Diamond Sports Group LLC., the owner of 19 Bally Sports regional sports networks, will declare bankruptcy next week.

The company has $140 million in interest payments due next week. Instead of paying the amount, the group will instead file for Chapter 11. 

The group has local broadcasting rights to over 40 teams in the NBA, NHL, and MLB. Diamond has $1.8 billion in rights fees due this year to the three sports leagues.

Diamond renewed its streaming contract for 16 NBA teams last year, including the Hawks, Heat, Mavs, Clippers, Bucks, and Suns.  

Chicago Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas gave a vote of confidence to Nikola Vucevic's future with the team after standing pat at the trade deadline.

"He's having an unbelievable year and we want him to be here. I think for this group, that was important. Now that the trade deadline has passed, this is the group that we're sticking with and they can go out there, play, put their foot on the gas and go on a run," said Karnisovas on Thursday.

Vucevic is currently in the final year of a four-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2019.

The Bulls were one of two teams in the league to not make any deals at the trade deadline.

Karnisovas was optimistic that the team could move up the standings this season.

"I think the trade deadline shifted some quality more towards West, so there's a chance to compete in the Eastern Conference and there's a lot of teams that are pretty good, but they're just clinched all together. I think there's a chance the next 28 games."

Tuesday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, in which LeBron James broke the league's all-time scoring record, averaged 2.98 million viewers and a 1.7 rating on TNT.

The numbers represent TNT's most-watched regular season game outside of opening night and the Clippers-Lakers bubble restart since 2018. Outside of opening night and Christmas games, it was also the most-viewed game on cable since the Blazers-Lakers on January 31, 2020.

The game peaked with 3.7 million viewers from 11:45 pm to midnight. 

Isiah Thomas will not have a role in the Phoenix Suns front office, a spokesperson for Mat Ishbia said on Tuesday.

The news refutes a tweet from Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report earlier in the day. 

Ishbia, who assumed control of the Suns on Tuesday, is looking to make a "major and immediate impact" on the team.

The NBA's board of governors approved the sale of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury to Mat Ishbia on Monday.

The sale is expected to close on Tuesday.

Ishbia was approved as the Suns' new governor by a 29-0 vote, with the Cavs choosing to abstain.

Ishbia could be introduced by the Suns as early as Wednesday.

Kevin Love is out of the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation to make room for Dean Wade, reported Chris Fedor of cleveland.com.

Fedor adds that the decision was made following a discussion between Love and J.B. Bickerstaff.

Love is averaging 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds this season.

Acquaintances of Ja Morant reportedly confronted members of the Indiana Pacers' traveling party following their game on January 29, with someone in an SUV in which Morant was riding in training a red laser on the group.

Two members of the Pacers' group, who felt like they were in "grave danger," said they did not see who was shining the laser and believe it was attached a gun.

"That’s 100 percent a gun," said a Pacers security guard at the time.

The Pacers reported the incident to the NBA, with the league probing the matter.

"While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon,” said league spokeperson Mike Bass.

The January 29 game featured verbal confrontations between several members of the Pacers and Grizzlies, with a friend of Morant getting escorted off the court after a situation between Morant and Andrew Nembhard.

A spokesperson for the Grizzlies said that the team “complied completely with the league’s investigation and are abiding by its findings.” 

Kyrie Irving is set to make his Dallas Mavericks debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Irving was traded to the Mavs alongside Markieff Morris for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and several draft picks.

Luka Doncic is also likely to return from injury on Wednesday. 

Kyrie Irving is reportedly "ecstatic" and "looking forward" to playing with Luka Doncic, sources told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

The Mavs consulted with Doncic before acquiring Irving and Markieff Morris for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and several draft picks.

The Dallas Mavericks touched base with Luka Doncic before agreeing to trade for Kyrie Irving, sources told Marc Stein of Substack.

The Mavs acquired Irving and Markieff Morris on Sunday for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and several draft picks.