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It's safe to say USA Basketball isn't a fan of Spain's move to No. 1 in the men's FIBA rankings.

The organization responded to the development with some social media shade:

LOL. That's cute.

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) November 18, 2022

USA is No. 2 in the latest rankings, while Australia, Argentina and France round out the top five.

It is a historic moment for Spain. FIBA's website explained this is the first time a nation besides the United States has held the No. 1 spot since the introduction of the rankings after the 2002 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

FIBA pointed to Spain's "consistency in recent years in each game of each competition" as the main reason for the jump. It won the 2019 World Cup and FIBA EuroBasket 2022, while the United States lost in the quarterfinals of the World Cup and finished in third place at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup.

While the United States has won the last four Olympic gold medals, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press noted FIBA changed its rankings system in 2017 and only takes into account results from the last eight years.

If nothing else, this will add another layer to the rivalry between the U.S. and Spain and serve as a backdrop the next time they face each other.

Luka Dončić can add a record-breaking trading card sale to his resume.

TMZ Sports reported a 2018 National Treasures Rookie NBA Logoman Patch card of Dončić sold for $3.12 million at a PWCC auction Thursday. The one-of-one card, which sold in a private auction for $4.6 million in 2021, set the record for the price of a basketball card sold at a public auction.

The card features a game-worn jersey patch, an autograph and a quote from Dončić in which he joked he would retire if he ever dunked on LeBron James.

That a Dončić card set the record doesn't come as much of a surprise considering he is just 23 years old and already on the short list of the best players in the NBA. He was the Rookie of the Year in that first season and is a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection.

Dončić is averaging a league-best 34.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season, so he could be adding an MVP to his list of accomplishments in the not-too-distant future.

If he does, the price of his trading cards will surely only increase.

Two of the Eastern Conference's top teams are reportedly considering making a run at disgruntled Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder via a trade.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks "have been engaged" with the Suns in trade negotiations focused on Crowder.

Crowder is in the final year of a three-year, $29 million contract, but he has not played at all this season amid the Suns attempts to find a trade partner.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported in September that Crowder had officially requested a trade due largely to his desire for a contract extension that the Suns were unwilling to offer.

Gambadoro also reported that Crowder was told he would not start or finish games during the 2022-23 season, which contributed to his desire to play elsewhere.

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes read a statement from Crowder last month in which Crowder said the "narrative" of him wanting to be traded because he wasn't a starter was "definitely not true."

My @NBAonTNT in-game report on my conversation with Suns forward Jae Crowder, who is away from the team and waiting on a trade: ‘It’s definitely not true of the narrative being pushed about me starting or not.’ pic.twitter.com/QL41N3Njub

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 26, 2022

Regardless of the circumstances, the relationship between Crowder and the Suns does indeed seem to be beyond repair, as Crowder hasn't been brought back even with forward Cameron Johnson landing on the shelf due to a knee injury.

Instead, Torrey Craig has entered the starting lineup and seen an uptick in minutes alongside Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges.

At 9-5, the Suns are tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference even without Crowder, and while he would provide a veteran boost, trading him away would also create space for Phoenix to make a separate trade further down the line.

Meanwhile, the Bucks are the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference at 11-3, while the Hawks are in third at 9-6.

The Bucks are trending toward their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, and are just two seasons removed from beating the Suns in the NBA Finals behind the play of NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Milwaukee has gotten spectacular play out of Giannis, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday so far this season, and it is a clear championship contender even with Khris Middleton having yet to play a game due to a wrist injury.

The Hawks are looking to make their third straight playoff appearance on the back of guard Trae Young, who led them to a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago.

While the Bucks are a veteran-laden team, the Hawks mostly lean on younger players like Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins and others.

The 32-year-old Crowder, who averages 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 three-pointers made per game in 735 career regular-season games, and has appeared in 107 playoff games, would provide the Hawks with the type of big-game experience they need.

Regardless of who lands Crowder, a trade seems like a foregone conclusion, especially since it would finally allow the Suns to shift their focus toward acquiring a piece that can help them in their championship run.

