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NBA All-Star grades: Mac McClung takes over for dunk contest 3-peat

The NBA's All-Star Weekend is here and we're grading the competitors for all the events ahead of Sunday's revamped All-Star Game that will feature four squads facing off in a tournament-style format at Chase Center in San Francisco.The festivities kicked off Friday with the Rising Stars event, featuring a twist: The winner of the four-team mini-tournament of first- and second-year NBA players (plus one G League squad) booked a spot to participate in Sunday's All-Star Game.Saturday night started...
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Dunk-offs, OGs and Rising Stars: NBA experts break down 2025 All-Star Weekend

With a wild trade deadline in the books, the NBA shifts its focus to this year's All-Star Weekend. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who has been busy building chemistry with new teammate Jimmy Butler, turns his attention to playing host at the weekend's festivities in San Francisco. Curry will play alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant on Team Shaq. The trio shined on the Olympic stage in August as they led Team USA to a gold medal over Team Franc...
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NBA Power Rankings: Where all 30 teams stand heading into the All-Star break

Phew! The 2025 trade deadline is officially behind us, but there is still plenty of basketball to be played as we head into the NBA All-Star weekend.After a wild few weeks of league-altering trades, players will head to the Bay Area to compete in a high-flying dunk contest, a 3-point shootout, an All-Star mini-tournament and more.Expect to see some familiar faces such as LeBron James (21 All-Star appearances) and Stephen Curry (11 All-Star appearances) alongside first-time All-Stars and rising s...
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NBA Power Rankings: Where all 30 teams stand ahead of the trade deadline

The 2024-25 NBA trade deadline (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET) is one day away, and the landscape of the NBA has already been shaken after a blockbuster deal Saturday that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

The biggest question remains: What will happen with disgruntled superstar Jimmy Butler? We've been keeping track of all the trade deadline buzz, as well as breaking down each deal that has already happen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thu...
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NBA Power Rankings: Top contenders hold steady while Pistons climb

We're one week from the 2025 NBA trade deadline, and while there haven't been any major moves leading up to Feb. 6, there have been developments across both conferences.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Sacramento Kings are open to trade talks regarding star guard De'Aaron Fox. Plus, to add to the ongoing Jimmy Butler trade saga, Charania also reported the Miami Heat are in "active conversations" with "multiple teams" to move the disgruntled superstar.

With All-Star guards potent...
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NBA Power Rankings: Players under the most pressure for all 30 teams

Shams Charania joins "NBA Today" to detail new information about Jimmy Butler's trade request and possible compensation for the Miami Heat. (0:56)We're two weeks out from the NBA trade deadline, and tensions are high across the league.Will superstar Jimmy Butler be in another city before the month comes to a close? Have the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder solidified their spots in the standings for the rest of the regular season?The pressure is on for teams and players to perform a...
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'Hopefully things align': The Warriors still believe they can regain their championship ways

Stephen A. Smith reacts to Stephen Curry saying he doesn't want the Warriors to make a "desperate" move before the trade deadline. (2:08)AFTER TERRY ROZIER drilled a wide-open 21-footer to push the Miami Heat to an 18-point lead over a listless Golden State Warriors team, Stephen Curry collected the ball and threw it with both hands at the bottom of the rim.Curry couldn't hide his frustrations, as coach Steve Kerr called for a timeout with 3:05 left to put in his reserves. He wandered aimlessly...
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'It's an adjustment': What's behind the Timberwolves' struggles to build chemistry

DAYS AFTER THE Minnesota Timberwolves made a core-altering blockbuster trade, Anthony Edwards sensed that his new co-star was concerned about stepping on toes.It was just a training camp scrimmage, but Julius Randle looked more like a hesitant rookie than a veteran with a decade of experience and a few All-Star appearances on his résumé.There were instantly questions about fit when the Timberwolves, coming off a Western Conference finals appearance, replaced sweet-shooting 7-foot franchise corne...
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From postgame barking to 'the boring stuff': How the Thunder built a winning culture

After a convincing win against the Spurs, the Thunder make sure to get rookie Nikola Topic in on their postgame barking tradition. (1:22)ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN HAD done almost everything expected of him during his delayed debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder.After missing this season's first 15 games due to a broken left hand, the center filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and four blocks in a Nov. 20 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the type of impact...
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NBA Power Rankings: Kings, Pacers and Wolves catch their groove

As the 2025 NBA trade deadline approaches (Feb. 6, 3 p.m. ET), several teams across both conferences will be reevaluating their rosters over the next three weeks.

The Oklahoma City Thunder remain the dominant team in the West behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but the rest of the conference continues to be a battleground that may force other contenders to pursue a superstar for their playoff hopes. Will the Golden State Warriors make a splashy move before next month to help save their...
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How last season's indefinite suspension created 'a nicer Draymond'

FOR THE THIRD time in as many matchups this season, Draymond Green found himself tangled up with Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey. Edey gave Green a nudge to the back to win an offensive rebound during a Jan. 4 game, and Green wanted to make sure the rookie wasn't rewarded with an easy putback.Green delivered a hard foul to Edey's right arm before wrapping the Memphis big man with both arms, something the 7-foot-4 rookie took exception to, shoving Green off of him.The referees handed Green his...
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NBA Power Rankings: Under-the-radar trade moves for all 30 teams

All eyes will be on Wednesday's big matchup (and a possible NBA Finals preview) between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a clash between the league's top two teams.Both boast the best records in their conferences and both are riding impressive winning streaks (OKC's 15 to Cleveland's 10). Both have All-Star talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.Off the court, the buzz around the NBA has been on Jimmy Butler and what the Miami Heat will do...
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NBA Power Rankings: Celtics and Clippers riding high into the new year

