Nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN reported on Thursday.

• Per ESPN, Lillard now will receive a salary of $70 million between his existing deal with the Milwaukee Bucks and his new contract with the Trail Blazers. He also will have a player-option in 2027 and a no-trade clause in a deal that returns Lillard to the franchise with which he spent his first 11 NBA seasons.

  Lillard, who turned 35 on Tuesday, saw his season come to an abrupt end on April 27 after an excruciating torn left Achilles tendon knocked him out of the rest of the playoffs.

  He is expected to miss the 2025-26 season.

  Lillard was hurt in the first quarter of the Bucks' 129-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series in just his third game back after dealing with a blood clot in his right calf. He missed the final 14 games of the regular season and the first contest of the playoff series against the Pacers.

  Lillard requested a trade out of Portland in the summer of 20xx and the team obliged. The Trail Blazers were entering a transition into a rebuild and Lillard wanted to go to a team in which he could compete for a championship.

  Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 58 regular-season games during his second season with the Bucks. He was waived by Milwaukee on July 7.

  Lillard owns career averages of 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 900 regular-season contests. His 2,804 3-pointers rank fourth in NBA history and his 22,598 points rank eighth among active players.

  --Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Bucks, after waiving Chris Livingston earlier this month, are re-signing the forward to a guaranteed one-year, $2.3 million contract, ESPN reported on Wednesday afternoon.

• Livingston, 21, was released on July 2 before his contract became guaranteed for his third season on Tuesday. Milwaukee selected Livingston in the second round (58th overall) in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Kentucky. He signed the largest contract ever for a second-round pick -- $7.7 million over four years, with the first two years fully guaranteed.

  He averaged 1.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 5.0 minutes in 21 games (one start) last season. In parts of two seasons with the Bucks, he averaged 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 4.7 minutes in 42 regular-season games.

  Livingston is playing for the Bucks' summer league squad in Las Vegas. He averaged 20 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field in the first three games.

  Livingston averaged 15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 28.2 minutes in 27 games (21 starts) in parts of two seasons for the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks' G League affiliate.

  --Field Level Media

Three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after reaching a buyout with the Phoenix Suns.

• Agent Mark Bartelstein from Priority Sports confirmed on Wednesday with ESPN that Beal will sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers after clearing waivers. The deal includes a player option for 2026-27, potentially making him a free agent next summer.

  Beal, 32, will give back nearly $14 million of the $110 million left on the final two years of his contract in order to complete the buyout with Phoenix, per ESPN.

  He signed a five-year, $251 million deal with a no-trade clause in July 2022 when he was still with the Washington Wizards.

  Beal is heading to the Clippers after entertaining offers from the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves and others, according to multiple reports.

  Beal was limited to 53 games in each of his two seasons with the Suns, and he has not played as many as 60 games in any season since 2020-21.

  He averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 53 games (38 starts) last season. He has career averages of 21.5 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 801 games (752 starts) with the Wizards and Suns.

  Washington drafted Beal with the No. 3 overall pick in 2012. His 31.3 scoring average in 2020-21 was the second highest in franchise history and second highest in the NBA that season behind Golden State's Stephen Curry (32.0).

  --Field Level Media

Despite an offseason of rumors and speculation, LeBron James is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season, The Athletic reported Wednesday.

• The Lakers and James have not engaged in talks about a trade or buyout, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer is expected to report to camp with the Lakers this fall, per the report. There haven't been any signs, either, that James wants out.

  James picked up his $52.6 million option last month to return for an eighth season with the Lakers.

  He will be returning to a team this time around on which, for the first time in his career, he is the second option. Luka Doncic, acquired in a stunning trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February, is expected to be the centerpiece for Los Angeles in the upcoming season.

  Apparently fueling the trade or buyout rumors is a statement made by James' longtime agent, Rich Paul, last month that included this line, "We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career."

  Trading James, given his salary, would be difficult since NBA trades must be for players with contracts of similar value due to the salary cap.

  The Lakers, according to The Athletic, also are reluctant to take on a player earning in the $50 million range if he has additional years on the contract. The Lakers will be free of James $52.6 million once his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.

  James, 40, is entering his record-setting 23rd NBA season. He has played in 1,562 regular-season games and is 50 shy of breaking Hall of Fame member Robert Parish's NBA record.

