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The Philadelphia 76ers are swinging for the fences this offseason.Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is the 76ers' Plan A when free agency opens in July, sources told The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor.Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has expressed a need for a high-level wing next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.George fits the bill and will hit the market if he declines his $48.8-million player option for 2024-25. The nine-time All-Star averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 boards, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals across 74 appearances last season.George is eligible to receive a four-year, $221-million contract from the Clippers, but the club apparently hasn't offered him more than the three-year, $152.4-million extension they handed Kawhi Leonard in January, adds O'Connor.The 76ers have nearly $60 million in cap space available and up to five tradable first-rounders beginning on draft night, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who is under contract for one more season, is reportedly Philadelphia's fallback plan should it fail to land George in free agency, O'Connor reports.Ingram has developed into an All-Star since being dealt by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal. The 2019-20 Most Improved Player averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 boards over 64 appearances last season.The 76ers were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the opening round of the postseason. Philadelphia hasn't advanced past the second round since making The Finals in 2001.

Caleb Love is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to Arizona for his final year of college eligibility, he announced Wednesday on social media.Players had until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to remove their name from the draft and return to school. OneLove…❤️ pic.twitter/8vnBWDgRGx— Caleb Love (@caleb2love) May 29, 2024 Love's return is a big boost for Tommy Lloyd's program, which lost starters Kylan Boswell and Oumar Ballo in the transfer portal. The Wildcats offset those key offseason departures by adding Horizon League Player of the Year Trey Townsend from Oakland and high-scoring guard Anthony Dell'Orso from Campbell.Love had a strong debut campaign in Tuscon, averaging a career-high 18 points, 4.8 boards, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals across 36 appearances. The 6-foot-4 guard earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors and was an AP All-American third-team selection. However, Arizona's 2023-24 season came to a disappointing end in the Sweet 16 versus Clemson.Love previously played three seasons at North Carolina, helping lead the Tar Heels to the national championship game as a sophomore.

Kansas wing Johnny Furphy is staying in this year's NBA draft, he announced Wednesday on social media.Players had until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to remove their name from the draft and return to school. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kansas Men’s Basketball (@kuhoops) Furphy is the 18th-ranked prospect on ESPN's draft projections.The 6-foot-9 Aussie averaged nine points, 4.9 boards, and one assist across 33 appearances during his lone year with the Jayhawks. He also shot 35.2% from deep and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team."We appreciate his contributions in the year that we had him," Kansas head coach Bill Self said in a statement. "He has matured and accelerated at a very quick pace as a player during the past year."We understand and support Johnny's decision. ... We should all be excited for him and look forward to following his progress as an NBA player."The Jayhawks are poised to contend in the Big 12 despite losing Furphy to the NBA.Star center Hunter Dickinson is returning for a fifth year, while Rylan Griffen and AJ Storr are both joining the program via the transfer portal.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is the recipient of this year's Magic Johnson Trophy, given to the most valuable player of the Western Conference finals.

