After an embarrassing exit in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the 76ers fired president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. However, head coach Nick Nurse will remain in Philadelphia for another season. Bob Myers will temporarily oversee operations until Morley’s replacement is hired.

Managing partner Josh Harris made the announcement Tuesday night through a statement.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Daryl personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for his contributions over the last six seasons,” Harris said. “After speaking with Daryl, we determined that it was time for a fresh start.”

Morey’s dismissal raised some skepticism about the team’s direction, given Nurse’s track record. Despite winning a title for the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Nurse has a 6-11 postseason record in his 76ers tenure. The 76ers also haven’t advanced past the second round during Morley’s tenure, increasing their conference finals drought to 25 years. Nurse compiled a 116-130 record in the last three seasons, including a 24-58 record last season.

This postseason, the 76ers came back from a 3-1 first-round deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics in seven games before losing in a four-game sweep to the New York Knicks the next round.

Ahead of the 2023-2024 season, James Harden criticized Morley during a promotional tour in China, telling spectators, “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Harden would be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in October 2023 for a 2028 unprotected first-round pick and swap rights in 2029. The 76ers also acquired Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr.

Paul George and Joel Embiid were also signed to massive contracts in 2024. George, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey played together for only 43 games, with the trio owning a 21-22 record.

Ex-Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe was picked third overall in the 2025 draft. Edgecombe finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.

Time would tell whether Morey’s successor would initiate an organizational shakeup, but a lot of work would need to be done to undo the unfortunate events that happened under Morey.

ESPN’s Inside the NBA featured New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini in a graphic after the Boston Celtics were eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers.

The graphic was captioned “Gone fishing” and featured Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, it also showed Vrabel and Russini recreating the “I’m the king of the world” scene from Titanic.

Inside the NBA joined the ESPN lineup after airing on TNT since 1989. They’ve made graphics like these for many years. 

The Inside the NBA crew didn’t acknowledge that Vrabel and Russini were in the graphic on the show.

On April 7, Page Six published seven photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Ambiente Sedona hotel in Arizona. The leaked photos showed them hugging and holding hands. Vrabel was interviewed by the New York Post later that day and was asked about the photos. 

“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel said. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

Russini initially defended her actions, saying she was with a group of six people and that it’s common for sports journalists and team members to spend time together during the offseason.

Later that week, The New York Times, owner of The Athletic, said it launched an investigation into the incident. Russini resigned from The Athletic a few days later.

In late April, The New York Post released new photos of Vrabel and Russini. Although it’s not confirmed when the photos were taken, The New York Post estimated they were taken six years ago.

If The New York Post is correct about the timeline, this photo was taken approximately six months before Russini became engaged.

V.J. Edgecombe became the fifth-youngest player to score 30 or more points in a playoff game in the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Boston Celtics.

The 76ers defeated the Celtics 111-97. This tied their playoff series at one win for each team. 

Edgecombe scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. At 20 years old, Edgecombe is one of the youngest players to score 30 or more in a playoff game. The only players who did it at a younger age are Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, Tyler Herro and Anthony Edwards. Rose and Herro also scored 30 or more against the Celtics.

Edgecombe also surpassed Magic Johnson as the youngest player to score 30 or more points and grab 10 or more rebounds. Johnson scored 42 points and 15 rebounds against the 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals to clinch the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship. Johnson was 20 during the 1980 NBA Finals. Johnson famously had to play center in this game because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured and missed it. 

Although Edgecombe stole the headlines, other 76ers had strong performances as well. Paul George scored 19 points in the 76ers victory. 

The Celtics got a good performance from their star duo. Jaylen Brown scored 36 points, and Jayson Tatum nearly got a triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Despite a good game from the Jays duo of Brown and Tatum, the Celtics didn’t get much contribution from their support pieces. 