The Phoenix Suns are reportedly in the market for role players.

While Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Phoenix is interested in acquiring John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks, he also noted it seems "uninclined to take on the long-term money" of his deal during his second season of a five-year, $125 million contract.

But Collins isn't the only player the Suns are interested in, as Charania reported Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards and Kenyon Martin Jr. of the Houston Rockets are all on their radar.

Phoenix is in an unusual situation given that governor Robert Sarver is selling the team, and Charania suggested it remains "uncertain how many future assets the current regime can move" given the situation.

The NBA announced in September that an independent investigation found Sarver "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards," which "included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying."

He was fined $10 million and suspended for one year.

On the court, the Suns are tied for second place in the Western Conference at 9-5. They finished with the best record in the league last season (64-18) but shockingly lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.

Depth may be something of a concern, especially on the wing since Cameron Johnson is sidelined with a knee injury and Jae Crowder is yet to play this season. Charania noted "multiple teams" are interested in Crowder, who is "disgruntled" and looking for an exit.

Kuzma, Barnes and Martin would each improve that wing depth and provide a secondary scorer for Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Kuzma is averaging 18.3 points in Washington, Barnes is posting 11.6 in Sacramento and Martin is posting 10.9 in Houston.

Kuzma and Barnes also have championship experience from their time on the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, respectively.

If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to make a major trade during the season, it will likely result in Tobias Harris being moved.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Harris' name has come up in early talks Sixers officials have had with other teams as they start looking ahead to Dec. 15, when free agents who signed contracts during the offseason can be traded.

Harris' name has frequently popped up in trade discussions, but his contract makes it difficult for the 76ers to find an appropriate deal.

Prior to the trade deadline last season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Sixers were having discussions with the Oklahoma City Thunder involving Harris.

It doesn't sound like those talks were all that serious, with one person close to the 76ers telling Pompey that Oklahoma City was one of the few teams with enough cap space to take on Harris' contract.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported during the offseason that Harris was on the trade market after the team signed James Harden to a contract extension.

"We are hearing a lot about Tobias Harris in the trade market, so even after Philly looks at addressing some holes in free agency that this new contract from Harden opens, it wouldn’t surprise me if they look to do more work on their roster to build more around Harden and Embiid," Windhorst said.

Harris is having a solid season as a role player. The 30-year-old is averaging 14.7 points with a 39.7 shooting percentage from three-point range and 6.2 rebounds in 14 starts.

The problem for any team interested in Harris is those numbers don't line up with the star-level salary he is being paid. He is making $37,633,050 this season and is owed $39,270,150 in 2023-24 before hitting free agency.

Harden, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are the main core of this Sixers team. Everyone else on the roster could be made available depending on what Daryl Morey wants to do and where they stand as the trade deadline gets closer.

The 76ers are currently the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 7-7 record.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard urged patience as he continues to recover from a partially torn ACL suffered in June 2021.

Leonard returned to the lineup in Thursday's 96-91 win over the Detroit Pistons, tallying six points, five rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. It marked his third appearance of the 2022-23 season and his first since Oct. 23.

"It's going to be a long journey," the five-time All-Star told reporters. "They say recovery isn't just one year. Everybody thinks that. But it's a two-year process."

Leonard sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign because of the knee injury and missed the past three-plus weeks because of stiffness in the joint following his return last month.

"Just rehabbing, getting ready," the 31-year-old L.A. native said about his recent 12-game absence. "I'm not going to explain it because I'm not a doctor, and nobody in here is one. So just getting back, ready to get on the floor."

The key question, which will likely decide whether the Clippers can emerge as legitimate championship contenders this season, is if he'll eventually return to his usual form.

In 2020-21, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. He ranked eighth in the NBA in player efficiency rating, per ESPN.

Putting that level of performance alongside Paul George, who's tied for eighth in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric this season, would give Los Angeles one of the league's best one-two punches.

Keeping Leonard and George healthy and on the floor together has been the biggest problem L.A. has faced since they arrived ahead of the 2019-20 season, though.