  James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games in 2024-25 to rank in the top 22 in each category.

  He is a 21-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion. He has scored a record 42,184 regular-season points, and 50,473 in the regular season and playoffs combined.

  James entered the NBA as an 18-year-old after being selected No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He turns 41 in December.

  --Field Level Media

The NBA Finals going the full seven games provided a significant boost for ABC, which saw its sports viewership increased 17 percent in June compared to May, according Nielsen's monthly report "The Gauge."

• After the first few games of the series between Indiana and Oklahoma City generated poor ratings, they improved significantly as the series grew more dramatic. That included an average of 16.35 million viewers for Game 7, making it the largest audience for an NBA Finals game in six years.

  Overall, ratings for the series still lagged behind those of recent years while averaging 10.27 million viewers. That is compared to an average of 12.4 million viewers for Golden State's six-game series win over Boston in 2022, 11.64 million for Denver's five-game win over Miami in 2023 and 11.31 million for Boston's five-game title run past Dallas last year.

  However, the 2025 NBA Finals on ABC represented the top seven telecasts of the month for broadcast. Along with the NBA Trophy Presentation, ABC took each of the top 12 telecasts in June.

  Meanwhile, the conference finals on ESPN and TNT ranked as the top two cable telecasts of the month.

  --Field Level Media

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is recovering from surgery to clean up bone spurs in his right foot, ESPN reported Tuesday.

• Lively, 21, is expected to be healthy for the start of training camp in late September.

  Lively missed 2 1/2 months during the 2024-25 season after sustaining a stress fracture in his right ankle in January.

  He was limited to 36 games (29 starts) and averaged 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocked shots.

  A first-round pick (12th overall) in 2023, the 7-foot-1 Lively has career averages of 8.8 points and 7.1 rebounds in 91 games (71 starts) for the Mavericks.

  --Field Level Media

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday after sustaining an injury in a recent workout, the team announced.

• The Sixers said George is beginning a rehab program and will be re-evaluated prior to the start of training camp.

  George's first year in Philadelphia did not go according to plan. His season ended in March after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee. George had hyperextended that knee during a preseason game and wound up playing only 41 games overall.

  In the first season of a four-year, $212 million contract, George averaged 16.2 points per game, his lowest average since returning late in the 2014-15 season from a compound leg fracture.

  The 76ers finished the season 24-58, 13 games out of a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. George, a nine-time All-Star, turned 35 in May.

  --Field Level Media

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has recovered from the blood clot issue that prematurely ended his 2024-25 season, the French newspaper L'Equipe reported Monday.

• "I'm officially cleared to return," Wembanyama told the publication. "It just happened -- I got the green light from the Spurs' medical staff. ... I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again."

  Wembanyama underwent surgery in March after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

  ESPN reported in May that Wembanyama was expected to be back on the court by the start of training camp and a full-go in time for the regular season.

  The 21-year-old Frenchman averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and an NBA-leading 3.8 blocked shots in 46 starts in 2024-25.

  Named the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama competed in his first All-Star Game in 2024-25.

  The Spurs selected Wembanyama first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. In parts of two seasons, he is averaging 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.7 blocked shots in 117 games (all starts). He also has made 270 3-pointers.

  --Field Level Media

The Memphis Grizzlies are re-signing guard Cam Spencer to a four-year, $10.5 million contract, ESPN reported Monday.

• The deal reportedly includes three fully guaranteed seasons for the 25-year-old.

  Spencer appeared in 25 games (one start) for the Grizzlies as a rookie last season and averaged 4.2 points and 10.1 minutes.

  The Detroit Pistons drafted Spencer in the second round (53rd overall) out of UConn in 2024 and traded him to Memphis in a four-team deal last July.

  --Field Level Media

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed president of basketball operations Koby Altman to a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, the team announced Monday following an ESPN report.

• Members of Altman's staff -- including general manager Mike Gansey, assistant general manager Brandon Weems, vice president of basketball operations/general counsel Jason Hillman and vice president of basketball strategy and personnel Jon Nichols -- were included, likewise extended through 2030.

  "Koby Altman has demonstrated that he is the right person to lead this franchise. He is not only an outstanding team-builder, but he has also created an exceptional culture that transcends the basketball side of our business and serves as a positive foundation and philosophy for the entire franchise," Cavaliers chairman Dan Gilbert said in a statement. "Koby not only has a great nose for basketball talent, but he has recruited and developed extraordinary front office talent as well. This unique combination has positioned our franchise to compete for championships for years to come.

