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Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of longtime Lakers star and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has passed away at age 69, according to Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who says the former NBA forward recently suffered a massive stroke.

Bryant was the No. 14 overall pick in the 1975 draft and spent the next eight seasons in the league, appearing in 606 total regular season games for the Sixers, Clippers, and Rockets.

He averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.2 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career before spending another eight seasons in Italy.

A former star at La Salle University, Bryant spent several years as an assistant coach at his alma mater after he retired as a player. He also served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA and coached in a variety of non-NBA men’s leagues around the world from 2003-15.

Joe’s son Kobe died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

Our condolences go out to Joe’s family and friends.

The NHL trade deadline is here, and our Trade Rumors sister site, Pro Hockey Rumors, has coverage for all 32 teams! You can keep up with the moves with Twitter/X (@ProHockeyRumors) before the 2:00 p.m. CT cutoff.

PHR’s Josh Erickson will host a live chat early in the morning to discuss some big-name moves earlier in the week and what other news may come down the pike today.

Trade action began heating up in earnest on Wednesday, with big names like 2019 Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko heading south to the Panthers and top defense target Noah Hanifin joining the Golden Knights in their quest for a repeat championship. The best rental forward on the market, longtime Penguins fixture Jake Guentzel, headed to the Hurricanes late last night as Pittsburgh retools their roster in the final years of Sidney Crosby’s tenure.

We’ve seen 19 completed trades this month, including two three-way deals. There were 19 total swaps on deadline day alone last year, a figure 2024 is expected to surpass.

There are still a handful of top-tier names that could be on the move today, including Devils leading goal-scorer Tyler Toffoli, a pair of big-name goaltenders in Jacob Markström and reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, and Blues star forward Pavel Buchnevich.

Check in with Pro Hockey Rumors throughout the day to keep track of all the action! You can also follow us on Twitter/X (@ProHockeyRumors).

There have been no signs of forward momentum in the Sixers‘ James Harden trade talks, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast.

“As far as I know, the Harden situation remains a total stalemate,” Lowe said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “There’s only really one team that he wants to go to. That team is the Clippers. Their level of engagement here to me is unclear slash not super enthusiastic.

“I don’t know what to make of the possibility that Harden would ever go back to Philly. I continue to hear from people who would know that the bridge is burned. But that’s what people who would know would say on July 17, with two months or whatever before training camp. I don’t know how this is going to resolve itself.”

Confirming that Harden “absolutely wants a trade to the Clippers,” Shams Charania of The Athletic says rival teams view Los Angeles as the only legitimate suitor for the former MVP at this point, so it may come down to the two sides seeing if they can meet in the middle. Chris Mannix of SI.com argues that the Sixers would be best off hanging onto Harden if the Clippers remain seemingly unwilling to put Terance Mann and what’s left of their first-round draft capital on the table.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

• Although Joel Embiid‘s comments about wanting to win a championship “whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else” raised some eyebrows, there’s no significant concern within the organization that the reigning MVP is looking for an exit ramp, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. In fact, a source tells Amick that the Sixers believe Embiid would like to be one of the rare stars who remains with the same team for his entire NBA career.
• Filip Petrusev‘s contract with the Sixers is a two-year deal that is partially guaranteed in 2023/24 and non-guaranteed for 2024/25, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
• Responding to a rumor that Philadelphia could be a potential landing spot for trade candidate Pascal Siakam, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com considers the fit, weighing whether it would make sense for the 76ers to pursue the star Raptors forward while acknowledging that such a deal is probably unlikely to come to fruition.

NHL free agency is about to begin, and Pro Hockey Rumors (@ProHockeyRumors on Twitter) is your go-to source for all the breaking news, rumors, and transactions involving all 32 teams in the league.

In the weeks leading up to free agency, we’ve already witnessed a flurry of trade activity that has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting offseason. Former All-Stars and marquee players like Alex DeBrincat, Connor Hellebuyck, and Mark Scheifele have been at the center of trade speculation as teams look to make big moves and reshape their rosters for the upcoming season in a tight salary cap environment.

One of the most surprising moves so far was the trade that sent original expansion draft selection Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith, who sits near the top of many franchise leaderboards for Vegas, was not expecting to be on the move, but the Penguins acquired the veteran fresh off a Stanley Cup so that Vegas had the cap room to re-sign Ivan Barbashev to a long-term extension.

But keeping up with free agency, there are several intriguing names hitting the market this year. Veteran forward Matt Duchene, who was bought out by the Nashville Predators yesterday, is expected to draw significant interest from contending teams looking to bolster their top-six forward group. There’s also one of the greatest American-born players of all time available in former Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who’s coming off a hip resurfacing procedure that could impact his market value. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is also one of the top players available after a strong end to the season with the record-setting Boston Bruins.

Pro Hockey Rumors will be your one-stop destination for all the latest updates on these stories and more. Our writing team will provide comprehensive coverage of the free agency frenzy as teams look to make key acquisitions and bring their 2023-24 rosters into focus. Stay tuned to Pro Hockey Rumors on Twitter – @ProHockeyRumors – for real-time updates and analysis. The NHL offseason is about to heat up, and we’ll be there every step of the way to keep you informed and entertained.

The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft starts tonight, and Pro Hockey Rumors is your destination for draft coverage, trades, and rumors throughout the two-day event!

We’re looking to add a part-time contributor to the Hoops Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Exceptional knowledge of all 30 NBA teams, with no discernible bias. We want you to be as comfortable writing about Nathan Knight and Vit Krejci as you would be writing about LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
  
• Knowledge of the NBA’s salary cap, collective bargaining agreement, and transaction-related concepts.
• Strong weeknight and weekend availability, with the ability to work at least two regular shifts per week. Flexibility to work on short notice and/or on weekdays is a plus.
• Extensive writing experience. Professional experience and a background in journalism are both preferred.
• Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is preferred.
• Attention to detail and an ability to self-edit.
• Ability to follow Hoops Rumors’ style and tone.
• Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
• Ability to use Twitter and WordPress.

If you’re interested, please email hoopsrumorsparttimers@gmail.com by Sunday, April 30 at 12:00 pm Central time and include the following:

• A few paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out.
• A description of your availability going forward.
• At least two writing samples. NBA-related pieces are preferred, but not mandatory.

Many will likely apply, so unfortunately we may not be able to respond to every applicant.

Former Knicks star Willis Reed died on Tuesday at age 80, according to reports from veteran NBA writer Peter Vecsey (Twitter link) and Don Burke of The New York Post. Reed was battling congestive heart problems during the past year, per Vescey.

A member of the Knicks from 1964-74, Reed earned seven All-Star nods over the course of his career and was named the Rookie of the Year in 1965 and the NBA MVP in 1970. He won titles with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973, earning Finals MVP honors in both instances.

Reed appeared in a total of 650 regular season NBA games, averaging 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per night. He also played in 78 postseason contests, posting 17.4 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 33.9 MPG. The big man was named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

Reed, who was the first Knick to have his jersey number retired and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, is perhaps best known for Game 7 of the 1970 Finals.

After missing Game 6 due to a significant thigh injury, Reed unexpectedly hobbled out of the tunnel onto the court at Madison Square Garden in uniform before the start of Game 7. He scored the Knicks’ first two baskets and logged 27 minutes in the championship-clinching game.

Following the end of his playing career, Reed served as a coach and a front office executive for multiple NBA franchises, including the Knicks (as a head coach in 1977/78). He retired from his role as the New Orleans Hornets’ vice president of basketball operations in 2007.

Our condolences go out to Reed’s family and friends.