The Washington Wizards drafted French 7-footer Alex Sarr with the second pick in the NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards have hired Brian Keefe as their coach, sticking with the man who led the team on an interim basis from late January until the end of the season.

LeBron James figures there’s at least one obvious explanation for the surging popularity of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament — recognizable stars.

The NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia.

The attorney general for the District of Columbia contends that the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals are obligated to play their games in the downtown arena through 2047.

Kyle Kuzma scored 28 points, Deni Avdija added 18 and the Washington Wizards snapped their 16-game losing streak with a 112-100 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Work on compromise budget legislation Virginia lawmakers will take up later this week is complete, and the bill does not include language enabling a proposed relocation by the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to Alexandria.

Franz Wagner scored 28 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat Washington 119-109 and hand the Wizards their 16th consecutive loss.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook has undergone surgery on his fractured left hand.

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler will be away from the team for personal reasons.

Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and sparked a third-quarter rally to help the NBA-leading Boston Celtics to their 40th win of the season, 133-129 over the Washington Wizards.

Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 14 rebounds and the Miami Heat used a strong third quarter to earn a 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers were chosen as All-Star reserves Thursday, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks also had two players selected.

Wes Unseld Jr. is out as coach of the Washington Wizards midway through his third season with the team.

Joel Embiid scored a season-high 50 points and had 13 rebounds to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 131-126 on Wednesday night.

76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. is set to return to the lineup about a month after he said he was struck by a vehicle while walking near his home in Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid scored 29 of his season-high 48 points in the third quarter and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to their fifth straight victory, 146-128 over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

A judge has set an August trial date for four former Memphis police officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in January.

The mother of a woman killed near the University of Alabama in January has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against current Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller and two other men.

Bradley Beal was drafted on his 19th birthday and spent his entire 20s with the Washington Wizards, where he scored a lot of points, enjoyed a little team success, but also suffered through plenty of painful losses.

A person with knowledge of the sale tells The Associated Press the Qatar Investment Authority is buying a roughly 5% stake of Monumental Sports & Entertainment as part of a $4.05 billion deal.

Two people with knowledge of the deal say the Washington Wizards have agreed to trade center Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Celtics trading Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kyle Kuzma will be a free agent when the league’s annual offseason shopping period starts next week.

Bradley Beal is being traded to Phoenix, where he will form a new power trio alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is facing a possible misdemeanor charge in central Florida.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said he stole a triple-double.

A top Memphis official says a fourth Fire Department employee is being investigated as part of the city’s probe into the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.

The New Orleans Pelicans say Zion Williamson is expected to be out at least two more weeks following a re-evaluation of his right hamstring injury.

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired former lottery pick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and a package of second-round draft picks.

Anthony Davis scored 55 points on sizzling 22-of-30 shooting and added 17 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers over the Washington Wizards 130-119.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns had to be helped off the court in the third quarter at Washington because of what the team is calling a right calf strain.

Jewish Wizards forward Deni Avdija spoke for a few minutes Friday night about Kyrie Irving.

A completed documentary about the rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been shelved amid his recent slew of antisemitic remarks.

An MRI shows point guard LaMelo Ball has only a sprained left ankle and no significant long-term injury.

Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of a preseason game against the Washington Wizards when he got his foot stepped on while driving to the basket.

James Wiseman, who missed last season rehabilitating a right meniscal tear, scored 20 points on Friday as the defending champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 96-87 to open the NBA preseason.

The San Antonio Spurs are planning a trip to Uvalde, Texas next month.

Bradley Beal and the Wizards renewed their commitment to each other when he agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $251 million to stay in Washington.

The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.

Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards have agreed on a five-year contract that could pay him as much as $251 million -- one of the largest contracts in NBA history.

The Charlotte Hornets have fired coach James Borrego.

LeBron James passed Karl Malone for second place on the NBA’s career scoring list, but it was part of another loss for his Los Angeles Lakers when the Washington Wizards rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 127-119.

Stephen Curry dazzled for 47 points on his 34th birthday, Draymond Green returned from a 29-game absence to ignite the defense, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Wizards 126-112.