  "The decision to extend Koby and his team is not solely based on recent success, but rather the entire body of work since he took over the role in 2018."

  The move comes off a stretch of success for the Cavaliers, who finished first in the Eastern Conference last season with a 64-18 mark -- the second-best record in franchise history. The LeBron James-led Cavaliers won 66 games in the 2008-09 season.

  Last year's high watermark continued a run of three straight seasons with playoff appearances, including back-to-back Eastern Conference semifinal appearances.

  Altman, 42, was named GM of the Cavaliers on July 24, 2017, and promoted to his current role in January 2022.

  In the past three seasons, the Cavaliers have a combined record of 163-83. They lost the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers in five games to end this past season amid a variety of injuries.

  --Field Level Media

Two games into his professional career, and Cooper Flagg is done in the NBA summer league, according to multiple reports.

• The Dallas Mavericks, who selected Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in last month's draft, opted to pull the 6-foot-9 star from Las Vegas action following a 31-point outing in Saturday's loss to No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs.

  Flagg was 10-of-21 shooting in that game, an improvement from a 10-point, 5-for-21 performance in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

  "I think it's a new environment, new setting," Flagg said after the loss to the Spurs. "They want to see me be aggressive and do that type of stuff.

  "I think I did that a lot better today, just getting to the line, getting fouled, and that helped me to get comfortable and get settled in early. Still missed a bunch of free throws. I know my mom probably wasn't very happy with that."

  News of Flagg's shutdown first emerged on Saturday night with reports indicating that the former Duke standout was not scheduled to play in Dallas' game on Monday.

  --Field Level Media

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has been elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, the union for current professional basketball players in the NBA, the NBPA announced today.

• The 31-year-old was elected by his fellow NBA players and will serve a four-year term starting immediately.

  "It's truly an honor to be elected as President of the NBPA by my peers and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the best interest of all the members," VanVleet said.

  "With a deep appreciation for the complexities and challenges players face on all levels of their NBA journeys, I am committed to approaching this role with the passion, dignity, and dedication every player deserves."

  The NBPA negotiates collective bargaining agreements, files grievances on behalf of players and educates players about benefits and post-NBA career opportunities, among other responsibilities, according to a statement from the NBPA today.

  VanVleet has dedicated himself to philanthropic and advocacy efforts off the court. He founded the VanVleet Family Foundation in 2016, an organization with a mission "to increase the access and exposure for the youth through educational opportunities, athletics, and career development."

  He succeeds CJ McCollum, who had served as NBPA president since 2021 and will now serve in an "advisory capacity."

  "It's been a privilege to serve on the NBPA Executive Committee for the past seven years and uniquely shape the business of our game," McCollum said. "I am encouraged by the future of the PA under Fred's leadership, as he has earned the basketball community's respect and has proven he is ready for this next step.

  "I look forward to supporting him as we continue building a stronger Association that serves past, present, and future generations of players."

  VanVleet has had an unlikely career path in the NBA. After four years at Wichita State, he signed with the Toronto Raptors as an undrafted free agent. He spent time in the G League in his rookie year before developing into an All-Star, NBA champion and eventually the highest-paid undrafted player of all time.

  He has averaged 14.9 points and 5.7 assists per game in his nine-year career with the Raptors (2016-23) and Rockets.

  --Field Level Media

Guard Cole Anthony has reached a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks, per a source at ESPN.

• The 25-year-old guard was shipped to Memphis in June as part of the Desmond Bane deal after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Orlando Magic. In 2024-25, he averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while shooting 35.3 percent from 3-point range.

  Anthony was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and developed into a valuable microwave scorer in Orlando's rotation. He has scored 20 or more points in 49 career games.

  Even with Ja Morant coming off a hip injury, the Grizzlies elected to part ways with the young guard. Anthony carried a $13.1 million cap hit this coming season and had a club option for $13.1 million for 2026-27.

  Meanwhile, the Bucks had a glaring need at point guard following their decision to waive superstar Damian Lillard. Anthony can provide some much-needed playmaking and scoring in the backcourt.