76ers center Joel Embiid is currently out after an emergency appendectomy. This procedure removes the appendix from the patient due to inflammation or rupture. Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby missed the entire 2019 playoffs after an appendectomy. However, he had a rupture while Embiid only had inflammation, so the 76ers currently believe that Embiid will return sometime this season.

Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion in the San Antonio Spurs loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 106-103. This tied their playoff series at one win for each team. 

At the 9:02 mark in the second quarter, Wembanyama tried to do a spin move to get to the basket. Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday got out of the way to avoid committing a foul. This caused Wembanyama to lose balance. He took a hard fall on the floor and hit his head.

He was immediately placed in concussion protocol. After the game, the Spurs confirmed he suffered a concussion. He will undergo further testing, but the NBA concussion protocol requires Wembanyama to be completely inactive for 48 hours before attempting to return. 

With Wembanyama out, the Spurs needed their supporting pieces to step up. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell all shot under 40% from the field. Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet provided some help off the bench. Harper scored 10 points while Kornet secured nine rebounds. Despite this, the Spurs were unable to hold off the Trail Blazers. 

If Wembanyama needs to miss games for his concussion, Kornet is likely to become the new starting center. Kornet was a valuable piece to the 2024 Boston Celtics championship team. However, he’s only started 84 games in his nine-year NBA career, including one playoff start against the New York Knicks. 

Of course, somebody will need to replicate Kornet’s production off the bench. The Spurs currently have three centers on their playoff roster, but out of the rotation. Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee all have experience in playoff games. 

Olynyk played in 42 regular-season games for the Spurs. He played for one minute in Game 1. Olynyk played in 18 playoff games for the 2017 Celtics, including two starts against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his discontent with the Milwaukee Bucks after their season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers defeated the Bucks 126-106. The Bucks finished with a record of 32-50, making them the No. 11-ranked team in the Eastern Conference. This is the first time the Bucks have missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Antetokounmpo was unwilling to commit to a future with the Bucks.

 “I don’t know. It’s not up to me. We’ll see,” Antetokounmpo said.

Antetokounmpo didn’t play in the season finale. AJ Green (19 points) and Jericho Sims (15 points) put up strong performances for the Bucks. Despite this, the 76ers still won because of Tyrese Maxey scoring 21 points and Quentin Grimes scoring 20 points off the bench.

Just minutes after the season finale, the Bucks announced that head coach Doc Rivers will not return for the 2026-27 season. Rivers was hired in the middle of the 2023-24 season after Adrian Griffin was fired. The Bucks did not win a playoff series with Rivers as head coach.

Rivers was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 4. He won Coach of the Year with the Orlando Magic and won a championship with the Boston Celtics.

ESPN reported that Rivers was possibly losing trust in the locker room. Six players questioned Rivers’s leadership during a locker room meeting, in which Rivers responded, “Look at my resume.”  

The Bucks will now need to search for a new head coach. Sam Cassell is widely reported as a likely candidate. Cassell played for the Bucks for five seasons. He’s been an assistant coach for the Celtics since 2023. Antetokounmpo recently started imitating Cassell’s iconic celebration. Cassell could be the Bucks’ best shot at keeping Antetokounmpo on the team. 

Following a recent ejection for arguing a non-foul, Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown believes the NBA is awarding players who “foul-bait.”

Brown spoke on the foul-baiting issue following a 104-102 loss on Thursday to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Brown scored 34 points while attempting his third-highest free total of the season with 14 attempts.

“I don’t know, maybe it all works in the end, but I just don’t foul bait,” Brown said. “I’m not looking to flop or anything like that, but it’s almost like you got to. It’s almost like, because there’s a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where I felt like I drove strong, went up strong, and I didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. But maybe if I would have flopped, maybe I would have been able to sell that call. And those decide games.

This was the first time Brown had spoken to the media since his ejection on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

“So it’s like, we commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who necessarily are trying to manipulate the game into their advantage. I just don’t think it’s basketball. Let’s just play basketball. All the foul baiting, I think it’s whatever for me.”