LeBron James scored 50 points for the 15th time in his career and helped rally the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half to a 122-109 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points in his first game for Washington, and the Wizards beat the Indiana Pacers 133-123.

Miami won its third straight and improved to 3-2 on a six-game road trip.

Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 16 rebounds in an efficient 24 minutes and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns rebounded from a streak-ending loss to beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 95-80 on Saturday night.

Ja Morant scored 34 points, his sixth straight game of at least 30 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies built an early lead in a 115-95 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Luke Kennard scored seven points inside the final 9 seconds, including a go-ahead four-point play with 1.9 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 35-point first-half deficit to stun the Washington Wizards 116-115.

Zach LaVine scored 27 points, Coby White added 21 and the Chicago Bulls won their ninth straight game, beating the Washington Wizards 130-122.

The NBA has postponed Miami's game at San Antonio after a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 tests left the Heat unable to meet the league’s requirement of having eight available players.

JaVale McGee scored 17 points, Deandre Ayton added 15 and the Phoenix Suns cruised to a 118-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Jimmy Butler scored 29 points for the Heat, and Tyler Herro added 20.

Bam Adebayo added 20 points, Gabe Vincent had 18 points and P.J. Tucker 15 for Miami.

The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards for three players and this year’s first-round draft pick.

The Washington Wizards have hired Wes Unseld Jr. as their coach.

A person with knowledge of the situation says U.S. Olympic guard Bradley Beal has entered the health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus, which raises the possibility that he might miss the Tokyo Games.

The Washington Wizards have decided to move on from coach Scott Brooks after five seasons.

Steph Curry scored 30 points, Tobias Harris had 28 and the Philadelphia 76ers finished off the Washington Wizards in five games with a 29-112 victory Wednesday night.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 because of a sore right knee.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid left in the first quarter with a sore right knee and the 76ers lost Game 4 of their playoff series against the Washington Wizards 122-114.

A fan has been tackled as he tried to get on the court during an NBA playoff game between the Wizards and 76ers.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid headed to the locker room late in the first quarter of Game 4 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Washington Wizards after taking a hard fall and landing on his backside.

Joel Embiid scored a career playoff high 36 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 132-103 rout of the Washington Wizards and a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Virtually all of Canada’s top NBA players, excluding those who are injured, have accepted invitations to attend training camp next month in advance of that country’s last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz all say they have banned fans after incidents in their respective arenas.

Ben Simmons put a spin move on Russell Westbrook that sent him sprawling to the floor several minutes before a leg injury sent the NBA’s triple-double king to the locker room.

The first full-service sportsbook at a major sports arena or stadium in the United States has opened in Washington.

Doc Rivers can’t fathom criticism of Ben Simmons, especially after the three-time All-Star became just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game.

Tobias Harris scored 37 points and Joel Embiid had 30 points, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-118 victory over the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to make quick work of the Washington Wizards as they open their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

Russell Westbrook nearly had a triple-double and Bradley Beal scored 25 points in just 29 minutes to help the Washington Wizards reach the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round.

Jayson Tatum scored 32 of his 50 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Washington Wizards 118-100 in the play-in round.

Russell Westbrook got his first triple-double since passing Oscar Robertson and becoming the NBA's career leader earlier in the week and Washington beat Cleveland 120-105 to clinch a spot in the East play-in tournament.

Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s 47-year-old NBA record for triple-doubles and missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer as the Washington Wizards lost 125-124 to the Atlanta Hawks.

Russell Westbrook has set the NBA record with his 182nd triple-double, surpassing the mark set by Oscar Robertson in 1974.

Russell Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson’s NBA record for triple-doubles with 181, finishing with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists, and made two free throws with a second left to give Washington a 133-132 overtime victory over Indiana on Saturday night.

Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 for their seventh straight win.

Stephen Curry had his first rough night in a month, and Bradley Beal rallied Washington in the fourth quarter for its season-best sixth straight victory, 118-114 over the Golden State Warriors.

The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals have announced the dates this month when they will start to allow fans at home games at 10% of their capacity.