  --Field Level Media

Isaiah Jackson will remain an Indiana Pacer, as the free agent center agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract, according to multiple reports Friday.

• Jackson only played in five games in the 2024-25 campaign before suffering a torn Achilles' tendon in November.

  The Kentucky product showed promise in his initial campaign of 2021-22, averaging 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 36 contests (15 starts). His scoring numbers declined in the next two seasons, but he still averages 7.2 points per game in 163 games (31 starts) and has converted 59.5 percent from the floor.

  Indiana hopes that a healthy Jackson, returner James Wiseman and new Pacer Jay Huff can make up for the loss of Myles Turner in the front court.

  Jackson was a 2021 first-round selection by the Los Angeles Lakers, but came to Indiana in a five-team trade that summer.

  --Field Level Media

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been cleared for contract as he works his way back from an ankle injury.

• "He's pain-free, he's moving well, he got stronger," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told TSN on Thursday. "He's in a really, really great spot."

  The 27-year-old former All-Star is expected to take part in upcoming team scrimmages, per TSN.

  Ingram has been completing individual workouts and training with the Raptors while rehabilitating the injury that ended his season on Dec. 7, when he was still a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.

  Ingram joined the Raptors in a February trade that sent Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk to the Pelicans. Days after the trade, Ingram agreed to a three-year, $120 million extension with the Raptors, a deal that reportedly includes a player option in 2027-28.

  He has not played a game for the Raptors. He was officially shut down for the season on April 9 after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to help his recovery.

  An All-Star in 2019-20, Ingram averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 18 games in 2024-25. He owns career clips of 19.5 points, 5.2 boards and 4.3 assists in 495 games (456 starts) for the Los Angeles Lakers (2016-19) and Pelicans. The Lakers drafted him No. 2 overall in 2016.

  --Field Level Media

Dallas Mavericks rookie and No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg contributed 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes in his Las Vegas Summer League debut Thursday as the Mavericks edged the Los Angeles Lakers 87-85.

• Flagg added three steals and a block. He went scoreless during the second half and finished 5-for-21 from the floor.

  "Not up to my standard, but I'm going to regroup; I'm going to be all right," Flagg told ESPN postgame. "This is a new feeling, new environment, new teammates, but the guys settled down."

  Lakers second-year guard Bronny James missed a potential go-ahead trey in the closing seconds. Los Angeles' Cole Swider led all scorers with 22 points to go with 10 rebounds.

  Ryan Nembhard paced Dallas with 21 points and Miles Kelly followed with 17. The main attraction, though, was undeniable.

  Fans at the Thomas & Mack Center buzzed when Flagg got touches as well as during his early, sporadic defensive matchups against James, who scored his team's first five points and finished with eight.

  Speaking during halftime of ESPN's broadcast, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd lauded Flagg's moxie during his unofficial professional debut.

  "I think when you have someone like Cooper who can handle, who can shoot, who can pass, you want the ball in his hands," Kidd said. "He's a great decision-maker. He did that at Duke and also in high school. So, you get to see it tonight. He's going to have some mistakes. We all did; we all threw it in the stands once in a while, but I think just his poise as an 18-year-old is incredible."

  Dalton Knecht (15 points) and DJ Steward (14) also scored in double figures for the Lakers. Darius Bazley grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

  Lakers defenders double-teamed Flagg upon receiving a pass in the backcourt after Dallas won the opening tip. Addressing the sequence at halftime, Kidd said, "I think that's out of respect."

  Flagg missed his first two field goal attempts but found his rhythm following a short breather in the first quarter. He scored six straight Mavericks points between the 4:35 and 2:49 mark, netting his first field goal on a running, one-hand dunk after securing a steal at the other end of the floor.

  Flagg shot 5-for-15 in the first half with three rebounds and one assist.

  "He's handled the ball, he's gotten wide-open shots for teammates, he's finished," Kidd said. "I think you've seen a lot of what he can do in this league."

  --Field Level Media

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones agreed to a three-year, $68 million extension, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

• The defensive stalwart had two seasons and just less than $29 million left on a four-year, $53.8 million deal. He'll now have a player option for the 2029-30 season.

  Jones, 26, was limited to 20 games last season due to February surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals.

  Over four seasons, Jones has averages of 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 240 games (231 starts). He is a 36.6 percent shooter from 3-point range.