George has played 148 of a possible 242 games over that span. Leonard has played 112.

The former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors standout couldn't guarantee it's clear sailing after his latest return.

"Like I said, it's a two-year process," Leonard said. "Everybody thinks it's a one-year process, but we don't know. We'll see what happens once we keep moving forward."

Led by George, the Clippers have managed to trend in a positive direction with a 9-7 record while waiting to see whether Leonard can get back to a more impactful level.

L.A. is back in action Saturday night when it hosts the 6-10 Spurs.

The Brooklyn Nets are expected to reinstate suspended point guard Kyrie Irving in time for Sunday's home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

On Nov. 3, the Nets announced that they suspended Irving for at least five games without pay because of numerous concerns that began with the seven-time All-Star promoting an antisemitic movie on social media.

Statement from the Brooklyn Nets pic.twitter.com/699px8XYpx

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 4, 2022

Irving refused to unequivocally say that he did not hold antisemitic beliefs in ensuing conversations with the media, and he did not directly apologize for the posts, which have since been deleted.

In addition, Irving refused to respond to multiple queries from Nets governor Joe Tsai to speak about the situation, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

The Nets decided to levy a suspension and issued six mandatory steps Irving needed to take prior to his return, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium:

Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:

- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022

Following the Nets' announcement of the suspension, Irving apologized on Instagram for promoting the movie and for his initial response to the criticism he faced:

Kyrie Irving posts on Instagram that he’s “deeply sorry” pic.twitter.com/j6XVYp3i4m

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) November 4, 2022

Tsai tweeted on Nov. 11 that he and his wife, Clara, had a productive meeting with Irving and came away from the sitdown believing Irving did not harbor any feelings of hate toward Jewish people.

The Nets and Kyrie, together with the NBA and NBPA, are working constructively toward a process of forgiveness, healing and education.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) November 11, 2022

Irving also met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who said at the Sports Business Journal Dealmakers Conference in Washington (h/t Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press) that he did not believe the Nets star is antisemitic.

"I personally, based on what he said directly to me, have no doubt that he's not antisemitic,” Silver said. But I think there's a process that he’s going to now need to go through."

However, Silver also noted, "Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content."

On Nov. 16, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Irving was nearing completion of the process needed for him to return to the court, to the point where he could make his comeback Sunday against the Grizzlies.

National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio issued the following statement to ESPN:

"Kyrie is continuing his journey of dialogue and education. He has been grappling with the full weight of the impact of his voice and actions, particularly in the Jewish community. Kyrie rejects antisemitism in any form, and he's dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding. He plans to continue this journey well into the future to ensure that his words and actions align with his pursuit of truth and knowledge."

Now Irving will be back after missing eight games. He's already sat seven contests, and his final matchup away from the 6-9 Nets will take place Thursday evening at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Irving has averaged 26.9 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season.

Brooklyn Nets power forward Markieff Morris disputed a report from Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic regarding comments during a players-only meeting last month.

Here's a portion of the report released Wednesday:

Sources with direct knowledge of the meeting, but who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, say that in that meeting Markieff Morris—a veteran leader on these Nets—spoke up in front of all of his teammates about how they need Simmons to succeed and that he has to respond when he deals with adversity on the court. Those sources all described a meeting where Simmons appeared to take Morris' words in stride and was responsive and attentive throughout.

Morris responded on social media:

Who’s the source? Y’all gotta chill with these false stories man! Let me and my guys hoop! https://t.co/zjh68dEZ09

— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) November 16, 2022

The 33-year-old forward signed with the Nets in September to provide frontcourt depth. He played a similar role for the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat in recent years, and he won his first ring with L.A. in 2020.

Simmons has missed five of the team's first 15 games because of left knee soreness. The Nets own a 6-9 record.

His production when on the floor has also been modest at best. He's averaged 5.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists while playing 26.6 minutes per contest. He's made only eight of his 17 free-throw attempts (47.1 percent).

The Nets were betting on better performance at both ends of the floor when they acquired the three-time All-Star from the Philadelphia 76ers in February.