Foul-baiting is a huge topic of conversation surrounding the reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, who is almost known for getting to the free-throw line and embellishing contact, causing opposing crowds to chant “free-throw merchant” at the All-NBA guard.

Gilgeous-Alexander is only behind Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in free-throw attempts per game at 9.2. Brown is 15th in the league at 7.1 attempts per game.

Brown was asked to give his definition of foul-baiting, leading to this response: “Just accentuating contact. It’s one thing to get fouled, but it’s like when you’re not even trying to score when you’re driving and flailing your body into [a defender] just to make it look like you’re getting fouled. I think that’s the part where it’s like, all right, come on. But I mean, that’s where our league is at. That’s where the NBA is at. So it’s like, get down or lay down. So maybe I need to flop a little bit more.”

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown had his private event, which he was hosting for All-Star weekend, shut down by Beverly Hills police, and now he is considering taking legal action against the city.

Brown said he was embarrassed and frustrated when his event was shut down by the police without any discussion or notice with him or the owner of the house. His event was shut down around 7 p.m. on Saturday. Brown said that shutting down the event “raises serious due-process concerns,” leading to “significant financial and reputational harm.”

“I’m not a legality type of pursuing guy, but you embarrassed my brand and my team. And I think that is unfair,” Brown added, “And for you to continue to tell untruths in your apology statement, I feel offended by it. I will circle back with my team this weekend, and we will make a decision.”

Brown spoke to Andscape after the Boston Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors 121-110, saying he spent $300,000 on the event, which was shut down, on top of sponsors’ spending $300,000 to $500,000.

The city of Beverly Hills issued an apology to Brown, noting that the information that led to the police shutting down the event was inaccurate. Brown still believes that the city’s actions were “based on biased information.”

The Boston Globe reported that an event permit was rejected due to prior violations at the Beverly Hills home owned by Oakley founder Jim Jannard. Brown refuted those claims, calling them completely “false.”

“Upon further internal review, the City has determined that its prior public communication contained inaccurate information,” Beverly Hills officials posted on Instagram. “Specifically, no permit application was submitted nor denied for the event, and the residence does not have any prior related violations on record. The City takes full accountability for the internal error that resulted in the inaccurate statement being distributed and is working to ensure it does not happen again.”

Beverly Hills city manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey apologized to Brown for the incident, but Brown wanted nothing to do with what he deemed a “half-ass apology after the damage is already done.”

Brown is uncertain whether he wants to meet with Beverly Hills officials on Sunday when the Celtics travel to play the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks exchanged shooters just hours before the trade deadline.

The Lakers got Luke Kennard while the Hawks got Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick.

Kennard was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 12 pick in the 2017 NBA draft. In 2019-20, he averaged nearly 16 points per game. He led the league in 3-point shooting in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He is currently leading the league in 3-point shooting with a 50 percent 3-point percentage. 

Vincent went undrafted in the 2018 draft. The Miami Heat signed him a season later, and he played nine games. He became a consistent part of their rotation in 2021-22. Vincent was a major part of the Heat’s 2023 Finals run. He scored 20 or more points against the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks twice, the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets. Vincent signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Lakers that offseason. Injuries have prevented Vincent from having the same impact. 

The Lakers save a negligible amount of money with this trade. Both players will be free agents at season’s end. The Lakers get a clear upgrade while the Hawks get a future asset in the second-round pick. 

The Lakers will benefit greatly from Kennard’s shooting. They look to compete for a championship in what may be LeBron James’ last season with the Lakers, or maybe even in the league. James has not currently committed to anything after this season.

Meanwhile, the Hawks will fully commit to their rebuild. Trading Trae Young to the Washington Wizards already solidified their intent to rebuild. 2026 All-Star Jalen Johnson will be their leader going forward. The Hawks also own the New Orleans Pelicans pick, which is currently projected to be the No. 2 pick in the draft.