Diana Taurasi was right when she said "reality is coming" for Caitlin Clark and the highly touted 2024 rookie class.Clark's transition to the WNBA was always going to take some time. The No. 1 overall pick's early ups and downs are another reminder of how difficult the jump to the pros can be - even for the NCAA's all-time leading scorer.With the Indiana Fever finally in the middle of an extended break, it's an appropriate time to assess how Clark's fared a quarter way through her debut campaign.What's gone right? MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / MediaNews Group / GettyMultifaceted scorerClark isn't scoring at the prolific rate she did in college, but she's still lighting up the scoreboard at an impressive rate, ranking 18th in the WNBA with a team-high 15.6 points per game. She recently registered back-to-back 20-point games for the first time, which included a historic 30-5-6-3-3 line against the Los Angeles Sparks.Clark's 3-point shooting continues to be her best weapon. She's averaging 2.5 triples and knocked down 27 threes, trailing only Taurasi. The 22-year-old's unlimited range, ability to create separation on step-backs, and quick release coming off pindown screens continues to make her a handful to cover from beyond the arc. Caitlin Clark lightin' it up from behind the arc in the 2Q 🔥📺 SEA-IND on Prime Video pic.twitter/ji5wWk86F4— WNBA (@WNBA) May 30, 2024 Clark's sharpshooting opens up driving lanes for her to exploit. She's been willing to put the ball on the floor and attack some of the game's top rim-protectors. While it hasn't always worked out in her favor, her aggressiveness does earn frequent trips to the free-throw line. Only Dearica Hamby and Jewell Loyd have more attempts at the line this season than Clark.In a limited sample, Clark's delivered in crunch time as well, sitting fifth in the WNBA with 15 clutch points on 80% shooting.Unselfish playmakerClark's development into a lethal scorer in college was partly due to her equally elite passing ability. The 6-foot floor general was a dual offensive threat, leading the nation in both points and assists in two of her four seasons at Iowa. Her 1,144 dimes in a Hawkeyes jersey ranks third in Division I women's basketball history.Clark's playmaking skills have carried over to the next level: she ranks fourth in the league with 6.4 assists per contest. She's been more than willing to share the rock, using a variety of ways to get her teammates into the offensive flow.Clark's bread and butter has been her hit-ahead passes in transition. Whether making an outlet pass leading directly to a quick three or finding a rim-running big, she's always looking to push the pace and catch opposing defenses napping: Caitlin Clark drops it off to Temi Fagbenle for ✌️ pic.twitter/K89k0WCxvN— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 25, 2024 Clark's been just as clinical distributing the ball in the half court. She's developed chemistry with Aliyah Boston and Temi Fagbenle, showing great patience and routinely hitting both in stride when orchestrating the pick-and-roll.Whenever Clark's situated at the top of the 3-point arc, she can thread the needle to cutters and feed post players whenever they have a mismatch down low.Clark's knack of getting to the free-throw line on drives frequently draws a second defender, allowing her to set up open teammates on the perimeter.What's gone wrong? Elsa / Getty Images Sport / GettyToo many turnoversClark's inability to take care of the rock has been problematic. Her 5.4 turnovers per game and 59 total giveaways lead the WNBA by a wide margin. She coughed up the ball 10 times on opening night, setting a league record for a player in her maiden appearance.A combination of factors are contributing to Clark's turnover issues. First and foremost, the pro game is an entirely different animal. She's facing more long, athletic defenders on a regular basis, and is adjusting on the fly to the WNBA's increased speed and physicality.Connecticut did a great job mixing up its defensive coverages against Clark in her May 14 opener, having tenacious guard DiJonai Carrington stick to her like Velcro and throw in timely traps. The double teams were very effective, as they sped up Clark's decision-making and forced errant passes. Clark traveled on one instance as she anticipated the danger of another trap. Dijonai Carrington is putting the clamps on Caitlin Clark 🔒 pic.twitter/pGQ7MlXIqb— ESPN (@espn) May 15, 2024 The condensed WNBA schedule ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics is also playing a role. Indiana hasn't had many practices to build chemistry with 11 games in 20 days. As a result, the Fever have looked out of sync with many potential assists from Clark going off her teammates' fingertips or sailing beyond their reach out of bounds.Further, Indiana's roster isn't accustomed to playing up-tempo basketball that Clark thrived in at Iowa, nor is the roster currently constructed to maximize her playmaking prowess on the fast break. The Fever played at the second-slowest pace last season and returned eight players from that squad, so preparing to sprint up court alongside Clark after each missed shot and being constantly attentive has been a challenge for the holdovers.Still, Clark bears responsibility for a fair amount of her turnovers. A lot of the two-time Wooden Award winner's miscues are due to her own decision-making. She has a tendency to attempt difficult passes instead of making the simple play. Clark won't hesitate to attack the defense when the slightest opportunity presents itself, even if that means squeezing a pass into a tight window between two defenders.That's part of what made Clark appointment viewing in college. ESPN play-by-play commentator Ryan Ruocco called many of Clark's games at Iowa, where she led the NCAA in turnovers on three occasions. While Ruocco is confident Clark's ball security will improve, he doesn't expect her to change the way she operates."The freedom that she likes to play with in transition and the chances she likes to take ... she's a daredevil out there when it comes to some of those passes in transition, which can yield buckets and incredible highlights, or sometimes you can get burned with a turnover," Ruocco told theScore on a conference call last week.Inefficient shooting Clark is shooting 29.7% from distance and 35.7% overall. She's shot 50% or better in only one game so far, and her efficiency at the rim and in the paint have dropped compared to her senior year at Iowa. She's converted 55.9% of her shots within five feet of the basket and 22.2% of her field goals in the paint, excluding the restricted area.Six of Clark's first 11 tilts were against the league's top-three defensive teams from a year ago. The Sun, Las Vegas Aces, and New York Liberty collectively held her to 34.8% shooting, each using an WNBA All-Defensive team selection to keep tabs on Clark.Clark was being met at the rim by A'ja Wilson and can't shake versatile wing defenders like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton as easily as she did in college: I shot a lot of Caitlin Clark last night, and wow did she have to run around a lot. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and the Liberty defense had the clamps on her. A lot of physical play. Clark made a nice defensive play switching onto Breanna Stewart. I think she'll get adjusted soon. pic.twitter/SFFihKLLxk— Jack Lido (@JackLido) May 17, 2024 Clark will become more familiar with her opponents over time and learn which matchups are advantageous.Rookie comparison Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / GettyMuch has been made of Clark's shooting struggles, but her early numbers measure up quite well in comparison to recent top picks, especially at her position.Here's what the last five guards drafted No. 1 have done through their first 11 WNBA appearances:Player PPG RPG APG FG% 3P%Caitlin Clark 15.6 5.1 6.4 35.7 29.7Rhyne Howard 16.2 3.9 2.3 40.5 41.4Sabrina Ionescu* 15.7 6.3 6.5 38.7 40Jackie Young 5.5 3.5 4.0 32.4 26.7Kelsey Plum 3.4 1.0 1.6 23.2 21.7Jewell Loyd 8.0 3.4 1.4 33.7 11.8*Ionescu played only three games during her rookie year after sustaining a season-ending ankle sprainAll the listed players eventually settled in, despite a wide range of numbers to begin their professional careers.Howard was an All-Star in each of her first two WNBA campaigns. Ionescu finished runner-up to Young in Most Improved Player voting two years ago. Plum has a top-three MVP finish and a Sixth Player of the Year Award. Loyd has three All-WNBA nods to go along with a scoring title.Clark is going through natural rookie growing pains. It was unrealistic for her to take the league by storm from Day 1, despite her Iowa accolades. Clark still has much to learn before she can change the Fever's trajectory franchise, but the talent's there. She's already proved that.

