1:31 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine missed the team’s regular-season opener against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night with left knee injury management, according to Bulls public relations. LaVine told reporters after shootaround on Wednesday morning in Miami that his absence was not tied to a setback but rather load management

4:21 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Russell Westbrook said he “absolutely” believes that Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham’s decision to bring him off the bench in L.A.’s preseason finale could have caused the hamstring strain he suffered that night. “I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight,” Westbrook said following the Lakers’

10:00 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors wrapped up their Western Conference finals series against the Dallas Mavericks, stamping their ticket back to the NBA Finals, a man by the name of Jason Arasheben started receiving text messages from a few Warriors players. The texts were simple — and

5:51 PM ET Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Take note: The Utah Jazz evidently need a new hashtag. The team’s long-used hashtag — #TakeNote — was used by Apple CEO Tim Cook in a tweet on Tuesday, accompanied by an Apple logo emoji. It raises questions about how the phrase will be used in

Oct 12, 2022 ESPN Fantasy Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league for the 2022-23 NBA season. Sign up for free! Sometimes it takes an expert’s eye to see something before everyone else does, such as the monster rookie season Franz Wagner had in Orlando last season or Jordan Poole elevating his game like

5:39 PM ET ESPN’s fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for October 18 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

2:30 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight has been charged with driving while impaired just days before the team was set to open the regular season. Bouknight, 22, was arrested at 1:51 a.m. Sunday by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, according to a police report. Bond was set at $2,500.

10:57 AM ET Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has agreed to a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension, his agent Sam Permut of Roc Nation Sports told ESPN on Monday. The extension has a unique structure that allows for significant upside for Porter and protections for the Rockets. The deal’s first season is guaranteed, and

Oct 15, 2022 ESPN News Services Dikembe Mutombo is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, the NBA announced Saturday on behalf of the Hall of Fame center and his family. The NBA said in a statement that Mutombo — who ranks second in NBA history for career blocks — is beginning treatment in Atlanta and

Oct 15, 2022 The Golden State Warriors and guard Jordan Poole have agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension, his agents, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown of CAA Sports, told ESPN on Saturday. The Warriors announced Sunday that Poole had signed the extension without disclosing terms. The extension comes ahead of Monday’s deadline for