American NBA team in the Pacific Division, Western Conference
The NBA draft lottery has delivered a fifth pick to the Clippers through a deal that sent Indiana’s top-4 pick and Myles Turner away; Indiana now misses the No. 5 selection it hoped for and must regroup with Ivica Zubac joining the Clippers, while Tyrese Haliburton is set to return from injury.
LeBron James has announced he will leave the Los Angeles Lakers, ending an eight-year stint that delivered a 2020 title. The 41-year-old will play his 24th NBA season elsewhere, with teams including the Warriors and Cavaliers cited as potential destinations. Free agency opens with mounting speculation about the next chapter in one of basketball’s greatest careers.
Beasley has been arraigned in a Brooklyn federal court amid a wider federal gambling probe. He and Paolo Zamorano have pleaded not guilty. Beasley is accused of fixing or attempting to fix several games in 2024 while with the Milwaukee Bucks. They were released on bond and await a status conference on Aug. 6. The indictment also ties several other figures to the scheme.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded to the Miami Heat, ending his run in Milwaukee after a 32-50 season. The Bucks acquire Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft rights as part of the deal, while Giannis has expressed mixed emotions about leaving his home city but pursues a new path toward another title.
The NBA is investigating potential salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, Aspiration, and the Los Angeles Clippers. The inquiry has paused a planned return to Toronto and a Raptors trade, with findings due this summer.