Washington Wizards guard Raul Neto defends against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) as Wizards forward Garrison Mathews (24) looks on during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving will miss the Brooklyn Nets' three-game road trip this week while dealing with a family matter. The Nets said Monday that Irving would not accompany the team for games Tuesday at Portland, Wednesday at Utah or Friday at Detroit. Irving missed seven games in January after leaving the team for personal reasons. He didn't specify the reason for that absence, though he did say there was “family and personal stuff” going on.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) meet after an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)An NBA-record five players had triple-doubles Saturday, including former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook in the same game. All-Stars James Harden, Julius Randle and Domantas Sabonis also had triple-doubles in victories by their teams. The two-time MVP helped the Bucks overcome 42 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds by Westbrook, who owns the NBA record with 42 triple-doubles in 2016-17. Randle started the record day with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in New York's 119-97 victory in Oklahoma City, becoming the first Knicks player with two triple-doubles in the same season since Mark Jackson in the 1988-89 season.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid grimaces after an injury during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has a bone bruise on his left knee and could miss at least two weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the injury. Embiid did not suffer structural damage to his knee and will be evaluated again in two weeks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because the severity of the injury had not been announced. Embiid landed awkwardly after a dunk on his left leg, his knee joint appearing to bend slightly forward.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks past Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook, bottom, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – On pace for their best season and first conference championship in two decades, the Philadelphia 76ers are suddenly “praying” for the health of their best player. Joel Embiid scored 23 points but departed midway through the third quarter following an apparent leg injury in the 76ers' 127-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. “We're just praying that he'll be OK and be healthy tomorrow.”Following a dunk for his last points, Embiid landed awkwardly on his left leg, his knee joint appearing to bend slightly forward. Furkan Korkmaz added 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Sixers completed a three-game season sweep of the Wizards.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid grimaces after an injury during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – Joel Embiid left the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter Friday following a dunk that resulted in an awkward landing on his left leg. Embiid, in his first game back following a week-long absence due to contact tracing, laid on the ground for more than a minute following the play. Medical staff brought a stretcher briefly onto the court, but Embiid eventually rose to his feet and limped off under his own power. Embiid entered Friday averaging 30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds for Philadelphia, which began the day with a half-game lead atop the Eastern Conference.

Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. MIAMI – While Meyers Leonard is currently not allowed to be with his Heat teammates following Anti-Semitic remarks he made during a video game stream, the Heat were left to answer for Leonard. Udonis Haslem, Erik Spoelstra, and Andre Iguodala spoke to reporters. “It’s unfortunately with social media these days, things spread like wildfire,” Haslem said. Right is right and wrong is wrong.

Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. (2021 Getty Images)

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)The second half of the NBA schedule will be hectic, all the way to the end. And every team is scheduled to play on the final day of the regular season, a rarity. There are only two instances of teams having four games in five days in the season’s second half, both toward the very end. LOADED SLATEMay 16 could mark the first time all 30 NBA teams and all 30 Major League Baseball teams play on the same day. There were 15 NBA games and 15 MLB games on April 16, 2014 — but included in that MLB slate was a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles Lakers center Montrezl Harrell, left, grabs a loose ball away from Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. Russell Westbrook scored six of his 32 points in overtime for the Wizards, who rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half. The 36-year-old James played over 43 minutes during the Lakers' fourth overtime game in 17 days, all of them at home against teams with losing records. ... Former Lakers C Moe Wagner had six points, and former Lakers swingman Isaac Bonga didn't play. UP NEXTWizards: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal will be held out of a game for rest for the first time this season, sitting out Washington's matchup with the New York Knicks on Friday. Beal is averaging 32.8 points and 35.3 minutes per game for Washington (6-16), which is among the league's worst teams. The only previous game Beal missed this season was a loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 9 because of the league's COVID-19 protocols. Washington's other starting guard, Russell Westbrook — who was acquired in a trade with Houston before the season — has missed seven games this season for rest or because of injury.

Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards is defended by Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena on February 05, 2021 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI – Washington’s Bradley Beal thought he had an open path to a layup in the opening minutes, unaware that Miami’s Bam Adebayo was going to swat his shot out of bounds with ease. And the Heat looked like themselves again. Beal — the NBA’s scoring leader — missed his first 13 shot attempts, Kendrick Nunn scored 25 points off the bench and Miami rolled to an easy 122-95 win over the Wizards. The win improved Miami’s record to 8-14 on the season and was just the Heat’s second victory over its past nine games.