  Jones was All-Defensive first team during the 2023-24 season. He had 105 steals and a career-high 62 blocked shots that season.

  Jones was a second-round pick (No. 35 overall) out of Alabama in the 2021 NBA Draft.

  --Field Level Media

All-NBA forward Jalen Williams and the big-spending Oklahoma City Thunder are finalizing a five-year supermax contract extension with a value that could inflate to $287 million.

• ESPN reported Williams' deal was agreed to on Thursday to cap a whirlwind week for the NBA champions.

  Williams is the third player on the Thunder championship roster to go from the NBA Finals victory parade to the quarter-billion dollar club in the past month.

  NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially signed a four-year, $285 million deal on Tuesday, the same day the franchise agreed to an extension with 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren (five years, $250 million).

  With Williams' deal set for ink, owner Clay Bennett is on the hook at a total of $822 million for Oklahoma City's Big Three.

  Selected 10 picks after Holmgren in the same 2022 draft, Williams had a breakout season in 2024-25. He was named to the All-Star team, was named All-NBA and a member of the NBA's All-Defensive Team while teaming with Gilgeous-Alexander to carry Oklahoma City to the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy last month.

  Williams, 24, averaged 23.6 points per game in the NBA Finals as the Thunder won their first league championship. He averaged 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs, when he gutted through a torn tendon in his right wrist that required surgery.

  --Field Level Media

Amazon Prime Video has hired veteran broadcaster Kevin Harlan to call NBA games during the 2025-26 season, the streamer announced Thursday.

• Amazon, which is part of the new 11-year, $76 billion NBA rights deal that takes effect this fall, also confirmed the hirings of Brent Barry, Dell Curry and Stan Van Gundy as analysts.

  Harlan called games for Turner Sports for 30 seasons -- 1996 to 2025 -- before Turner lost its rights. He will continue as a top voice for CBS calling NFL games.

  Harlan's move to Amazon had been rumored for months, and he addressed the topic in February on "The Sports Media Podcast."

  "With TNT losing the rights, and it's very sad there, it clearly has made a sea change for most of us and navigating that is always a challenge," Harlan said. "I am in my 60s and to have someone with a bright new shiny opportunity for someone at my stage of this career, which is dominated by younger broadcasters and incredibly talented people, to have them want me to join their roster is humbling and incredibly gratifying."

  Barry, who played 14 years in the NBA, also has worked as a broadcaster as well as stints in the front office of the San Antonio Spurs and as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns.

  Curry, the father of NBA players Stephen Curry and Seth Curry, played 16 NBA seasons with five franchises. He works as a color commentator for the Charlotte Hornets.

  Van Gundy began broadcasting with ESPN in 2018 before moving to TNT in 2019. He was a head coach in the NBA for 13 seasons with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans.

  Harlan joins fellow play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle, Michael Grady and Eric Collins in the Amazon fold. Cassidy Hubbarth, Allie Clifton and Kristina Pink are the sideline reporters.

  --Field Level Media

The Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker have agreed on a two-year maximum contract extension worth an estimated $145 million that will keep the All-Star guard with the franchise through the 2029-30 season, according to multiple reports on Wednesday night.

• Booker, 28, will earn the highest annual salary in an extension in league history, ESPN reported. The $72.5 million per season pushes Booker ahead of the $71.25 million average annual value of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's $285 million super max extension. The reigning NBA MVP of the newly minted league champions was awarded the new deal earlier this month.

  The Suns will have Booker in the fold for five years and $316 million as they build around the four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA honoree and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

  Phoenix has a new general manager after promoting executive Brian Gregory. Ex-GM James Jones was moved into a senior advisor role before joining the league's front office as executive vice president. The announcement came earlier on Wednesday.

  Former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott has replaced head coach Mike Budenholzer, with Booker reportedly involved in the coaching search and approving Ott.

  The Suns are making over the roster as well, having traded 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant to Houston in a seven-team transaction that brought a package of players, including veterans Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks as well as rookie center Khaman Maluach, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft out of Duke.

  Phoenix selected Booker with the 13th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky.

  He has averaged 24.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 34.4 minutes in 673 regular-season games (648 starts) in his 10-year career. He also has averaged 28.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 40.0 minutes in 47 playoff games (all starts).

