5:37 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol accepted a one-year player option Wednesday for next season. The value is approximately $25.6 million, marking the final season of a five-year contract Gasol signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2015. Had the 34-year-old Spaniard not accepted prior to the Thursday, he would

4:16 PM ET The Houston Rockets are canvassing NBA teams with significant salary-cap space to individually offer center Clint Capela, guard Eric Gordon and forward P.J. Tucker as a prelude to their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN. The Rockets want to present a package to

7:02 AM ET Where are Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson heading in NBA free agency? Will the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or LA Clippers be able to land two max stars? The signings can officially begin at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, and so far there’s little certainty about how this

6:55 PM ET Once free agency starts on Sunday, the Rockets are planning to recruit Jimmy Butler to push the Philadelphia 76ers for a sign-and-trade deal that would allow the All-Star forward to join James Harden and Chris Paul in Houston, league sources tell ESPN. The Rockets don’t have the salary-cap space to sign Butler,

4:04 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN WALTHAM, Mass. — Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the Boston Celtics. And yet, as the start of free agency approaches this weekend, Marcus Smart remains optimistic about the state of the franchise — even as both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford appear headed elsewhere next month. “I’m

8:08 AM ET Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden for MVP? Luka Doncic or Trae Young for Rookie of the Year? The wait is almost over for the “2019 NBA Awards Show,” hosted by Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (9 p.m. ET, TNT). Here’s the list of finalists for each major award. Note: Six of the

11:58 PM ET Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Milwaukee Bucks player to win the Most Valuable Player award. The award was announced on Monday at a ceremony in Los Angeles. At just 24 years old, Antetokounmpo became the third-youngest player to win the MVP over the past 40 seasons, behind Derrick Rose

3:35 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — The Boston Celtics weren’t supposed to be players in free agency this summer. But, now that both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford seem headed out the door this summer, the Celtics could have $25 million or more to spend in free agency. And, as Danny Ainge prepares for

6:34 AM ET What does Kawhi want? This is the essential question that has occupied the Toronto Raptors since their bold trade for Kawhi Leonard last July. Leonard is one of the NBA’s most inscrutable superstars, a man of few words and little subtext. He’s not uncommunicative, but he is quite literal. When he was