CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers have some clarity with one of their free agent forwards.No, not that one.While waiting to see if they're in LeBron James' plans, the Cavaliers intend to extend a $3.4 million qualifying offer to Rodney Hood, making him a restricted free agent and protecting the club if he receives any offers.The team will make the offer to Hood before Friday's deadline, said a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the club is not publicly discussing its plans ahead of free agency starting Sunday.Cleveland.com first reported the Cavaliers' intentions with Hood.Meanwhile, James has until 11:59 p.m. Friday to pick up his $35.6 million contract option for next season or he will become a free agent. The 33-year-old is expected to decline the option, but it's also possible he could exercise it and be traded if Cleveland works out a deal in order to acquire assets for the three-time champion.At this point, days away from free agency... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the decision says the Cleveland Cavaliers will extend a $3.4 million qualifying offer to restricted free agent forward Rodney Hood.The person says the team will make the offer ahead of Friday's midnight deadline. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team is not discussing publicly discussing its plans ahead of free agency starting.Cleveland.com first reported the team's plans.The 25-year-old Hood came to Cleveland from Utah in that flurry of trades executed at the Feb. 8 deadline by general manager Koby Altman. Hood struggled to blend into Cleveland's rotation, but he's young, inexpensive and the team believes he can get better.Hood started Cleveland's first playoff game before losing coach Tyronn Lue's trust. He re-emerged in the Finals and scored 15 points in the Game 3 loss to Golden State.He averaged 10.8 points in 21 regular-season games with the Cavs.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Boston playoff star Jayson Tatum and Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue are cousins. The Cavaliers and Celtics might as well be.The Eastern Conference's top two teams have been intertwined for more than a year — from a summer blockbuster trade, from opening night, from afar.Although there were long stretches this season when it seemed at least unlikely, and maybe impossible, that the Celtics and Cavs would reach the conference finals, they're back again and meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years.The series everyone wanted. The one few expected to see.And yet here they are: the odds-defying Celtics, guided by baby-faced coach Brad Stevens and prospering without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, versus the Cavs, who despite a massive roster makeover in February are rolling as 33-year-old LeBron James enhances his legend with every game."There's been a lot that's happened throughout the season with us and for them," Cavs forward Kevin Love said Thursday... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Boston playoff star Jayson Tatum and Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue are cousins. The Cavaliers and Celtics might as well be.The Eastern Conference's top two teams have been intertwined for more than a year — from a summer blockbuster trade, from opening night, from afar.Although there were long stretches this season when it seemed at least unlikely, and maybe impossible, that the Celtics and Cavs would reach the conference finals, they're back again and meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years.The series everyone wanted. The one few expected to see.And yet here they are: the odds-defying Celtics, guided by baby-faced coach Brad Stevens and prospering without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, versus the Cavs, who despite a massive roster makeover in February are rolling as 33-year-old LeBron James enhances his legend with every game."There's been a lot that's happened throughout the season with us and for them," Cavs forward Kevin Love said Thursday... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Rodney Hood got an unusual reaction when he apologized to his Cleveland teammates for refusing to check into Game 4 against Toronto.They laughed.The chaotic Cavaliers have dealt with bigger nonsense this season."They was like, 'Hood, that's not really a distraction' because of everything that they've been through this year," he said. "So they all took light of it. They understand, so it wasn't anything really."Hood added another distraction to a season full of them on Tuesday night when he waved off coach Tyronn Lue's request to replace LeBron James during the fourth quarter of the Cavs' blowout win over the Raptors. The Cavs were ahead by 30 when Hood, whose playing time has dwindled in the postseason, told Lue to put in Jose Calderon instead.Hood said he told Lue to "just let Jose play" and then regretted his decision."I should have known because I didn't play throughout the duration of the game that it was gonna look bad, but it wasn't (as bad) as people was... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Rodney Hood has apologized to coach Tyronn Lue and his teammates for refusing to check into Game 4 against Toronto.Hood, who has lost playing time throughout the playoffs, didn't check in during the fourth quarter Tuesday night when the Cavaliers completed a sweep. Cleveland was leading by 30 points when Lue told Hood to replace LeBron James.The 25-year-old Hood said he knew "it was going to look bad" and regrets his decision. Hood said his teammates accepted his apology and laughed off the situation after all the drama they've been through this season.Hood began the playoffs in the starting lineup but averaged less than one point against the Raptors. He's confident he can have an impact against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rodney Hood's playoff problems now extend to off the court.Hood, who has seen his role reduced during his first postseason with Cleveland, will not be fined or suspended for refusing to enter Monday night's Game 4 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.Hood feels bad about the incident that happened with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter, and he expressed remorse on Tuesday to team officials about becoming a distraction, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.The person said disciplinary actions against Hood "were never a consideration."The Athletic first reported that Hood had angered teammates and others in the organization by rejecting coach Tyronn Lue's instruction to enter the game.With Cleveland leading 110-80 and on its way to sweeping the series, the Cavs called timeout to replace superstar LeBron James. Lue told Hood... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the Cleveland Cavaliers will not fine or suspend forward Rodney Hood for refusing to enter Game 4 against Toronto.The Athletic first reported that Hood declined coach Tyronn Lue's request to replace LeBron James with 7:38 left and the Cavs leading by 30, angering his teammates and others in the organization. Hood spoke to team officials about the incident Tuesday and will not be disciplined, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.The person said Hood expressed regret for the incident and "didn't want to be a distraction."Hood has struggled in the playoffs after being acquired in a February trade from Utah. The 25-year-old is averaging 4.6 points in 17 minutes and hasn't looked comfortable in Cleveland's offense.The Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference finals by sweeping the Raptors.__More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James walked sluggishly down a corridor inside Quicken Loans Arena following Game 7 surrounded by the usual squadron of security personnel, some business associates and his publicist.Each step seemed a challenge. His eyes were heavy. He ached from head to toe. He wanted to lie down.James was moving on to the second round of the NBA playoffs — almost on his hands and knees."I don't think he's appreciated enough for just how much energy he puts into every single game to do what he does," Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver said of James. "It's just unbelievable."Pushed to his physical limits by the Indiana Pacers, and barely helped by Cleveland teammates until they finally showed up when it mattered most Sunday in a 105-101 win, James willed the Cavs into the next round, where they'll face the top-seeded Toronto Raptors for the third straight postseason.If the Indiana series was any indication, James might have to do it again.James scored 45 points — his third game over... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James walked sluggishly down a corridor inside Quicken Loans Arena following Game 7 surrounded by the usual squadron of security personnel, some business associates and his publicist.Each step seemed a challenge. His eyes were heavy. He ached from head to toe. He wanted to lie down.James was moving on to the second round of the NBA playoffs — almost on his hands and knees."I don't think he's appreciated enough for just how much energy he puts into every single game to do what he does," Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver said of James. "It's just unbelievable."Pushed to his physical limits by the Indiana Pacers, and barely helped by Cleveland teammates until they finally showed up when it mattered most Sunday in a 105-101 win, James willed the Cavs into the next round, where they'll face the top-seeded Toronto Raptors for the third straight postseason.If the Indiana series was any indication, James might have to do it again.James scored 45 points — his third game over... [More]

LeBron James is keeping his thoughts to himself.Whatever concerns — or confidence — he might harbor about his Cleveland Cavaliers facing a 2-1 first-round Eastern Conference series hole heading into Game 4 at the Indiana Pacers on Sunday were not going to be made available for public consumption.James decided not to speak to reporters on Saturday.And he did not have a whole lot to say in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, either, when Indiana erased a 17-point deficit and then held on for a 92-90 victory over the Cavs.Not only has the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champ never lost an opening NBA postseason series, going 12-0 in the past, he had never even trailed in the first round until this one, when Cleveland dropped Game 1 at home.Now he is behind again."We've had some good quarters," James said Friday, "and we didn't have some good quarters."Well, that explains a lot.Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue's synopsis?"They won a game we should have won," Lue said. "That's what's disappointing.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has tweaked his starting lineup for Game 2 against Indiana.Lue will start forwards J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver over Jeff Green and Rodney Hood as the Cavs try to even their Eastern Conference series on Wednesday night.Green went 0 for 7 from the field and missed his three free throws in the opener. Hood scored nine points, but he was excused from shootaround Wednesday as his wife gave birth to twins.Lue had wanted to start Korver in Game 1, but the elite shooter has been slowed by a sore right foot.The Cavaliers started slowly in the opener and were beaten 98-80 by the Pacers, who snapped Cleveland's 14-game winning streak in first-round games and a 21-game winning streak by LeBron James in playoff-opening series.Lue has spent the entire season shuffling lineups due to injuries and three trades at the Feb. 8 deadline.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kyle Korver is getting daily treatment on his bruised right foot and taking medication to fight off a "nasty little bug" that has made its way through Cleveland's roster.Only time can heal his broken heart.As he begins chasing a championship, Korver is wrestling with the recent death of his younger brother, Kirk, who died at 27 from complications following a sudden illness.Following Tuesday's practice, Korver paused several times while discussing a "very complicated month" that has changed his life and split him in two. He's walking an emotional balance beam."You come back from dealing with death and the family and you hold that in one hand and you hold the playoffs here in another hand and it's interesting to kind of balance both of those at the same time and try to get yourself ready to play basketball," he said. "And, I've been hurt. I feel like it's been a very complicated month in my mind, but I feel like I'm in a good spot right now and I'm ready to play."Korver... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — With the playoffs just days away, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue typically would have his lineup rotations set by now.Nothing has been typical about this season for the Cavs.Lue said Thursday that he plans to use a 10-player rotation for Cleveland's opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but that things could change depending on injuries, matchups and performances."I will play 10," Lue said after the Cavaliers watched film on the Pacers, who went 3-1 against Cleveland this season. "We'll just see how it looks and if one guy is not great this round, then it might be nine."Lue and his staff have been juggling lineups and using different combinations on the floor for months, forced to adjust and re-adjust, first because of injuries and then by a slew of trades that transformed the team.Lue refused to name his full starting lineup for Sunday's Game 1. He revealed previously that four of them will be LeBron James, Kevin Love, Jeff Green and George Hill.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers are closer to being at full strength.Forwards Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson, and Rodney Hood all returned from injuries on Friday night as Cleveland, which has been riddled with injuries all season, hosted the Phoenix Suns. Acting coach Larry Drew said none of the players will start and all will be on minutes' restrictions.Drew, who is filling in while coach Tyronn Lue is on leave to address his own health, plans to keep his starting lineup intact and ease the returning players into the rotation.LeBron James, Jose Calderon, George Hill, Jeff Green and Kevin Love were scheduled to started against Phoenix, which has lost nine in a row. Drew said he and Lue will talk again Saturday about lineup changes for the upcoming trip to Brooklyn, Miami and Charlotte."I really didn't want to disrupt the starting five that we have out there right now and those guys will be playing limited minutes, so I wanted to get them slowly back and acclimated to what we're doing,"... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The drama has included turmoil and trades, head-scratching losses, infighting, injuries and illness.Cleveland's stormy season seems extracted from the script of a scandalous TV soap opera — "All My Cavaliers."But just when it looked as if LeBron James and this group of Cavaliers, some of whom have yet to play together, were about to implode with the postseason in sight, a startling win may have turned them around."I always say there is one game during the season that changes your team," acting coach Larry Drew said following Cleveland's 132-129 win over Toronto. "That game can be early, it can be midway, it can be late. There's always one game that kind of changes your team, the mindset."And I really believe tonight's game might have done that for us."With James on a mission to remind the Raptors of his magnificence, the short-handed Cavs, missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue, rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half Wednesday night to stun the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver has been excused from the team to be with family following the death of a younger brother.The team issued a statement late Tuesday night saying Korver's brother, Kirk, died earlier in the day."We extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt best to Kyle and his entire family as they go through this very difficult time," the Cavs said.Korver is expected to miss Wednesday's home game against Toronto.Korver, in his second season with Cleveland, left the Cavs last week after his 27-year-old brother became seriously ill in Iowa. He played in Monday night's home win over Milwaukee, scoring 12 points.Korver's personal situation comes one day after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue stepped away from the team for health reasons.The Cavs have also been dealing with an assortment of injuries as Rodney Hood, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman have been sidelined.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver has been excused from the team to be with family following the death of a younger brother.The team issued a statement late Tuesday night saying Korver's brother, Kirk, died earlier in the day."We extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt best to Kyle and his entire family as they go through this very difficult time," the Cavs said.Korver is expected to miss Wednesday's home game against Toronto.Kyle Korver, who is in his second season with Cleveland, left the Cavs last week after his 27-year-old brother became seriously ill in Iowa. Korver played in Monday night's home win over Milwaukee, scoring 12 points.Korver's personal situation comes one day after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue stepped away from the team for health reasons. The Cavs have also been dealing with an assortment of injuries as Rodney Hood, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman have been sidelined.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver has been excused from the team to be with family following the death of a younger brother.The team issued a statement late Tuesday night saying Korver's brother, Kirk, died earlier in the day."We extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt best to Kyle and his entire family as they go through this very difficult time," the Cavs said.Korver is expected to miss Wednesday's home game against Toronto.Kyle Korver, who is in his second season with Cleveland, left the Cavs last week after his 27-year-old brother became seriously ill in Iowa. Korver played in Monday night's home win over Milwaukee, scoring 12 points.Korver's personal situation comes one day after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue stepped away from the team for health reasons. The Cavs have also been dealing with an assortment of injuries as Rodney Hood, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman have been sidelined.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Chicken noodle or tomato? J.R. Smith didn't serve up any explanation.Cleveland's mercurial shooting guard declined an interview request Friday, a day after the Cavaliers suspended him one game for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.The soup toss came following Thursday's shootaround at the team's training facility, hours before the Cavs played the Philadelphia 76ers, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed details.Smith was with his teammates Friday — the Cavs didn't practice, but watched film — and after getting in some extra shots, he told a team spokesman he will address the media at Saturday's shootaround before the Cavs play Denver.Until then, what triggered his brothy outburst remains a mystery.ESPN.com first reported the reason for Smith's suspension.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Smith did not address the team over the... [More]