CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will miss the season opener on Wednesday night against Charlotte because of a strained right calf. The team officially ruled Love out on Tuesday, hours after Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he was preparing not to have the five-time All-Star in the lineup. Love got hurt during the first preseason game against Indiana earlier this month. He missed Cleveland's next three games and hasn't been cleared to practice. Larry Nance Jr. will likely start in place of Love, who has said he felt physically refreshed as he enters his 13th season. “It’s best to just move Larry in that spot and increase his minutes and his workload,” Bickerstaff said last week. “Obviously, if Kevin is out, we will have to play some small ball. But I think to start games and the majority of the minutes, I think it’s a good thing to just move Larry because he’s got a similar skill set, his ability to pass the ball and all those things.” The 32-year-old Love is seven points shy... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The eight-month, pandemic-induced layoff deprived the Cavaliers of valuable games and drained coach J.B. Bickerstaff of some competitive juices. He took drastic measures to replenish them. “I’m ashamed to say it, but I found myself at 8-year-old and 9-year-old girls' soccer games yelling at referees,” Bickerstaff said on a Zoom call as the Cavs opened training camp Tuesday. “I’m sitting there watching second- and third-grade girls and I’m on edge, and the hair on the back of my neck is standing up.” Bickerstaff can finally relax — a little. The Cavs, who had an already tumultuous 2019-20 season hijacked by COVID-19 and after just 11 games with Bickerstaff in charge, returned to the floor Tuesday for individual workouts as they began cramming for an upcoming season that's only weeks away. For now, players are only permitted to work out individually before the team can practice as a group starting Friday. Due to a storm that dumped up to a foot of snow across northeast Ohio,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers expressed sympathy and offered help following the shooting of Ericka Weems, the sister of the scouting director and lifelong LeBron James friend Brandon Weems. Akron police found Weems dead from a gunshot wound to the head Monday. No suspects have been identified. James posted a plea on Twitter asking to locate the shooter. “My brother’s sister was murdered this past weekend in her home! My brother family need answers to why and by whom,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar wrote. ”My city I need y’all to go to work and find out who did this awful, shameful, disgusting thing to such a caring, loving angel!” James and Brandon Weems grew up together in Akron and were teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Weems has been with the Cavs since 2015 and he was named scouting director in 2017. On Wednesday night, the team released a statement offering support to Weems. “The entire Cavaliers organization was terribly saddened to learn about the recent tragic death... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers center Andre Drummond plans to exercise his $28.7 million player option for the 2020-21 season and stay with Cleveland.Drummond, who was acquired in a trade from the Detroit Pistons in February, said on an ESPN podcast Tuesday that he intends to pick up the option. Drummond's decision had been expected, but it's the first time he had publicly stated his intentions.“Yeah, that’s going to be pretty hard to give up, so you can count on me being in Cleveland still,” Drummond said with a laugh during the interview in which he discussed beer, his love of music and that he had started taking acting lessons. "I definitely will be in Cleveland.”Drummond must notify the Cavs in writing about the option by Oct. 17. The NBA's offseason calendar has been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Cavs surprised many around the league when they obtained Drummond, a two-time All-Star in Detroit. His arrival seemed to create a logjam in the front court since Cleveland already... [More]

Cleveland (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers are missing from the NBA's Disney World summer bubble. They hope Commissioner Adam Silver doesn't need to pop their plans again.One of eight teams whose COVID-19-interrupted season ended when the league decided to resume play with 22 teams in Florida next month, the Cavs are using their omission as fuel."Whatever it is we have to do as a group this summer to get better, we need to go out and do that,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “Whatever party the NBA is throwing, this one happens to be in Orlando, we need to do whatever we can in our power to make sure that we’re getting invited to the party — and that’s been the message to our guys.”The Disney slight was an odd finish to the Cavs' strange, staggered season. It will be remembered for first-year coach John Beilein's stunning departure at the All-Star break, the acquisition of star center Andre Drummond and the team's brief resurgence under Bickerstaff, who exuded restraint... [More]