MIAMI – For decades, reporting on the Miami Heat or any NBA team followed a similar formula: You get a credential, go to the AmericanAirlines Arena, watch the game and then meet with players in the locker room to discuss what you saw. That has opened the door for reporters around the world to cover the game they love. His dedication has caught the attention of players and made him a familiar voice in Zoom media sessions. Christos still hopes to cover an NBA game in person one day. But for now, like so many, he’s working hard to cover the global game from his own home office.

Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards blocks a shot by Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat during the second quarter at American Airlines Arena on February 03, 2021 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI – Bradley Beal scored 32 points, and the Washington Wizards rallied from a 13-point, second-half deficit to beat the freefalling Miami Heat 103-100. Deni Avdija added 13 for Washington, which pulled off this comeback just three nights after digging its way out of an 18-point hole to beat the Brooklyn Nets. The Wizards — who had their season suspended for nearly two weeks because of virus issues in January — held Miami to 32 points in the game’s final 23 minutes. Tyler Herro scored 20 points for Miami, which fell to 7-14 after making the NBA Finals last season.

(AP Photo/Darren Abate)No additional NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week, the league said Wednesday, after nearly two dozen games had to be called off in the past month because of virus-related issues. That continued a good two-week trend: After 27 players were positive in results released between Jan. 6 and Jan. 19, only one player has been positive since. We all need it, not just NBA players, coaches, families. The planet needs it.”The NBA has called off 23 games this season for virus issues, 22 since Jan. 10. But it’s important to have weeks like this, because it gives everybody hope.”___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. MIAMI – Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard could be missing some serious time. Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Last season Leonard played a consistent role the Heat marched all the way to the NBA finals, averaging over 20 minutes in his 51 games played. The Heat’s next games are a pair of matchups against the Washington Wizards at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday and Friday.

USA Basketball has finalized the 14-player roster for the final round of AmeriCup qualifying later this month, a group led by NBA All-Stars Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Basketball has finalized the 14-player roster for the final round of AmeriCup qualifying later this month, a group led by NBA All-Stars Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas. Both Johnson and Thomas have past USA Basketball experience as well. USA Basketball has won the AmeriCup title seven times in nine previous attempts. Thomas and Johnson won't be the only players with longstanding NBA ties in the February qualifiers.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – Wizards coach Scott Brooks envisioned something like this when Washington acquired Russell Westbrook from Houston for John Wall and a draft pick. Bradley Beal and Westbrook hit 3-pointers in a wild 3.8-second sequence in the final seconds to help the Wizards stun Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 149-146 on Sunday night. Westbrook had 41 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and NBA scoring leader Beal had 37 points. In the fourth quarter, Beal had 22 points and Westbrook had 15. “Russell willed this game,” Brooks said about Westbrook, who has only played in 10 of 16 games due to a quad injury.

Washington Wizards' Russell Westbrook reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of the team's NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Houston. Portland will now visit Washington on Tuesday, a game that was originally set for the second half. And that means the Blazers, who were scheduled to visit the Hornets that day, will now go to Charlotte in the second half of the schedule. The league has postponed 22 games so far this season, 21 of them since Jan. 10. Boston and Phoenix have had three games postponed apiece so far, and it’s not yet known publicly how their first-half schedules will be adjusted.

Houston Rockets' John Wall reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards in an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)HOUSTON – John Wall scored 24 points in his first game against his former team, leading the Houston Rockets to a 107-88 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. He cooled off in the third, but got going again in the fourth to put the game away in his second game back after missing five with a sore left knee. Houston was leading by six when Wall re-entered the game with about seven minutes left. The Wizards called a timeout after that, and Wall yelled and jumped as he looked at the opposing bench before bounding back to the Houston side.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, center, talks to his players during a time out in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 121-101. San Antonio became the 24th team to have at least one game postponed so far this season because of the virus. The Celtics are scheduled to visit San Antonio on Wednesday. The Grizzlies are supposed to play in San Antonio on Saturday.