Beal outduels Anthony as Wizards roll over Knicks 117-101 (Sports Betting News)

Purdue star center Zach Edey will not return to school after this season. Edey is already a senior, but like all players in his situation, he was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-impacted season in 2020-21.

However, Purdue coach Matt Painter said his star big man will not return to campus next season. That means Edey will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, where he’s consistently being mocked as a mid-first-round pick.

Edey was named the National Player of the Year last season and he’s on target to repeat that honor this season. The 7-foot-4 center is averaging 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers are not interested in pursuing Kyrie Irving in free agency, sources tell Tim Cato of The Athletic.

In order to acquire Irving, the Lakers would have to sacrifice several of their deadline acquisitions that have allowed them to balance out their roster.

Irving attended the Lakers’ Game 6 win over the Memphis Grizzlies and sat courtside.

Sources say the Dallas Mavericks remain optimistic of their chances of re-signing Irving. Rival teams also expect that scenario to be the most likely one. Despite missing out on the play-in, the Mavericks believe Irving and Luka Doncic can be a successful pairing.

The Mavericks began to conceptualize the possibility of acquiring Irving last November when he was suspended for refusing to apologize for posting a film with antisemitic views to his social media. The front office saw it as an opportunity to acquire a player at a lower cost than is typical for a player of Irving’s ability.