Some teams across the NBA are looking to ring in the new year with continued success, while others are hoping to re-up resolutions for 2025.After slow starts, the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are looking to leave 2024 behind and hop into a second-half surge to contend for the playoff picture.Other teams, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, are hoping to continue their dominant starts, having declared early command of their r...
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NBA Power Rankings: Where all 30 teams stack up, plus each roster's young riser

The NBA regular season is in full swing ahead of a blockbuster slate of games on Christmas Day, and teams are already bracing for potential moves ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Two months into the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are keeping their hold atop the Eastern Conference standings with the defending NBA Finals champions Boston Celtics right behind. The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the mix, while the Philadelphia 76ers are still floundering near the bottom.Out West, the Oklahoma City...
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Victor Wembanyama doesn't want to be put in a box: 'I won't fit'

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama notches the third 40-point game of his career with a big performance against the Hawks. (1:57)ON HIS FIRST day of training camp as a rookie in 2023, Victor Wembanyama explained how the San Antonio Spurs could best position him, and the franchise, for success.It was around 90 days after the French phenom was selected No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft.Conventional basketball wisdom said the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama should live in the paint and take his shots near the basket. He s...
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NBA Power Rankings: Grizzlies grind in the West, Cavs continue to climb

The second inaugural NBA Cup has concluded, with the Milwaukee Bucks crowned as tournament champions Tuesday night after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.The regular season, however, continues to roll on as teams and players will look to turn things around in the new year.In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics seem as untouchable as they were expected to be entering this season. While the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers have tumbled down the standings to start the seaso...
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NBA Power Rankings: Biggest issue on offense and defense for all 30 teams

We're nearing the end of 2024, but nowhere close to the end of what's been an intriguing 2024-25 NBA season.After a slow start, the Milwaukee Bucks have made a comeback in the Eastern Conference standings. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, after an unprecedented run in the inaugural NBA Cup last year, are struggling this season to stay afloat in the conference standings.In the West, the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies are making their presence known, chasing the conference-leading...
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How Ime Udoka built the Houston Rockets' new identity

AMEN THOMPSON TROTS back in transition defense a half-step too slow when LA Clippers guard Norman Powell catches a pass on the right wing and attacks during an early possession in the Houston Rockets' road win Sunday. Powell takes a couple of dribbles with Thompson on his hip, bumps him and gets Thompson to bite on a pump fake.After Thompson watches Powell's floater go through the net, he glances toward the Rockets' bench.It doesn't happen often, but when the man Thompson is guarding gets a buck...
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The Warriors' wins -- and losses -- come down to 'strength in numbers'

Jonathan Kuminga muscles his way to the basket for a huge layup that gets Steph Curry and Draymond Green amped up on the bench. (0:40)ONCE THE TEAM'S charter plane reached cruising altitude, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff huddled together in the coaches' section located in the middle of the plane.Somewhere between the Phoenix desert and Denver's Rocky Mountains on Monday afternoon, Kerr and his lieutenants crunched numbers, dissected combinations and settled on some lineup...
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NBA Power Rankings: Bucks bounce back, Rockets rise in the West

Group play for the 2024 NBA Cup ended Tuesday, with the knockout round matchups set to begin next week.

Soon, a team will claim the title as the second in-season tournament champion, joining last season's winners, the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, the regular season pushes on as teams look to end 2024 on a high note and enter the New Year with intentions locked in on the postseason.

It's a battle of defenses in the West as the Houston Rockets trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder in the confere...
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NBA Power Rankings: Biggest lessons learned so far from all 30 teams

Kristaps Porzingis shares his journey back to the court after becoming an NBA champion and discusses how the Celtics will be even better this season. (2:34)We're a little over a month into the 2024-25 NBA season and we're already past the halfway point of the NBA Cup group phase with teams facing knockout round clinching scenarios this week.Some teams are dominating in group play, while others are focusing on the long-term goals of the regular season. Either way, every game counts when it comes...
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NBA Power Rankings: OKC battles out West, Magic ascend in the East

We're one month into the 2024-25 NBA season, and in just a few weeks a lot has unfolded in both conferences.The second edition of the NBA Cup kicked off last week, once again unveiling some flashy courts. Group stage games will end Dec. 3 and knockout contests will start Dec. 10.The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to hold the No.1 spot in the rankings despite having their 15-game win streak end after losing to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.Meanwhile, in the wild West, the Golden State Warrior...
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NBA Power Rankings: Important role players for Knicks, Warriors and all 30 teams

Kendrick Perkins explains why the 76ers need to overcome a slow start and at least make the conference finals this season. (1:20)We're just a few weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, and we've already seen some memorable homecomings as well as a barrage of superstar injuries.The Cleveland Cavaliers remain at the top of the pack as the only undefeated team left in the league. While a few other surprise contenders have made waves, such as the Golden State Warriors, who continue to climb the West, an...
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How Golden State is adjusting to life without Klay Thompson

Take a look back at Klay Thompson's major moments during his time with the Warriors. (2:37)Editor's note: This story was first published on Oct. 9. Thompson returns to Golden State to face his former team for the first time on Tuesday. LAIE, Hawaii -- Draymond Green was driving his wife and kids to an assembly for his daughter on a late June day in California when his phone rang.Klay Thompson's name flashed on the screen.In the 12 years they'd been teammates, Green had never known Thompson to ma...
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