  Last season, Booker averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 37.3 minutes in 75 regular-season games.

  --Field Level Media

Former Utah Jazz coach and general manager Frank Layden died on Wednesday. He was 93.

• Layden coached the Jazz for seven-plus seasons (1981-89) and also served in the front office as general manager and president until retiring in the final week of 1999. He was NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year in 1984.

  Layden laid the foundation for success for Utah by drafting point guard John Stockton 16th in the 1984 draft and power forward Karl Malone 13th in the 1985 draft. Both players enjoyed Hall of Fame careers and the Jazz put together a streak of 20 straight playoff appearances, reaching the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998.

  "We are sad to hear the news of Frank Layden's passing," said the Miller family, owners of the Jazz. "Frank was not only a foundational part of the Utah Jazz, he was a pillar in our community. We will continue to celebrate his passion and energy that helped build the Jazz into a contending team, and his endearing sense of humor.

  "Frank's love of sports was contagious. He could often be found spending a night at the ballpark with the Salt Lake Bees, leading us in song during the 7th inning stretch. He was a dear friend and remarkable partner. We share our love with Barbara, Scott and the extended Layden family."

  Layden was hired as GM of the New Orleans Jazz in 1979 and stuck with the franchise during its move to Utah. He compiled a 277-294 coaching record and guided the Jazz to five straight postseason appearances.

  When he resigned as coach early in the 1988-89 season, Layden promoted Jerry Sloan, who went on to win 1,127 games with Utah.

  Layden also had a short stint with the Utah Starzz of the WNBA. He resigned four games into the 1999 season, his second at the helm.

  Among his other stops was coach of Niagara from 1968-76. Future NBA star Calvin Murphy led the school to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in Layden's second season. Layden went 119-97 at Niagara.

  In 2019, Layden was that year's winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.

  --Field Level Media

The NBA released the six, five-team groups for the third annual 2025 NBA Cup, which will tip-off on October 31.

• The world champion Oklahoma City Thunder are in West Group A, along with Western Conference finalist Minnesota, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah.

  The Milwaukee Bucks, who captured the 2024 NBA Cup, will compete in East Group C, along with Charlotte, Chicago, Miami and New York.

  Each team will play two home and two road games in group play, which will conclude on Nov. 28. The winners of the three groups in each conference and one wild-card team per conference will compete in the quarterfinals on Dec. 9-10. The wild-card teams will be the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in their group.

  The semifinals will take place in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 and the championship game will tip off in Las Vegas on Dec. 16.

  Quarterfinal and semifinal contests will count in the league standings. Teams that do not qualify out of the group stage will have two games vs. other squads that did not qualify. Those games will also count in the league standings, but the championship game (and statistics from that game) will not.

  The Bucks defeated the Thunder to capture the 2024 NBA Cup, while the Los Angeles Lakers knocked off the Indiana Pacers to win the inaugural edition in 2023.

  The complete schedule will be announced in August when the league unveils the entire 2025-26 NBA slate.

  The groups:

  East Group A -- Cleveland, Indiana, Atlanta, Toronto, Washington

  East Group B -- Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Brooklyn, Philadelphia

  East Group C -- Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Miami, Charlotte

  West Group A -- Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah

  West Group B -- L.A. Lakers, LA Clippers, Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans

  West Group C -- Houston, Denver, Golden State, Portland, San Antonio

  --Field Level Media

Former NBA player Ben McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in Oregon state prison on Wednesday after recently being found guilty of sexually assaulting a then-21-year-old woman at a house party in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego in 2021.

• McLemore received the sentence after being found guilty last Thursday on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse by a jury in Clackamas County.

  McLemore was a player with the Portland Trail Blazers at the time. The 2021-22 season was his last one in the NBA.

  McLemore, 32, didn't address the court on Wednesday. He was wearing inmate clothing.

  "Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons," Clackamas County first assistant district attorney Scott Healy said in a statement. "Hopefully the victim's strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred.

  "The sentence the defendant received today should serve as a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community, and that the Clackamas County DA's Office will always work hard to hold offenders accountable and provide justice to victims."

  The assault happened on Oct. 3, 2021, at the home of Robert Covington, a then-teammate of McLemore with Portland.

  Healy told jurors that the victim passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m. after drinking heavily. She gained partial consciousness around 6 a.m. when McLemore was penetrating her with his fingers and then began having sex with her.