The Chicago Bulls will get young bucket-getter Jaden Ivey in a three-team deal. 

On Feb. 4, the Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons made a three-team deal. The Bulls got Ivey and Mike Conley, the Pistons got Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and a 2026 pick swap with the Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves got cash considerations.

Ivey was averaging 17.6 points per game last season before he got injured. This season, he’s struggled to find a consistent role with the Pistons, and his average has dipped to 8 points per game. Conley was traded to the Charlotte Hornets after this trade.

Huerter and Saric give the Pistons much-needed spacing. The pick swap will allow the Pistons to move up a bit in the draft, which could be significant in such a loaded class.

The Timberwolves mostly wanted to clear salary cap space. Conley is making $9 million this season and will make $10 million next season. Clearing up this salary could open up trade possibilities for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

At the time of the trade, the Pistons looked like the winners. They fixed a key issue on their roster and acquired a potentially valuable asset in this season’s draft. 

If Ivey can get back to his play before the injury, the Bulls could come out of this deal pretty strong as well. Coby White was a part of the deal that sent Conley to the Hornets. This trade will open up space for Ivey to be the second guard next to Josh Giddey. 

The trade deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. EST. The Pistons are the team most likely to be active. They hold the No. 1 seed, but conference rivals like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have made big improvements in recent trades

The New York Knicks have been inconsistent this season and are looking for possible trade pieces to fix it.

Jrue Holiday reportedly could be an option for the Knicks. Holiday is currently with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Holiday is a two-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion. He won with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and the Boston Celtics in 2024. The Celtics traded Holiday for Anfernee Simons this offseason. This move was likely made to save the Celtics money.

The Knicks’ perimeter defense has been bad at many points throughout the season. Jalen Brunson is an All-Star point guard, but his defense can leave much to be desired. Holiday is known for being an elite perimeter defender.  

In the NBA, salaries need to be close to matching for any trade to take place. Holiday’s $32 million contract could make that difficult for any team, especially the cap-strapped Knicks.

The Knicks likely need to give up Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Miles “Deuce” McBride just to get the salaries to match. This seems like an overpay for a declining Holiday.

Along with that, the Knicks have their eyes set on a much bigger prize. The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are working together to find him a trade partner, according to ESPN. The Knicks have long been considered Antetokounmpo’s preferred destination. 

The Knicks’ path to acquire Antetokounmpo isn’t very clear. They gave up most of their draft assets to get Mikal Bridges. It’s likely the only way Antetokounmpo ends up a Knick is if he specifically requests a trade to them. 

Karl-Anthony Towns is likely to be a part of any Knicks deal for Antetokounmpo. Their salaries almost match, so it’s hard to include many other players. The Knicks need to rely on pick swaps to give the Bucks assets.  

With the game tied and seconds winding down, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ streak of 1,297 consecutive games of double-digit points hanged in the balance.

The veteran forward tallied eight points against the Toronto Raptors, but had a chance to win the game – and keep his streak alive – in the final seconds as the Lakers held the final possession.

But like many times in his career, James made the right play at the right time.

Sacrificing his streak, he dished the ball wide to set up Rui Hachimura‘s 3-point buzzer beater to defeat the Raptors on Thursday night, 123-120.

James didn’t seem bothered when asked about his feelings after his run ended, which began in early 2007.

“None. We won,” he said.

“Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play. That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

The Lakers led by as many as 13 points. They held a nine-point advantage going into halftime, but the Raptors made adjustments and clawed their way back into the contest.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 44 points, half of those coming in the third quarter. Each team traded leads in the second half which ultimately came down to the final play of the match.

With James having space through the center, he could have gone for the game-winning jump shot from midrange. But he picked out an open Hachimura in the corner, who drilled a 3-pointer with no time remaining.

“Once they doubled AR [Reaves] and the ball got swung to me, I know it’s a numbers game,” James said. “We got a four-on-three advantage and were just trying to put the ball on time, on target, in Rui’s socket, in his shot pocket, and he knocked it down.”

