Photo: Kawhi Leonard with the Toronto Raptors in 2026-27. Photo credit: Terrance Williams, Associated Press. Eight years ago, when then-Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri made the decision to trade franchise lynchpin DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, the expectations for the franchise quickly shifted from hoping to once again be an Eastern Conference contender - the team lost in the conference finals in 2016 and conference semifinals in 2017 and 201

Photo: Washington Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa drives against the Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley in his NBA debut on Oct. 29 in Cleveland. Photo credit: Associated Press. Throughout their franchise history that stretches back to 1961, the Washington Wizards franchise - Chicago Packers/Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, Washington Bullets previously - have had the No. 1 overall draft choice five times. One of those, center Walt Bellamy taken in 1961, is a Hall of Famer. Kentucky Wild

The Chicago Bulls' fourth-overall draft choice, Caleb Wilson, may very well turn into an excellent NBA talent and blossom into the type of player whose skills and potential earned him comparisons to Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett based on his measurables and Summer League production. But, in his first-ever NBA game on Wednesday night in Toronto, there was no running of the bulls, or any type of Bull Run, as author Roland Lazenby titled his 1996 chronicle of the 72-10 championshi

LeBron James kept things tight-lipped and kept everyone guessing on where he would play next. Choosing the Philadelphia 76ers, James added to an already supremely-talented starting group to form, health permitting, the game's most terrifying quintet. Miami Heat president Pat Riley, after years of attempting post-James to get his next superstar, finally landed his big Atlantic Ocean fish with the trade for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kawhi Leonard went back to Canada, inf