Cleveland (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers are missing from the NBA's Disney World summer bubble. They hope NBA Commissioner Adam Silver doesn't need to pop their plans again.One of eight teams whose COVID-19-interrupted season ended when the league decided to resume play with 22 teams in Florida next month, the Cavs are using their omission as fuel."Whatever it is we have to do as a group this summer to get better, we need to go out and do that,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “Whatever party the NBA is throwing, this one happens to be in Orlando, we need to do whatever we can in our power to make sure that we’re getting invited to the party — and that’s been the message to our guys.”The Disney slight was an odd finish to the Cavs' strange, staggered season. It will be remembered for first-year coach John Beilein's stunning departure at the All-Star break, the acquisition of star center Andre Drummond and the team's brief resurgence under Bickerstaff, who exuded restraint... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A person familiar with the results of poll of NBA players taken by their union says there would be “overwhelming” support for any plan that has this season resuming in a safe way amid the coronavirus pandemic.The poll conducted by the National Basketball Players Association was informal but gave a clear sense that players would like to not only get to the playoffs but also resume at least some of the regular season, according to the person who shared details with The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because it was not to be detailed publicly.The exact results of the poll were unknown, and the methodology behind the poll — including how many players participated — was unclear.The NBPA sent a letter to agents Tuesday discussing, among other things, the results of the player polling and some details of the call the union and its membership had late last week with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. In that call, Silver talked about the possibility of resuming a... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — There's been a massive void in Larry Nance Jr.'s life that no amount of watching Korean soccer games, practicing yoga, riding a stationary bike or playing video games can ever replace.Basketball is his world.The COVID-19 pandemic has deprived Nance of his greatest passion and his profession, which is why the Cleveland Cavaliers forward was grateful to get back on a real court — even for a short while.Nance is one of the few NBA players who have been able to work out after teams were granted permission to reopen their training facilities, which have been closed nearly two months by a virus outbreak that has paused the season and placed its conclusion in peril.Nance returned to the Cavs' complex on Friday, and for two hours, the 27-year-old felt whole again.“This is the longest I haven’t played a game of basketball in my entire life,” he said Tuesday on a Zoom conference call.The Cavs and Portland Trail Blazers were the first teams to reopen their facilities last week for... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Andre Drummond returned from a leg injury to score 28 points and add 17 rebounds, and Kevin Love shook off a tough shooting night to make a big 3-pointer in overtime and lift the improving Cleveland Cavaliers to a 132-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.Drummond, who missed the past three games with a strained left calf, put the Cavs up 124-22 with a layup and Love followed with his 3 from the corner 28 seconds later to put Cleveland up by five.Love had missed his first four attempts from long range before his clutch shot and he finished just 3 of 12 from the field, but added 18 rebounds.Derrick White hit a 3 to pull the Spurs within 131-129 in the final seconds, but Collin Sexton made a free throw for the Cavs and San Antonio didn't get off a last-second heave in time.It was the second straight close win for the young Cavs, who beat Denver 104-102 on Saturday. Cleveland improved to 5-5 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff and matched its win total from last season, when... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Andre Drummond returned from a leg injury to score 28 points and add 17 rebounds, and Kevin Love made a big 3-pointer in overtime to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 132-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.Drummond, who missed the past three games with a strained left calf, put the Cavs up 124-22 with a layup and Love followed with his 3 from the corner 28 seconds later to put Cleveland up by five.Love had missed his first four attempts from long range before his clutch shot and he finished just 3 of 12 from the field, but added 18 rebounds.Derrick White hit a 3 to pull the Spurs within 131-129 in the final seconds, but Collin Sexton made a free throw for the Cavs and San Antonio didn't get off a last-second heave in time.It was the second straight close win for the young Cavs, who beat Denver 104-102 on Saturday. Cleveland improved to 5-5 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff.Sexton scored 26, Larry Nance Jr. 19 and Matthew Dellavedova had 14 and 11 assists. Dellavedova... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers, already with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, will dress nine players against Utah because of injuries Monday night. Center Andre Drummond (strained left calf) and rookie point guard Darius Garland (strained left groin) have been ruled out of the starting lineup. Center Tristan Thompson, one of the first players off the bench, is out with a bruised left knee.Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Kevin Love will start at center against 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert. Larry Nance Jr. will take Love's spot at power forward, while Kevin Porter Jr. will start in the backcourt.Drummond had 27 points and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes against Indiana on Saturday after missing the two previous games with the injury. He averaged 15.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in six games since being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline.Garland will miss his second game this season while Thompson is out for the second straight game.Forward Alfonso McKinnie (left foot plantar fasciitis) and guard Dante Exum (sprained left ankle) have missed the last several games. Guard Dylan Windler hasn't played in his rookie season because of a stress reaction in his left leg.Matt Mooney and Dean Wade, who have been playing with Canton of the G-League, will dress for Cleveland.