1:07 AM ET LOS ANGELES — After missing almost an entire year as he recovered from a torn left Achilles injury, Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins made his season debut on Friday night, scoring 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists in a 112-94 win over the LA Clippers. Cousins, who

11:54 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Kenneth Faried has agreed to a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets, clearing the way for him to sign a free agent deal with the Houston Rockets, league sources told ESPN. Faried is expected to be waived on Saturday and clear to sign with Houston on Monday, by which time

9:36 PM ET Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle reiterated on his weekly radio show that disgruntled point guard Dennis Smith Jr. “is welcome to come back and rejoin the team whenever he feels like he can,” adding that he believes Smith’s advisers are telling him to stay away from the team. Smith has missed the

7:01 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN There is optimism that former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas will make his debut with the Denver Nuggets prior to the mid-February All-Star Break, league sources told ESPN on Friday. Thomas has been gathering momentum in his rehabilitation process from hip surgery in March, and there’s hope among Thomas and the

5:47 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN CHICAGO — Chicago-based hand specialists have recommended Bulls rookie Wendell Carter undergo surgery to repair a left thumb injury. If Carter opts to have the surgery, the recovery time is 8-12 weeks. Carter sprained his thumb during a Jan. 15 game against the LA Clippers. Carter played the entire game

11:00 AM ET PHILADELPHIA — IT WAS late November and the Timberwolves franchise was still staggering after Jimmy Butler had finally bludgeoned his way out of Minnesota. Questions persisted regarding the psyche of Karl-Anthony Towns, who, along with Andrew Wiggins, had been verbally eviscerated by Butler in a fiery (and now public) preseason practice. Butler

2:05 AM ET LOS ANGELES – LeBron James’ second stint in Cleveland – the four NBA Finals appearances, the first championship in franchise history that snapped a 52-year title-less drought for the city — was an unabashed success. But it came at a cost. While James was brilliant in those postseason runs, he played 81

5:44 PM ET Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson is expected to miss at least two to four weeks because of a sprained left ankle. The Grizzlies announced Sunday that Anderson had a Grade 2 sprain. Anderson hurt the ankle Saturday in a 112-108 loss at Miami. Anderson has made 38

1:35 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Dennis Schroder was mad at himself. After a scoreless first half against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, and looking out of sorts, showing signs of frustration, he was trying to find some personal spark, something to ignite him. He’s an emotional, temperamental player and it wasn’t just the

12:13 AM ET A season of inconsistency for the Boston Celtics took another downward turn with Saturday night’s 105-103 loss to the Magic in Orlando, Florida. Asked what’s keeping Boston from being the team that so many expected entering the season, star point guard Kyrie Irving was blunt in his assessment. “Experience,” Irving told reporters.