  McLemore's attorneys claimed the woman initiated sexual contact and consented to it.

  The woman appeared by video at the sentencing hearing and read a statement.

  "This has been the longest almost four years of my life," she said. "I never imagined that reporting this back in 2021 would lead to such an incredibly difficult and long journey. These last few years have often felt like a weight that I've had to drag behind me, a constant reminder of the trauma that I haven't been able to fully work through because there was no ending in sight. I now understand, on a deep level, why so many victims hesitate or never report what happened to them."

  Kristen Winemiller, the attorney for McLemore, called for a more lenient penalty.

  "We hope the Oregon Legislature will adopt a ‘second look' process that would evaluate whether he should serve the entire 100-month sentence or whether, beyond the short alcohol-influenced encounter that led to this conviction, he is a considerate and humble person who has lived an honorable, community-focused life," Winemiller told ESPN.

  McLemore was identified as a suspect after police investigated the sexual assault report.

  The case went before a Clackamas County grand jury in February 2024, when the woman who accused McLemore of assault provided testimony. Per Lake Oswego police, the grand jury put out an arrest warrant for McLemore and also issued an indictment against him.

  McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshals in April 2024.

  The No. 7 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 draft, McLemore also played with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Trail Blazers before heading overseas to continue his career.

  In 556 NBA games (268 starts), McLemore averaged 9.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He played college basketball at Kansas.

  --Field Level Media

James Jones is the NBA executive vice president, head of basketball operations, which follows a lengthy playing career and front-office experience.

• Jones, 44, won three NBA titles as a player and was named executive of the year in 2021 as a member of the Phoenix Suns' front office.

  "James is widely respected across the NBA for being an inspiring leader and the consummate teammate during his more than 20 years as a highly successful player and team executive," NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a news release. "With his exceptional relationship-building skills and deep basketball expertise, he is well suited to guide our efforts to shape the current and future direction of the NBA game."

  Over 14 NBA seasons from 2003-17, Jones averaged 5.2 points with 1.8 rebounds in 709 games (93 starts) with five different teams, including six seasons with the Miami Heat.

  Jones was on the Heat's championship teams in 2012 and 2013, while also winning a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He was named the Suns' director of player personnel in 2017 and was promoted to general manager in 2019. He was the team's senior advisor since May.

  Jones will replace Joe Dumars. He left the league office to become the executive vice president of the New Orleans Pelicans in April.

  "This is an exciting opportunity to pour my passion for the game into a new role and collaborate with so many talented professionals on driving the continued success and growth of the NBA," Jones said.

  Jones' role with the NBA will include rules changes and implementation and overseeing discipline for conduct violations.

  --Field Level Media

Catching Cooper Flagg in his first NBA game at the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday night has become the hottest ticket on that circuit since Victor Wembanyama's debut with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023.

• Flagg was picked first overall in the 2025 draft and his arrival with the Dallas Mavericks soothed a fan base shocked by the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

  The NCAA National Player of the Year in his only season at Duke, Flagg had the ball in his hands often for the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games before his one-year college career ended at the Final Four.

  Now he'll wear No. 32 with the Mavericks -- he wore 2 for Duke -- and the 6-foot-9 teenager might bring back a memory or two of Magic Johnson as he works out at point guard for Dallas.

  His summer kicks off Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center against the Lakers (8 p.m. ET) and Bronny James, who was one of the biggest draws in Las Vegas last July.

  Flagg said Tuesday afternoon he's "looking forward" to the role of playmaker.

  "Coach (Jon) Scheyer trusted me a lot last year," Flagg said of the audition at the point guard spot, necessitated in part by Kyrie Irving's recovery from an ACL tear. "I think it's something I can do at a high level so I'm excited to just experiment and do some new things."

  For Wembanyama's first game with the Spurs in Las Vegas two years ago, the most expensive single ticket available from an online reseller was $569 before fees.

  Flagg officially signed his four-year, $62.7 million deal on July 2 and plans to play as much as the Mavericks will allow in the summer league.

  Fans aren't risking missing out on Flagg in Vegas. As of midday Wednesday, courtside seats hit an average of $800 apiece, while a pair of lower bowl general admission tickets goes for around $500 and single seats in the upper reaches of the arena are $100 on most resale sites.

  --Field Level Media