Team USA has ramped up the selection process for this summer's Olympics in Paris. There are 11 players that the United States are counting on playing or are in strong consideration for a roster spot. The initial 11 are:

• Bam Adebayo - Miami Heat
• Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns
• Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
• Anthony Davis - Los Angeles Lakers
• Kevin Durant - Phoenix Suns
• Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves
• Joel Embiid - Philadelphia 76ers
• Tyrese Haliburton - Indiana Pacers
• Jrue Holiday - Boston Celtics
• LeBron James - Los Angeles Lakers
• Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics

None of these players are considered absolute locks as of yet. But all 11 are under strong consideration and have mentioned interest in representing Team USA this summer, provided they are healthy enough to play.

Of that group, Booker, Curry, Durant, Embiid, Holiday, James and Tatum are considered to be the United States core group. Edwards and Haliburton are being considered after strong play at last summer's FIBA World Cup. Adebayo and Davis are garnering interest for additional frontcourt depth around Embiid.

The 2027 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Phoenix. 

Mat Ishbia formally applied for NBA and WNBA All-Star games in May 2023. The Mercury will host this year's WNBA All-Star weekend July 18-20.

Phoenix last hosted the All-Star Game in 2009 when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were co-MVP.

The 2025 All-Star Game will be held in San Francisco, while the 2026 edition will be at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal has been through several injuries this season. A back injury caused Beal to miss several games. Then he suffered a broken nose. Right before the All-Star break, Beal suffered a left hamstring injury.

The good news is that Beal is on track to play in the Suns first post-break game on Thursday. The hamstring injury has healed enough, and Beal had a procedure on his broken nose over the break.

Beal has played in 30 games in his first season with Phoenix. The veteran guard has averaged 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season.

Isaiah Stewart punched Drew Eubanks in the face in the tunnel of the Phoenix Suns' arena before Wednesday's game, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Both Stewart and Eubanks were chest-to-chest before Eubanks' swing connected.

The two were separated by police and Stewart left the arena with members of the Pistons' staff.

During a November 5th game in Detroit, Stewart and Eubanks were aggressive with one another and verbally sparred throughout the game.

Eubanks was out warming up following the altercation and two hours before the game.

The Philadelphia 76ers called the Los Angeles Lakers as to the availability of LeBron James via trade. Daryl Morey reportedly made this call after James cryptically posted an hourglass emoji in the days leading up to the deadline.

When the Lakers countered by asking about the availability of Joel Embiid, Morey turned his sites to the Phoenix Suns. The Sixers first asked about Kevin Durant, before inquiring about Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Going after stars isn't a new tactic for Morey. He's known as one of the league's more aggressive executives in pursuing stars via trade. Morey going star-hunting at this deadline may give some insight into his offseason plans.

The 76ers are likely to hit the offseason with somewhere between $40 and $60 million in cap space. That could go a long way towards trading for a star to team Embiid and a re-sign Tyrese Maxey.

The Phoenix Suns have shown interest in signing Danilo Gallinari, according to Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic.

Gallinari was recently released by the Pistons.

The Suns signed Thaddeus Young earlier on Tuesday.

Thaddeus Young has agreed to sign with the Phoenix Suns.

Young was waived by the Brooklyn Nets following his trade from the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline.

In 23 games this season, Young is averaging 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 15.2 minutes.

Jusuf Nurkic and Draymond Green got into it in the Warriors victory over the Suns on Saturday. Green and Nurkic exchanged several taunts back and forth throughout the game. The interactions left Nurkic feeling differently about Green than he previously did.

"It's sad. He didn't learn anything. Just a matter of time. He's going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don't deserve a chance," Nurkic said about Green.

Nurkic had previously defended Green after the play in mid-November where the Warriors star had hit him in the face. Nurkic said he didn't think it was intentional and that Green deserved a chance to get back into the league's good graces.

Stephen Curry said about Nurkic that "Draymond was in his head. Plain and simple."

Green was a bit more pointed in his criticism of Nurkic.

“I knew his goal was to get me out of the game,” Green said in reference Nurkic. “No one wants to see in me in the game. That makes the game a lot tougher. But it’d take a pretty good ‘ish’ talker to get me to do that. That’s just too obvious. It’s OK. It was a fun game.”

The Phoenix Suns have agreed to acquire Royce O'Neale from the Brooklyn Nets and David Roddy from the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Suns will send out three second round picks as part of the deal.

The Grizzlies are expected to acquire Yuta Watanabe as part of the trade.

Phoenix will also send out Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin and Chimezie Metu.

The Chicago Bulls are looking for multiple first-round picks in exchange for Andre Drummond, sources told Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports.

It was reported earlier that the Sixers, Celtics, and Mavs have interest in Drummond. 

Fischer adds that the Suns are also in the running for Drummond.

Drummond is averaging 7.9 points and 8.5 rebounds on the season.