The win was the Lakers’ eighth in their last nine games as they remain in the top three of the Western Conference.

James and point guard Luka Doncic missed the following game against the Boston Celtics, where the team lost 126-105 the next day.

The Lakers conclude their three-game away trip against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. On Wednesday, JJ Redick‘s side faces the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Boston Celtics small forward Jordan Walsh struggled to make an impact in the opening weeks of the season.

The 2023 second-round pick played less than five minutes in his first three games this year. He didn’t even appear in four of the Celtics’ opening eight matches of the campaign and tallied just 24 minutes. And still, most of those minutes came when games were long settled.

But after a game against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 5, where the forward logged seven points and seven rebounds, Walsh has played 15 or more minutes in all but one game since that moment.

He continued his strong form for the Celtics on Friday night, this time putting up 17 points and four rebounds in the team’s 126-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The previous night, Walsh posted a season-high 22 points in a 146-101 win against the Wizards.

His performance on Friday caught the eye of Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves.

“He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said after the game in which he put up 36 points. “He doesn’t take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism, he’s physically gifted, [he] moves really well. I can see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.”

Despite the recent praise, guard Jaylen Brown wants Walsh — and the media — to stay focused and not hype him too much.

“I don’t want to boost his head up too much,” Brown said. “I don’t want him to start getting cute. You gotta still take care of the details. But he’s been doing a good job.”

The Celtics move to fifth place in the Eastern Conference following four straight wins. They travel to Canada on Sunday to face the Toronto Raptors.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic spoke on the recent firing of former Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, the person who traded the superstar to the Lakers in February.

Doncic, who was asked about Harrison’s firing after the team’s 121-92 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, preferred not to address the situation directly and declined to speak on a possible return to Dallas.

“Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic said. “No further comments.”

On the first night of February, Harrison shocked the basketball world when the Mavericks traded Doncic in exchange for power forward Anthony Davis in a three-way deal. The move drew criticism and pressure mounted on Harrison, with fans routinely chanting “Fire Nico” at home games.

The Mavericks’ season collapsed: Davis suffered an adductor injury in his first appearance for the team while Kyrie Irving tore his ACL. Dallas slid to 10th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs after making the finals the year prior.

Nine months after the trade, the Mavericks fired Harrison after starting the season 3-8 and months of fan discontent.

Doncic, meanwhile, is continuing to make a name for himself in Southern California. He’s averaging 34.9 points per game this season while also averaging 9.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists. The Lakers finished third in the West last season and currently sit fifth with a 8-4 record.

Despite leaving the Lone Star State, Doncic said he still holds the Mavericks close to his heart.

“I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t,” Doncic said. “So that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there.”

Harrison became general manager of the Mavericks at the start of the 2021-22 season. During his tenure, Dallas made two trips to the Western Conference Final and one trip to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics in 2024.

Al Horford, the five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA champion, found himself at a crossroads this offseason.

Should he stay in Boston and continue to try to win another title, or should he leave a team that he was an essential part of during two separate stints and find a home elsewhere?

While Boston had been home for him for the better part of the last decade, it was clear that change was on the way in Boston. With the injury to Jayson Tatum in the conference semi-finals, and the departure of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in trades that sent Jrue to Portland and Kristaps to Atlanta, the Celtics were clearly going in a different direction for the 2025-26 NBA season.

“I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship. And I think there was a lot of things up in the air – and it just felt like they weren’t in that same vision, obviously, because JT getting hurt, that takes a big toll,” Horford told The Atlantic.

The team and Horford clearly weren’t on the same page. With Horford being 39 and being on the latter half of his career, the goal is simple: try to contend for one more championship.

Golden State seemed like the clear best option for Horford at the time, being able to play alongside Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler while being coached by future Hall of Fame coach Steve Kerr. The opportunity to win a championship was greater than if he had decided to stay in Boston.

