LeBron passes Malone, now No. 2 on scoring list

If the Portland Trail Blazers trade the No. 3 pick to the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the belief is they would prefer Zion Williamson over Brandon Ingram.

Williamson would give the Blazers a pick-and-roll option with Damian Lillard. While Williamson has health and conditioning issues, he represents more upside for the Blazers than Ingram.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last week that the Charlotte Hornets, who own the No. 2 pick, would prefer Ingram over Williamson.

The Hornets are deciding between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson with the player who is passed upon setup to go No. 3, regardless of who is selecting.

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are ready to close their purchase of the Minnesota Timberwolves after reaching a deal with Dyal Capital Partners to finance the deal.

Dyal Capital Partners joins as a pre-approved investor in the group, which gives Lore and Rodriguez the final financial backing necessary to complete the transaction.

Lore and Rodriguez have submitted the signed financial documentation to the NBA to complete the acquisition.

Isaiah Stewart has received a three-game suspension by the NBA for punching Drew Eubanks before the Detroit Pistons played at the Phoenix Suns on February 14th.

Following the incident, Stewart was arrested by Phoenix police, issued a citation and released. The misdemeanor assault charge against Stewart has been dismissed by the Phoenix Municipal Court, according to a filing obtained by ESPN. The motion to dismiss it was filed by the prosecutor’s office and granted.

Stewart said the two started arguing before coming chest-to-chest and Stewart threw the punch.