NBA News

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaden McDaniels pushed himself into the spotlight in the first round of the NBA playoffs with his declaration following Minnesota’s comeback victory in Game 2 that the key to offensive success in this series was driving to the basket and directly attacking a Denver team he said was filled with “bad defenders.” The external consensus was that …

For the second year in a row, an Atlanta Hawk is the Most Improved Player in the NBA. Last season, it was Dyson Daniels. This season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker earned the honor. “Nickeil’s dedication, continual work on his craft, and the ensuing results this season make him incredibly deserving of this award,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “He has a tireless …

After one season at Duke, Cameron Boozer has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. He made the announcement on his Instagram account on Friday. “Thank you for everything @dukeuniversity,” Boozer wrote on the post. “Duke Blue forever 💙💙” Advertisement Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 games for the Blue Devils this past season. …

Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named as the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2025-26 season. Alexander-Walker had a career year, starting in 71 of the 78 games he played in this season. The 27-year-old guard averaged 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game – all personal career highs. Walker also set the Hawks …

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant won’t play in Game 3 of Houston’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night because of a sprained left ankle. Durant also missed the opener of the series because of a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2 and scored 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss that …

Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the NBA’s 2026 Most Improved Player, taking home the honor in his first year with the Atlanta Hawks. Alexander-Walker beat out the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija for the honor. After time spent on three other NBA teams, Alexander-Walker found his groove with the Hawks as a starting shooting guard, putting …

TORONTO (AP) — Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley aggravated his strained right hamstring while working his way back from the injury and will not be available during Toronto’s first-round playoff series against Cleveland, the team said Friday. Quickley averaged 16.4 points, a career-high 5.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 70 games in the regular season. He scored at least 20 points …

The Los Angeles Lakers appear on the verge of getting Austin Reaves back even sooner than expected. The star guard is trying to play in Game 3 against the Houston Rockets on Friday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, about three weeks after he went down with an oblique strain. If he can’t play Friday, he will reportedly push for Game …

Who will stay and who will go? It’s the question some of the top players in men’s college basketball need an answer to as the deadline to declare for the NBA draft has arrived on Friday, April 24. Entering your name into the 2026 NBA Draft doesn’t shut the door completely on college eligibility, as the deadline is when players …

As expected, Alba Berlin combo guard Jack Kayil has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, according to agents Kevin Bradbury and Milan Nikolic. Don’t fret, as the Gonzaga Bulldogs commit can still decide to opt out and play his first college basketball season in 2026-27 in Spokane, Washington. He’s testing the waters, looking to hear back from scouts and NBA …

The Toronto Raptors clawed back into their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday with a 126-104 victory at home. If they’re going to climb out of what was previously a 2-0 hole and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, they’ll have to do so without Immanuel Quickley. Advertisement The team announced Friday that the 26-year-old guard re-injured …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Our NBA player prop projections are locked in ahead of Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, with the model highlighting several high-value spots across the board. Advertisement By breaking down the data and comparing it to current market lines, we’ve pinpointed …

Rather than declare as early entry candidates for the 2026 NBA Draft, several of the top players in college basketball decided to go back to school. With the significant rise of NIL packages offered to collegiate players to play another season with their college team or use the transfer portal, the basketball world has never seen such little financial incentive …

With the Knicks down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs following their loss on Thursday night, head coach Mike Brown said on Friday that the starting lineup for Game 4 on Saturday will be a “game-time decision.” Brown mentioned that everything is on the table for New York, who has dropped the last two …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The New York Knicks now find themselves in some adversity after two gut-wrenching losses to the Atlanta Hawks. Advertisement Jalen Brunson struggled from 3-point range in New York’s latest 109-108 loss in Game 3, but that won’t stop the Knicks’ superstar from putting …

If you’re wondering how Portland owner Tom Dundon’s penny-pinching ways — or even the reputation of it — can hurt the Trail Blazers on the court, this situation is a great example. The Portland Trail Blazers plan to make a run at two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo if/when he becomes available for a trade this offseason, reports Bill Oram of The …

Subscribe to The Dunker Spot We have a jam-packed episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way! First, Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones continue dissecting first-round playoff action! They share their biggest takeaways from the Game 2s & 3s we’ve gotten, then go back to the Panic Meter for the teams that suffered tough (injury) losses. Advertisement From there, the …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic take their Round 1 set to the “Sunshine State” with the series locked up at 1-1. Advertisement Game 3 has a tight spread, but my same-game parlay tips its hat to the visitors, with Detroit boasting one …

This was expected, but now Darryn Peterson has made it official. Peterson has declared for the NBA Draft, announcing his decision on Instagram. Peterson, a 6’5″ combo guard, is an elite shot creator and finisher who averaged 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds a game, shooting 32.8% from 3-point range. That season at Kansas also raised a few eyebrows because of …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The next time the sports betting gods deal out a bad beat, just think of those who backed Kevin Durant to clear his points prop in Game 2 of this opening-round series. Advertisement Durant came out hot, dropping 20 points in the first …

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson declared for the NBA draft on Friday, just as nearly everyone had expected he would ever since his arrival on campus, and the high-scoring guard figures to be among the first three players selected in June. The 6-foot-6 Peterson showed flashes of brilliance with the Jayhawks, but he also caused a lot …

Devin Booker was frustrated. There was the technical foul he got that nobody could understand (more on that below, keep reading). Then there were the two offensive fouls he picked, the first because it looked like Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso tried to slow him down off the ball on the break, they got tangled up, and Caruso went to the …

It was reported on Friday that North Carolina center Henri Veesaar is departing the program and intends to stay in the NBA Draft. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander had the report. Shortly after, Norlander reported a bombshell. Prior to Veesaar’s decision to enter the NBA Draft, multiple schools tried to lure the Second Team All-ACC selection into the Transfer Portal. He was offered at least $6 …

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Isaiah Hartenstein never expected a museum visit to be life-altering. Before the 7-foot center even signed his free agent contract with Oklahoma City two years ago, Thunder general manager Sam Presti told him onboarding would include a trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, the site where 168 people were killed on April 19, …

Today it was announced that Henri Veesaar is officially going into the NBA Draft. Per Matt Norlander, Veesaar intends to stay in the draft, with no intent to return to UNC. When Veesaar transferred to UNC last spring, observers saw the potential for a break-out season. Coming off the bench for Tommy Lloyd in Tucson, Veesaar played 21 minutes a …