With Boston being in a tricky spot financially, having to pay Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while also having to dish out Porzingis and Holiday so as not to hit the second apron, the decision to leave was mutual.

The need for a stretch big man in Golden State was also a highlight for the Warriors this offseason, and Horford fills that much-needed hole perfectly for the weak interior defense the Warriors had last season.

The Boston Celtics made lots of changes in the offseason, and one of the gambles they made was the signing of power forward Josh Minott.

So far, the risk is paying off for the Celtics as the 22-year-old impressed on Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 11 points and 15 rebounds in a 125-105 home win.

Minott is beginning to raise eyebrows at TD Garden.

“I can’t even explain it, man,” the power forward said after the game. “Like, just thanking God, thanking the fans just for the energy. My teammates, everyone here associated with Boston, just empowers me. It’s just a blessing to be here, truthfully.”

Prior to arriving in Boston, Minott spent three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he featured in 93 regular-season games. However, the former Memphis Tigers draft pick never started a game during his time in Minneapolis.

That changed this season: Minott started two straight games for Boston this week, helping the team secure victories over the New Orleans Pelicans and Cavaliers. The 22-year-old could potentially be a key starter for Joe Mazzulla‘s side in the early weeks of the season.

“We were all stars in high school, and I’d say most of us were stars in college, so it’s like just coming here, you’ve got to understand that not everyone’s going to be a star,” Minott said. “So it’s just like, I’ve got no problem with that. I’ll go make y’all look good.”

After starting the season with three straight losses, the Celtics look to go .500 as they face an undefeated Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

LeBron James was left speechless and “crushed” after learning about Kyrie Irving‘s transfer from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics in 2017, former head coach Tyronn Lue revealed recently.

During a podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Lue recalled what happened with Irving following the Cavaliers’ 2017 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. Lue said he “begged and pleaded” with Irving to stay with the team, but said it was the nine-time NBA All-Star who made up his mind on leaving Cleveland.

However, it was James’ reaction while signing jerseys for an event that stuck with the former Cavaliers boss.

“I come sit next to Bron,” Lue said. “We sitting there, hand him the phone, SportsCenter: Kyrie Irving has just been traded to the Boston Celtics. Bron dropped the marker and just laid back in his chair for about 10 minutes and doesn’t say a word. Just pissed off. Bron was crushed.”

Lue coached the Cavs for two and a half seasons, winning an NBA Championship during the 2015/16 campaign. James and Irving were teammates during that time, but that ended in the summer of 2017 when the team traded the former Duke point guard to the Celtics.

Lue also said James would have stayed in Cleveland had Irving continued to play for the Cavaliers.

Irving joined the Cavs in 2011 after being drafted as the first overall pick. He spent six seasons in Cleveland, linking with James in 2014 and winning the championship two years later against the Warriors. The Cavs became the first team in NBA Finals history to win after trailing 3-1, winning a dramatic Game 7, which saw Irving and James both make huge plays late in the match.

One year after Irving departed, James also packed his bags and joined the Los Angeles Lakers, where he’s been ever since. James added another ring while with the Purple and Gold, winning the 2020 NBA Finals against his former team, the Miami Heat.

The New York Knicks are set to acquire veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon on a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The 32-year-old free agent last played for the Washington Wizards where he averaged 12.7 points and 4.1 assists in 24 games. It was the lowest amount of matches played for the 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year during his professional career.

Brogdon’s addition to the Knicks could add much-needed depth for the newly appointed Mike Brown. Point guard Landry Shamet also re-signed for the franchise on Thursday on a one-year deal.

The Knicks will be Brogdon’s fourth different team in the last four seasons. After spending three years each with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, the former Virginia guard had one-year spells at the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trailblazers, before settling with the Wizards for the 2024-25 season.

Brown’s team will play its first preseason game on Oct. 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens has said throughout the offseason that the team wanted Joe Mazzulla to be its coach for a long time.