He sat out the start of last season with the Sixers to focus on his mental health. Following the trade, he was diagnosed with a back injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Brooklyn's front office decided against a full-scale roster reconstruction during the offseason. But there have been few signs so far that the team is ready to turn things around and emerge as a serious title contender.

Getting Simmons back into top form would be a major step in the right direction. That begins with keeping him on the floor for an extended period, which is far from guaranteed given the lingering nature of his knee injury.

Simmons is not listed on the injury report ahead of Thursday night's road clash with the Portland Trail Blazers as Brooklyn attempts to snap a two-game losing skid.

The Los Angeles Lakers held a team meeting last week ahead of Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, with Anthony Davis calling the meeting emotional but necessary for the team to move forward.

"Lot of emotions," Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "Guys voicing their opinions. Some back-and-forth. But it was all for the nature of trying to get better. So even though it might be a back-and-forth, it was, 'OK, I hear what you're saying, you hear what I'm saying. So now, what's the solution?' Instead of just constantly butting heads. So it was some good dialogue."

The Lakers went on to earn a 116-103 win over Brooklyn, snapping a five-game skid in the process. They've subsequently got four days off thanks to an NBA scheduling quirk and do not play again until Friday against the Detroit Pistons, another winnable game.

LeBron James practiced Wednesday and could return against Detroit after missing two games with a groin injury. Four of the team's next five games come against teams that entered the season firmly in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes (Detroit, San Antonio Spurs), so if there is any time for the Lakers to turn the season around, it's now.

The Lakers sit at 3-10. Only two teams—the Pistons and Rockets—have a worse winning percentage.

James looked like Father Time was finally winning the battle before he suffered another soft-tissue injury that could plague him moving forward, while Davis has been solid but ultimately unspectacular—particularly as a shooter. With Russell Westbrook now plying his trade leading bench units, it will be up to James and Davis to prop up a weak supporting cast.

"I think things are moving in the right direction," Westbrook said. "That's all you can ask for."

Things have to move in a positive direction—and fast—for these Lakers to save their season. The front office has been exploring a Westbrook trade for several months but has been hesitant to unload the Lakers' only available first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. Given the team's current plunging toward the bottom of the league standings, that's an understandable position to take.

That said, if things start to move in the right direction—and Westbrook continues his strong play off the bench—the trade winds might start moving again in the direction of a blockbuster.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Klay Thompson's struggles are largely mental, as he continues the worst stretch of his professional basketball career.

“In some ways right now Klay just has to get out of his own way and free himself up and just play, enjoy the game instead of wrapping himself up in every single shot. ... He just needs to just relax and go play," Kerr told reporters before Wednesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Thompson is averaging 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting a wretched 35.1 percent from the floor. He has not made half of his shots in a single game yet this season and shot under 40 percent for a fourth straight game Wednesday, finishing with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

"The best I ever felt was in 2019. I know I can't get back there, but even if I get to 90 percent of that—still hell of a player," Thompson told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "Still a hell of a championship team."

Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons after suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and then a ruptured Achilles a year later when training for his return. He returned to the lineup last season after a 30-month absence from competitive basketball and looked surprisingly solid, averaging 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

While Thompson was inconsistent on a night-to-night basis and still diminished from his 2019 form, he was a solid role player with occasional flashes of greatness.

This season, Thompson has been a complete mess on both ends of the floor, clanging shots we've never seen him miss while being a liability on the defensive end. It's unlikely Thompson ever returns to his All-Defensive Team-level defense he was playing three years ago, but Kerr is almost certainly correct in pointing out that his shooting struggles are mental.

Thompson, who has been known for his laid-back demeanor through his career, was visibly irritated with being called out by TNT's Charles Barkley last month. With Warriors fans also growing frustrated with Thompson's play amid the team's disappointing 6-9 start, it's easy to see why Thompson is pressing.

That said, a mean regression is coming at some point. It makes no logical sense for Thompson to be a lesser-but-still-effective player last season and a total mess this season—particularly after his first healthy summer since 2018.