The San Antonio Spurs lured LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency two years ago and could be ready to chase another addition, All-Star point guard Chris Paul.The Spurs are exploring the feasibility of making a free agent run at Paul, and the Los Angeles Clippers regard the threat of San Antonio signing him as a legitimate concern, league sources told ESPN.The Spurs presently don't have salary-cap flexibility, but the prospect of adding Paul to the frontcourt duo of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge could potentially create a star trio that closes the gap on the Golden State Warriors, ESPN reported on Saturday.The Clippers still are regarded as favorites to retain Paul and fellow free agent-to-be Blake Griffin when they hit the open market on July 1.The Spurs would be counting on the Clippers' inability to overcome injuries and reach the conference finals even once in Paul's six seasons in Los Angeles to give them a chance.The 32-year-old Paul is eligible for a five-year deal worth an estimated... [More]

The Golden State Warriors are tuning out talk that their star-studded teams in recent years are to blame for uncompetitive playoff basketball.Kevin Durant, who signed a two-year, $54.3 million free agent contract last offseason, said his move to join the Warriors has not negatively affected the NBA and ruined parity in the league."Like I'm the reason why (expletive) Orlando couldn't make the playoffs for five, six years in a row?" Durant told USA Today Sports in a wide-ranging article published Friday. "Am I the reason that Brooklyn gave all their picks to Boston? Like, am I the reason that they're not that good?"I can't play for every team, so the truth of the matter is I left one team. It's one more team that you probably would've thought would've been a contender. One more team. I couldn't have made the (entire) East better. I couldn't have made everybody (else) in the West better."The 2015 champion Warriors will face the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the third... [More]

G Isaiah Thomas said Friday that surgery is not currently the top option for his injured right hip. Thomas told reporters Friday that he must wait until the swelling subsides in his hip before determining his rehabilitation plan. "(Surgery is) not the number one option right now, but it could be once the swelling goes down," Thomas said. Thomas, who averaged 28.9 points per game during the regular season and 23.3 during the postseason, scored 19 total points in the first two games against the Cavaliers.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be the underdog against the Golden State Warriors as the NBA Finals get underway next week.The 2016 champion Cavs will battle the 2015 champion Warriors for the third straight year.James scored 35 points and passed Michael Jordan to become the NBA's all-time playoff scoring leader as the Cavaliers routed the Boston Celtics 135-102 on Thursday night to claim their third straight Eastern Conference title.Both teams dominated throughout the playoffs -- the Warriors making history by going an unprecedented 12-0 through three rounds in the Western Conference with the Cavs losing just a single game to the Celtics.The league will showcase the two best teams again when the NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night (ABC, 9 p.m. ET).The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook installed Golden State as a minus-260 favorite, with Cleveland at plus-220, meaning a $100 bet on the Warriors would win $38.46 and the same bet on the Cavaliers would win $220, according to ESPN.The... [More]

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be the underdog against the Golden State Warriors as the NBA Finals get underway next week.The 2016 champion Cavs will battle the 2015 champion Warriors for the third straight year.James scored 35 points and passed Michael Jordan to become the NBA's all-time playoff scoring leader as the Cavaliers routed the Boston Celtics 135-102 on Thursday night to claim their third straight Eastern Conference title.Both teams dominated throughout the playoffs -- the Warriors making history by going an unprecedented 12-0 through three rounds in the Western Conference with the Cavs losing just a single game to the Celtics.The league will showcase the two best teams again when the NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night (ABC, 9 p.m. ET).The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook installed Golden State as a minus-260 favorite, with Cleveland at plus-220, meaning a $100 bet on the Warriors would win $38.46 and the same bet on the Cavaliers would win $220, according to ESPN.The... [More]

F Amir Johnson (sprained right shoulder) was able to play Thursday in the Celtics' season-ending loss to the Cavaliers. He scored one point in six minutes.

F James Jones is going to his seventh straight NBA Finals, all with LeBron James. Bill Russell holds the record of appearing in 10 consecutive Finals. Jones scored two points in eight minutes Thursday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals vs. Boston.

G Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 23 points in a season-ending loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday."We're definitely disappointed. I felt like if we weren't, it would be a problem," Bradley said. "We feel like we should be here, and we feel like we should be a championship-contending team."

F Jae Crowder (strained left thigh) was able to play Thursday in the Celtics' season-ending loss to the Cavaliers. He had 11 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes.

G Deron Williams contributed 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench as the Cavaliers rolled to a 135-102 blowout of the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

F Kevin Love had 15 points and 11 rebounds and was a game-high plus-43 as the Cavaliers rolled to a 135-102 blowout of the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

F LeBron James scored 35 points to become the all-time playoff points leader while clinching his seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance.James also had eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a blocked shot in a 135-102 blowout of the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.James, who shot 13 of 18 from the floor and 4 of 7 from 3-point range, hit a 3-pointer with 2:41 left in the third quarter to pass Michael Jordan and move to the top of all playoff scorers. James finished the night with 5,995 playoff points, topping Jordan's mark of 5,987. Jordan appeared in 179 postseason games; James played his 212th.

F Chris Bosh and the Heat agreed to part ways. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald reported the sides were in talks Tuesday, and sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Heat, Bosh and the players' union tentatively agreed to a resolution.Bosh, 33, was sidelined this past season when he failed a preseason physical -- Heat team doctors declined to clear him to take part in training camp -- after he missed the second half of the previous two seasons due to blood clots. Bosh last played in a game on Feb. 9, 2016, remaining on the Heat's roster and taking up salary cap space as the sides worked through medical and legal issues. His five-year, $118 million contract runs through the 2018-19 campaign.

G Kyrie Irving had 24 points and seven assists as the Cavaliers rolled to a 135-102 blowout of the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Miami Heat and 11-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh have agreed to part ways.The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald reported the sides were in talks Tuesday, and sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Heat, Bosh and the players' union tentatively agreed to a resolution.Bosh, 33, was sidelined this past season when he failed a preseason physical -- Heat team doctors declined to clear him to take part in training camp -- after he missed the second half of the previous two seasons due to blood clots.Bosh last played in a game on Feb. 9, 2016, remaining on the Heat's roster and taking up salary cap space as the sides worked through medical and legal issues. His five-year, $118 million contract runs through the 2018-19 campaign.The agreement has not been finalized as Bosh and his family, agents and lawyers are still reviewing documents, according to ESPN.--The Atlanta Hawks are in the process of finalizing a deal that would make Travis Schlenk, the Golden State Warriors' vice president... [More]

The Miami Heat and 11-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh have agreed to part ways.The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald reported the sides were in talks Tuesday, and sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Heat, Bosh and the players' union tentatively agreed to a resolution.Bosh, 33, was sidelined this past season when he failed a preseason physical -- Heat team doctors declined to clear him to take part in training camp -- after he missed the second half of the previous two seasons due to blood clots.Bosh last played in a game on Feb. 9, 2016, remaining on the Heat's roster and taking up salary cap space as the sides worked through medical and legal issues. His five-year, $118 million contract runs through the 2018-19 campaign.The agreement has not been finalized as Bosh and his family, agents and lawyers are still reviewing documents, according to ESPN.Bosh is guaranteed his remaining $25.3 million salary for 2017-18 and $26.8 million salary for 2018-19, but a significant portion... [More]

F Amir Johnson (sprained shoulder) did not play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday.

F Kelly Olynyk made his first start of the postseason in place of Amir Johnson (sprained shoulder), and he scored 15 points.

F Al Horford contributed 16 points and seven assists in Boston's Game 4 loss at Cleveland on Tuesday.

G Isaiah Thomas (right hip) visited with an undisclosed specialist to determine the course of action for his surgery. Coach Brad Stevens said no decision had been made yet on whether Thomas would undergo an operation but reiterated that the guard is out for the remainder of the playoffs. Stevens said Thomas may consult with two additional specialists.