It made that more than a proclamation on Friday, announcing that it has signed Mazzulla to a multiyear contract extension. Length and details of the new deal were not released.

In a statement, Mazzulla called his new pact with the team “a blessing.”

“I would not be here without my faith, my wife, and my children,” Mazzulla said. “We are thankful for the partnership with our ownership groups, Brad’s mentorship, and the support of our staff. Most importantly, I am grateful for the players I have been able to coach the past three seasons. I look forward to competing for the Celtics and the city of Boston.”

The 37-year-old is coming off his third season as the Celtics coach and has guided the team to the playoffs each season, including the franchise’s 18th NBA title to cap the 2023-24 season. He was the youngest head coach to win the NBA Finals since the 1968-69 season, when 35-year-old Bill Russell led the Celtics to the championship as a player-coach.

Under Mazzulla, the Celtics have won at least 57 games each of those seasons and topped 60 wins in each of the past two.

Though Stevens has never publicly discussed the details of Mazzulla’s contract, the coach was initially given an extension shortly after having the interim tag lifted in February 2023. Stevens confirmed in June that Mazzulla had received at least one additional extension before his latest one.

“He understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans,” Stevens said in a statement. “He’s worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach – including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship. Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.”

The Boston Celtics are trading veteran forward Georges Niang and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie guard RJ Luis Jr., according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The move allows the Celtics to slip under the CBA’s second tax apron.

The Celtics acquired Niang earlier this summer from Atlanta in a package that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks. Niang, a Massachusetts native, appeared primed to play for his hometown team. But after corresponding moves made in free agency, the Celtics found themselves above the second-tax apron, which would subject the Celtics to future roster-building penalties.

Niang’s more than $8 million salary will go into Utah’s trade exception from the John Collins deal.

In a related move, the Celtics have agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with free agent forward Chris Boucher, agent Sam Permut of Roc Nation told Charania.

The Niang trade allowed the Celtics the flexibility to remain below the second apron after adding Boucher. They are now $7.8 million below the second apron after both moves and saved $34 million in luxury tax penalties.

Instead, the Celtics now have salary relief in a retooling season, with Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while the Jazz add a veteran in Niang whose salary will be absorbed by a large trade exception created by Utah when they traded Collins earlier this summer.

The Celtics also got a St. John’s product in RJ Luis Jr., who began his college career playing at UMass Amherst before spending his final two years in school with the Red Storm. Luis averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds on 43.9% shooting last season and was named the Big East Player of the Year.

Since the NBA draft, the Celtics have reduced their payroll from $540 million to $239 million.

Nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lillard’s deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause.

Lillard joins the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James as the only NBA players with a true no-trade clause in their contracts. Bradley Beal had one before coming to a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns earlier this week.

Lillard and the Trail Blazers both deeply cared about a reunion in recent weeks, with multiple meetings among the Portland franchise icon, general manager Joe Cronin, and head coach Chauncey Billups to bond together and move forward united on a new deal, sources said.

The Milwaukee Bucks waived the 35-year-old earlier this month and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract to sign free agent center Myles Turner.

Lillard now will have a 2025-26 set salary of $70 million between his Trail Blazers and Bucks deals, and a salary of $141 million over the next two years ahead of an opt-out in 2027. Blazers officials and Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management finalized terms this week.

Lillard tore his left Achilles in late April in Game 4 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers and underwent surgery in early May.

Lillard will use the 2025-26 season to rehabilitate his injury, but a return to the franchise and Portland, where his family and children reside, is of the utmost importance. He also had multiple midlevel exceptions and minimum offers from NBA contenders.

The Trail Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks for Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, and assets in 2023 and then sent Holiday to the Boston Celtics for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon and assets (one led to Deni Avdija).

Now, the Blazers have both Lillard and Holiday (reacquired in a trade with the Celtics this offseason), plus Avdija, Williams, Camara, a 2029 first-rounder and two Bucks pick swaps.