Author: Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY

2020 NBA conference finalists — Lakers, Heat, Nuggets, Celtics — are tentatively featured on the league’s Christmas Day schedule.

Instead of returning to Boston for the final year of his contact, Gordon Hayward opted into free agency and signed a 4-year deal with the Hornets.

When you have young All-Stars like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, you do what you must to keep them. So the Celtics and Jazz did just that.

All-Star Donovan MItchell’s five-year extension with the Jazz is a major move for the franchise and incoming owner Ryan Smith.

The Bucks and Kings reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was not in position to agree to such a deal at the time.

Cole Anthony, son of Greg Anthony, said his were tears of joy and sadness, a feeling other players at the NBA draft shared on camera from home.

Trade shows champion Los Angeles Lakers want to strengthen their rosters; Oklahoma City Thunder continue to stock up on first-round picks.

Players approved the NBA’s plan to start the season on Dec. 22 to take advantage of playing on Christmas Day and increase potential revenue.