy — but the Sparks were anything but overpowering.

In a matchup between the two franchises Parker led to WNBA titles — the Sparks and Chicago Sky — her hometown team played spoiler...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

James Harden to sign two-year, $81.5 million deal with Clippers

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Clippers executives were serious when they said they had not soured on James Harden’s future with the franchise after an underwhelming postseason performance.

Harden declined his player option for $36 million with the Clippers on Sunday and intends to sign a two-year deal with the team for $81.5 million, league sources with ...Read more

Clarence Tabb Jr./The Detroit News/TNS

Pistons' Malik Beasley is subject of federal gambling investigation

Sports / Basketball /

DETROIT — FBI agents in New York have launched a wire fraud investigation of Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley related to gambling and prop bets, The Detroit News has learned.

The investigation involving one of the top NBA unrestricted free agents this offseason has been underway for about 18 months and is being overseen by the U.S. ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LeBron James exercises $52.6-million option and will be first to play 23 NBA seasons

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Lakers superstar LeBron James will once again make NBA history by playing in his 23rd NBA season.

James exercised his player option for $52.6 million to play for the Lakers during the 2025-26 season, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul told The Los Angeles Times Sunday morning.

James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer,...Read more

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America/TNS

Hornets acquire Collin Sexton, second-round pick from Jazz for Jusuf Nurkić

Sports / Basketball /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jusuf Nurkić’s tenure with the Charlotte Hornets was rather brief.

Just days after sending Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the rights to Liam McNeeley, the Hornets agreed to trade Nurkić to the Utah Jazz for guard Collin Sexton and a 2031 second-round pick, league sources confirmed to The Charlotte Observer Sunday....Read more

Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images North America/TNS

Julius Randle will stay in Minnesota with three-year, $100 million contract

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — Julius Randle was set to decide whether to opt in or opt out of a $31 million player option on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Randle were working hard to get a deal done before the deadline hit.

Mission accomplished.

Randle will opt out of his contract and sign a new three-year, $100 million deal with the ...Read more

John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

Duncan Robinson opts out of final season of Heat deal into NBA free agency

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — In a somewhat surprising but also likely strategic move, Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson on Sunday invoked the early-termination clause on his contract, moving into NBA free agency.

The immediate ramification is Robinson’s $20 million salary for 2025-26 being removed from the Heat books.

In essence, Robinson effectively opted out ...Read more

Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Michael Cunningham: Hawks are playoff team with Porziņģis, now GM Saleh can make them contenders

Sports / Basketball /

ATLANTA — Onsi Saleh already made the move that should get the Hawks back into the NBA playoffs.

They’ll surely be one of the Eastern Conference’s top eight teams in 2025-26 after the trade for big man Kristaps Porziņģis. This summer Saleh will have the flexibility to add more good players and give the Hawks a real chance of making a ...Read more

Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America/TNS

Chip Scoggins: Timberwolves' mission during NBA free agency must be to add a point guard

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves left the draft in the same place as they entered it. No better, no worse. Just taller and with a few cool accents. If you squint, you might see the outline of Tim Connelly’s vision of the new additions in the distance.

The Wolves selected a pair of 18-year-old developmental center projects, one from France, ...Read more

Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

David Murphy: Two big questions about the Sixers' fresh future and where the young pieces fit

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — Interesting. Fun. Refreshing. Intriguing.

The Sixers?

Believe it. A team that has spent the last eight years chasing championships with a revolving door of veterans is suddenly alive with the intoxicating uncertainty of youth. The additions of VJ Edgecombe, Johni Broome and Jared McCain to complement Tyrese Maxey have opened a...Read more

Stacy Revere/Getty Images North America/TNS

Luke DeCock: In post-House world, a simple thing like a player's photo is a maze to navigate

Sports / Basketball /

RALEIGH, N.C. — The tweet went out on a Thursday afternoon in May, a routine announcement of a nonconference basketball game more than seven months away. It was a clean and simple graphic, with the teams’ nicknames in bold type and the time, date and location of the game over an outline of the Atlanta skyline. Nothing special.

Only a ...Read more