The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. DeMar DeRozan is 31 years old, what would typically be the end of a player’s athletic prime. He hasn’t made an All-Star team in the three years since he
San Antonio Spurs
Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports NBA rumors: Kyle Lowry prefers to remain with Raptors or trade to Heat by John Buhler NFL Draft: Kyle Pitts’ blazing 40 could run him right into the record books by John Buhler As the NBA trade deadline approaches the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat are the favorites
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Marquese Chriss #32 of the Golden State Warriors looks on in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center on March 07, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors. (Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports) Michael Chandler’s latest Instagram post will get you excited for UFC 262 or you are dead inside by Thomas Albano The Miami Heat want to make moves ahead of the 2021 NBA trade deadline. Two players they have their eyes on are Toronto Raptors point
With the Orlando Magic floating near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, four playoff teams are eyeing star center Nikola Vucevic. The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is in the books, which means the trade deadline is on the horizon. March 25 is the date that team executives will keep an eye on, as playoff
DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs. (Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports) Eagles: Jason Kelce signs new contract and pumps up fans with Instagram announcement by John Buhler DeMar DeRozan really wanted to replace Devin Booker in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Not everybody is happy about Mike Conley Jr. making his first career trip to the
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Dak Prescott giving Cowboys fans heart attacks with latest Instagram activity by Amy Kaplan NHL fans are roasting John Tortorella for benching yet another star player by Scott Rogust Draymond Green had a long walk back to the locker room in San Antonio. The
Kevin Porter Jr. has likely played his final game with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA rumor mill is about to add one very intriguing name into the fold, as all signs point to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kevin Porter Jr. having talked his way out of The Land. Porter, who has been hit with weapons charges
The late Kobe Bryant makes a cameo in Netflix’s new Tony Parker documentary. Hearing Kobe Bryant talk about Michael Jordan in the epic 10-part documentary series, The Last Dance, was an emotional treat for NBA fans last summer. It appears as though fans of the Black Mamba will get another precious sound bite from the late Los Angeles
Spurs immortal Tim Duncan almost ended up with the Boston Celtics in the 1997 Draft. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs were the beneficiaries of some ungodly luck when they ended up with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, giving them the privilege of selecting Tim Duncan over the Celtics despite
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 04: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Bills Mafia will return just in time
The San Antonio Spurs saw their multi-decade playoff streak broken last year. Are they ready to start a new one? Is there an NBA team run by Jawas? The real issue with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan is that they have outlived their usefulness in the basketball world. The words are cruel, but so is
Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images NBA Offseason 2020: 5 potential landing spots for Danilo Gallinari by Mike Luciano The Lakers are reportedly trying to get DeMar DeRozan. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have to turn around and defend their championship ring in record time given the pandemic-shortened season. Even with such a major
The San Antonio Spurs own the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. With a rebuild on the horizon, here are five young guys they can prioritize. For the first time in 23 years, the San Antonio Spurs failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Kawhi Leonard trade two years ago signaled that
LaMarcus Aldridge, #12, San Antonio Spurs, (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) BBWAA member explains bold decision to leave Yu Darvish off Cy Young ballot by Mark Powell The Golden State Warriors seem willing to ship off their second-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft for a veteran big man The 2020 NBA Draft is less
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 15: Tyrese Maxey #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Tyrese Maxey will almost certainly be a first-round pick. As the 2020 NBA Draft draws closer, Kentucky will send another potential lottery pick into the fold in the form of combo guard Tyrese Maxey. A deadly slasher with
What can hypothetical future contenders like the Hawks, Bulls, Spurs and Pelicans learn from this year’s conference finalists? In the penultimate episode of The Good Place, Chidi Anagonye offers a Buddhist perspective on death: “Picture a wave. In the ocean. You can see it, measure it, its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s one-game suspension could have a big impact on the Western Conference playoff picture. After being ejected for a headbutt on Moritz Wagner Tuesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially been suspended by the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks‘ final seeding game on Thursday. This one-game suspension may seem inconsequential for a Bucks squad that’s
The Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns won to keep playoff hopes alive. The only NBA playoff spot that’s not currently locked in is the 8-seed in the Western Conference. On Thursday, four key matchups will ultimately decide which two teams will be competing in the league’s play-in game(s), which will pit the current 8-seed against
WWE NXT: Imperium retains tag team titles, Pat McAfee assaults Adam Cole by Raphael Garcia LeBron James ‘could care less’ about Donald Trump’s support by Steven Kubitza LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 02: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, right, speaks with Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game
In the NBA world right now, everybody is doing what they can to stay entertained. We’re tuning into The Last Dance every Sunday. We’re squeezing every detail we can get out of this supposed rift in Utah right now between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. We’re trying to figure out what’s the aptest solution for
Last week, Basketball Insiders ranked who was the best of the best of each position in the NBA, including executives. This week, Basketball Insiders is taking a look at who are among the most underrated executives in the NBA. What makes an executive underrated? It’s actually a pretty loaded question. Their work may have led
It may seem like it, but, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA world never truly stopped turning, even Bodog Canada is still running. Yes, in a time of some much-needed, sports-related distraction, the play has been put on hold. But the Association has continued to chug along as the draft and free
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
Before we begin, something, or someone, needs to be addressed- the death of one Kobe “Bean” Bryant. The NBA community lost one of its biggest icons over the weekend when Bryant lost his life in a helicopter crash. This news is very tragic seeing how popular Kobe was both during and after his time in
The NBA landscape is oddly unfamiliar at this point in the season. The Milwaukee Bucks are ruthlessly destroying everything in sight, the Golden State Warriors are headed toward a top-five draft pick in June and the New York Knicks are struggling to keep their heads afloat after a mid-season coaching change. OK, fine, that last
The dictionary definition of a back to the basket big man might have his picture next to it but lately, LaMarcus Aldridge has become a proficient 3-point shooter. LaMarcus Aldridge has had a lot of success over the course of his career, averaging 19.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, as a traditional post-up, back to
The holidays are a joyous time — but particularly so for NBA junkies. Christmas Day is one of the most highly-anticipated events for basketball fans everywhere. Not only do we get to see the best teams in the league face-off — but the best players in the league show themselves off on national television. Needless
Remember when Carmelo Anthony was out of the NBA? That seems so long ago now even though his stint in Portland started less than a month ago. Let’s go back to that time. In ‘Melo’s almost one-year exodus from the NBA, fans, media, and even players alike were begging for his return. To be fair,