Don’t expect Jason Kidd or Tyronn Lue to replace Darvin Ham as the Lakers’ head coach, Marc Stein reports in his latest Stein Line notes package. Kidd, who has one year left on his contract with the Mavericks, will likely receive a contract extension in the near future after they advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, according to Stein’s sources. Kidd was a top Lakers assistant coach under Frank Vogel.

Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has exercised his player option for 2024-25, locking in his $21.4M salary for next season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The decision was a no-brainer, given that Ball hasn’t played a game since January 2022 due to knee problems. He has undergone a series of procedures on his troublesome left knee, including receiving a cartilage transplant in 2023.

Former NBA guard Darius Morris, who played in the league from 2011-15, has passed away at age 33, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 41st overall pick in the 2011 draft, Morris began his professional career with the Lakers after playing his college ball at Michigan. The Los...

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been fined $25K for “verbally abusing a game official,” the league announced Saturday in a press release. According to the NBA’s announcement, the incident occurred on the court immediately after the Lakers lost Game 5 to the Nuggets in Denver on Monday.

Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber is undergoing an MRI to assess the severity of the right shoulder sprain he suffered in Friday’s Game 6 win over the Clippers, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The injury occurred early in the second quarter when Kleber drove to the basket...

While the Sixers are disappointed by how quickly their playoff run ended this spring, there are reasons for optimism going forward. For one, guard Tyrese Maxey showed this season that he’s an impact player capable of becoming a legitimate second star alongside center Joel Embiid, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, GM Rob Pelinka recently broke the news to Ham over the phone. Sources tell Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic that L.A. will soon begin an “extensive search” for a new head coach, with former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, and former NBA player and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick among the candidates.

Beverley’s first toss appeared to miss its target, a male fan, instead hitting an unsuspecting female in the side of the head. He asked for the ball back and the male fan lightly tossed it back to him, only for Beverley to throw it back immediately at the male fan with considerable force (and nearly hitting a Bucks assistant in the process).

Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for L.A.’s must-win Game 6 contest against the Mavericks on Friday, the team has announced, via ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. The 6-foot-7 swingman is dealing with right knee inflammation that has limited him to just two games this season. Injuries...

All-Star Bucks point guard Damian Lillard is set to come back just in time for Milwaukee’s must-win Game 6 in the team's ongoing series against the Pacers Thursday night, sources informed Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Lillard has been dealing with right Achilles tendinitis of late, which has forced...

Former Knicks general manager Scott Perry has emerged as a candidate to be the Pistons‘ new president of basketball operations, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. As Begley notes, Detroit is consulting with an outside firm in its search for a head of basketball operations. A Detroit native who got...

According to the league, the award “honors a player who makes impactful effort plays that might not appear in the box score.” It was created eight years ago, and Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart has won it three times. The NBA tracks hustle statistics such as deflections, loose balls...

Owner Mat Ishbia refused to pledge his support for Vogel during a press conference Wednesday at Footprint Center. However, he added that rumors about Vogel, players or other team employees shouldn’t be given any weight because in-person discussions haven’t begun. “We’re going to evaluate everything,” Ishbia told reporters....

A recent TNT report indicated that Kevin Love might be considering retirement, but the Heat big man clarified that he’s not ready to end his career, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Chris Haynes relayed the story of a team meeting after the Game 3 loss to the...

Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2023-24 season, the league announced Wednesday. The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and a role model to other players, and commitment and dedication to the team,” per the NBA.

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been ruled out of Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the Magic due to a bruised rib, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. It’s a major blow to Cleveland, especially on the boards, as Allen has been a force during the series. Allen is averaging 17 points and 13.8 rebounds in the four games and was particularly dominant inside during Cleveland’s Game 1 and 2 victories.

A weekend report indicated that Bogdanovic’s left wrist would likely require offseason surgery, but that he was attempting to play through that injury until the Knicks’ season ended. However, he hurt his left foot during Sunday’s Game 4 win and had already been ruled out for Tuesday’s Game 5 as a result of that new ailment.

The Clippers won’t have Kawhi Leonard available when they take the court for Game 5 of their series vs. the Mavericks on Wednesday, head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed Tuesday. Leonard continues to be affected by right knee inflammation. He sat out Game 1, then returned for Games 2 and 3, but clearly wasn’t playing at 100 percent. He was ruled out for Game 4, with comments from team president Lawrence Frank at that time casting some doubt on the forward’s availability for the remainder of the first round.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for the 2023-24 season, the league announced Tuesday. In his third season as the Celtics’ head of basketball operations after eight years as the team’s head coach, Stevens put together a dominant Boston roster that posted a 64-18 record, easily the best mark in the NBA, along with a +11.7 net rating, the third-best mark in league history.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who sustained a torn right patellar tendon during a sideline collision with point guard Mike Conley in Sunday’s Game 4 victory over Phoenix, will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair the tear, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Barring any unexpected...