A day after LeBron James expressed pride watching Kyrie Irving's growth from afar, the Dallas Mavericks star credited their playoff runs together with the Cleveland Cavaliers for shaping him into the player he is today.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla says Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a "serious injury" and is "doing anything and everything" to play, he told reporters Tuesday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzinigis is day-to-day after sustaining a dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg in the third quarter of Sunday's Game 2 encounter versus the Dallas Mavericks, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. It is unrelated to his right calf ailment."At the end of the day, the medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations. We've taken the decision to play out of his hands." Mazzulla added.More to come.

After Dan Hurley reportedly turned down a $70-million contract offer, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to formally interview JJ Redick for their head coaching vacancy, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski

South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley is weighing in on this season's hotly contested WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark."They're both having great years. Don't get me wrong," Staley told TMZ Sports. "If I had to pick a Rookie of the Year at this time ... it's Angel. Without a doubt."Reese entered Saturday's contest against the New York Liberty averaging 13.8 points and a league-best 11.8 boards. The LSU standout leads her peers with 104 offensive rebounds and is on pace to break the single-season record held by Hall of Fame center Yolanda Griffith. Earlier this month, Reese broke Candace Parker's WNBA record with her 13th straight double-double.Clark is also enjoying a tremendous debut campaign, averaging 16.8 points and ranking second in the league with 7.8 assists per contest. She recently became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double and multiple games of 20-plus points and 10-plus assists.Clark's statline last Wednesday against the Washington Mystics marked the first time a WNBA player tallied at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals, and five threes in one game.Both players will suit up in next weekend's All-Star Game in Phoenix and have their respective teams in playoff position."Listen, the season is halfway through and Caitlin is coming ... I'll say this. Whatever team makes the playoffs, that's our Rookie of the Year," Staley said.

The Indiana Pacers signed Andrew Nembhard to a three-year, $59-million contract extension, his agents told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.More to come.