Basketball News · LatestMonday, May 4, 2026

Kevin O’Connor & Adam Mares break down what went wrong for the Denver Nuggets in the Playoffs and preview the Western Conference semifinals.

The Rockets dealt with more than injuries this season. The absences of Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams removed two veteran voices from the locker room, and that left less insulation around Kevin Durant as the year unfolded, according to Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Sources told ESPN that without those buffers, some of […] The post Rockets navigated Kevin Durant tensions amid injuries, still focused on young core appeared first on Hoops Wire.

This series is packed with star power on both sides.

With the San Antonio Spurs set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals, all eyes shift to what could define the next phase of Victor Wembanyama’s rise. After shutting down Nikola Jokic for an entire series and helping the Timberwolves past the 2021 champions, Rudy Gobert will know that he is […] The post 3 Victor Wembanyama bold playoff predictions vs. Rudy Gobert after Nikola Jokic shutdown appeared first on ClutchPoints.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers have a daunting task ahead of them in the Western Conference Semifinals, having to go through the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to advance in the playoffs. Everyone knows who the Thunder are. They are elite on both ends of the floor and extremely difficult to beat. But […] The post The player who raises Lakers’ ceiling the most, and it’s not LeBron James or Luka Doncic appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen muffled some of his critics with his performance in Game 7 on Sunday. Allen erupted for 22 points and 19 rebounds as the Cavs closed out the Raptors. “I always feel like in this league when you get a certain label, it always sticks with you no matter what,” Allen told […]

Georgia director of basketball operations Ben Gonzalez is headed to the Utah Jazz for a front office role L'articolo Utah Jazz add Ben Gonzalez to front office proviene da Sportando.

Here’s whether the Rockets should give Amen Thompson a $250 million max extension after their first-round playoff exit.

Saagar Sarin will lead the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s NBA G League affiliate, while continuing in his front-office role L'articolo Sacramento Kings name Saagar Sarin GM of Stockton Kings proviene da Sportando.

Why not us?

PHOENIX — A season removed from a surprising run to the WNBA Finals, the Phoenix Mercury enter 2026 with more questions, as reflected in ESPN’s No. 7 preseason ranking.

Minnesota is embarking on its third straight conference finals appearance, and coach Chris Finch’s team is frankly better as an underdog.

High school basketball had shut down in his native Bahamas. He moved to Florida, where he was playing AAU, but not yet high school basketball. Then Long Island Lutheran – a basketball powerhouse not just in New York, but across the country – became aware of a hidden gem.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard will miss the series opener against the San Antonio Spurs due to a lingering right calf issue L'articolo Ayo Dosunmu ruled out for Timberwolves-Spurs Game 1 proviene da Sportando.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart has defended every superstar in the league over the years, but it appears one stands above the rest when it comes to how challenging it is. Ahead of the Lakers’ second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Smart praised reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the toughest player to defend. […]

This was a roller-coaster ride of a season for the Boston Celtics. Little was anticipated from head coach Joe Mazzulla’s team at the start of the year because the Celtics did not expect to have Jayson Tatum back this season after his Achilles injury suffered in last May’s playoffs against the New York Knicks. Additionally, […] The post 2 players Celtics must trade after unbelievable 3-1 playoff series collapse vs. 76ers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Ahead of their Western Conference semifinals series, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed why he isn’t taking future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lightly. While playing without Luka Doncic to start the series isn’t ideal against the defending champion, a James-led Lakers squad is still a legitimate threat […] The post Why Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won’t take LeBron James, Lakers lightly in 2nd round appeared first on ClutchPoi...

On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks made headlines by hiring Masai Ujiri to lead their new front office regime. Ujiri was the architect of the 2019 Toronto Raptors championship team and will be joining a Dallas organization that is currently rebuilding around Cooper Flagg. Although Dallas missed the playoffs in 2025-26, Flagg had an outstanding first […] The post Carmelo Anthony hits Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg with ‘no ceiling’ praise appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Despite mutual interest and a clear need at point guard following Fred VanVleet's torn ACL, the Houston Rockets declined to pursue a reunion with James Harden this season, prioritizing the development of their young core over a short-term fix, sources told ESPN. Harden's representatives contacted Houston after the Los Angeles Clippers stumbled to a 6-21 start, gauging interest in a potential return to the franchise that originally built around him before trading him to the Brooklyn Nets in Ja...

Despite a turbulent playoff run, the Houston Rockets remain firm believers in guard Reed Sheppard's long-term potential, with internal sources comparing his ceiling to Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash, sources tell ESPN Sheppard, selected third overall in the 2024 draft, struggled with consistency throughout Houston's first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 16-for-64 in the Rockets' four defeats but 11-for-24 in their two wins, a split that illustrated both his promise and his ...

The Wildcats' offseason troubles are only magnified amid the success of those in their neighborhood

A free agent after the season, Tobias Harris has shown the NBA world he still has plenty left in the tank. The Pistons forward averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds during the first-round series against Orlando, including 30 points in the decisive Game 7 on Sunday. “Nobody can say (bleep) to me about Tobias Harris,” […]

Add another layer to what’s shaping up as a busy offseason for the Magic. With Jamahl Mosley already out and real questions about roster balance, guard Jalen Suggs is being viewed as a potential trade candidate, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. That doesn’t mean he’s gone. It does mean everything is being looked […] The post Magic could explore Jalen Suggs trade amid roster reset appeared first on Hoops Wire.

"Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. [But he] flops. He know it."

Here's everything you need to know about the second-round matchup between the Lakers and Thunder.

New York Liberty all-star point guard Sabrina Ionescu is one of the most recognizable faces in the WNBA. Unfortunately, Ionescu suffered an ankle injury during the Liberty’s preseason game against the Connecticut Sun. “Chris DeMarco confirms what the replay showed. Sabrina Ionescu rolled her left ankle. She’ll get an MRI tomorrow,” The Athletic’s Annie Costabile…

As the Los Angeles Lakers get ready to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach JJ Redick is already planting some seeds with the officials. The narrative surrounding the Thunder the last couple of years is that they are allowed to play more physically than other teams without getting called for fouls. Whether he […]

The post Basketball Analytics: Strategy at the Highest Level in the 2026 NBA Playoffs appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Hoops Rumors is hosting a live chat today at 3:00 pm Central time (4:00 pm Eastern). Click here to submit your questions about the playoffs, free agency, extension candidates, trade rumors, other offseason moves, the salary cap, CBA rules, draft lottery reform, or any other NBA-related topic. Then join us at 3 pm CT to […]

Now we’re getting a clearer picture of what may have been going on behind the scenes with the Magic. Before Orlando fired coach Jamahl Mosley on Monday, star forward Paolo Banchero had grown frustrated with how things were handled late in games, especially when the ball wasn’t in his hands. That’s according to Brett Siegel […] The post Report: Magic’s Paolo Banchero grew frustrated with Jamahl Mosley’s late-game decisions appeared first on Hoops Wire.