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond has been ruled out for Wednesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers because of a strained left calf.Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the calf first bothered Drummond in Saturday's game against Miami and his status is day-to-day. Cleveland plays at New Orleans and rookie sensation Zion Williamson on Friday night.Drummond has averaged 12.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in five games with Cleveland since being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. He averages 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds in 54 games.Cleveland is 3-2 since picking up the 6-foot-11 Drummond, who gives the Cavaliers a deep frontcourt that also includes Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Tristan Thompson. Bickerstaff said Thompson will start against Philadelphia and center Joel Embiid, who scored a career-high 49 points Monday night against Atlanta.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in a statement released by the team. "I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in a statement released by the team. "I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.The Cavs went just 14-40 under Beilein, who the Cavaliers signed to a five-year contract last May.The Cavs said Beilein will be reassigned to a different role within the organization.From the start there were issues in Cleveland. The Cavs didn't embrace Beilein's methods in training camp — he had his big men doing fundamental “Mikan” drills — and players grumbled that he was... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The victories have been scarce for the Cavaliers this season, overwhelmed by so many ugly losses, so many unwatchable moments.However, they're certain they won the NBA trading deadline. Landing two-time All- Star Andre Drummond is a huge get.“For what they gave up, it's a (blanking) steal,” said Tristan Thompson, using a profanity to emphasize his point.Unexpectedly, the Cavs finalized their trade for Drummond, the league's leading rebounder at 15.8 boards per game in the final hour before Thursday's deadline, completing a deal nobody had on their radar. Cleveland sent guard Brandon Knight, forward John Henson and one of its second-round draft picks in 2023 to the Detroit Pistons for the 26-year-old Drummond, one of the game's best all-around centers.“He plays extremely hard and has crazy production," Cavs star forward Kevin Love said Friday after practice. "It makes us competitive. We added an All-Star level player. He's a versatile big who can do a lot of things for us.”General... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — John Beilein's first season as an NBA coach took another turbulent turn because of a comment he made during a film session.Beilein said Thursday he had apologized after using the word “thugs” while reviewing film with his players the previous day. ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, reported that Beilein suggested during a Wednesday film session his players were no longer playing “like a bunch of thugs.” Beilein told ESPN he had meant to say “slugs” in reference to the team's effort level.Beilein repeated that explanation Thursday after his team's shootaround in Detroit, hours before the Cavaliers faced the Pistons.“I was saying: 'We’re making a lot of mistakes mentally, and we deserve better because we're really playing hard right now. We're not playing like slugs. We're playing hard,'" Beilein said. "And somehow that word came out.”Beilein said he called the players afterward to explain the situation, and said he apologized.“There was really positive reinforcement from... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — John Beilein's first season as an NBA coach took another turbulent turn because of a comment he made during a film session.Beilein said Thursday he had apologized after using the word “thugs” while reviewing film with his players the previous day. ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, reported that Beilein suggested during a Wednesday film session his players were no longer playing “like a bunch of thugs.” Beilein told ESPN he had meant to say “slugs” in reference to the team's effort level.Beilein repeated that explanation Thursday after his team's shootaround in Detroit, hours before the Cavaliers faced the Pistons.“I was saying: 'We’re making a lot of mistakes mentally, and we deserve better because we're really playing hard right now. We're not playing like slugs. We're playing hard,'" Beilein said. "And somehow that word came out.”Beilein said he called the players afterward to explain the situation, and said he apologized.“There was really positive reinforcement from... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Beilein said Thursday he has apologized after using the word “thugs” during a film session with his players the previous day.ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, reported that Beilein suggested during a Wednesday film session his players were no longer playing “like a bunch of thugs.” Beilein told ESPN he had meant to say “slugs” in reference to the team's effort level.Beilein repeated that explanation Thursday after his team's shootaround in Detroit, hours before the Cavaliers faced the Pistons.“I was saying: 'We’re making a lot of mistakes mentally, and we deserve better because we're really playing hard right now. We're not playing like slugs. We're playing hard,'" Beilein said. "And somehow that word came out.”Beilein said he called the players afterward to explain the situation, and said he apologized.“There was really positive reinforcement from the guys this morning and last night. Very understanding, but it’s something that certainly... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers traded Jordan Clarkson before he could walk away.Cleveland dealt the veteran backup guard to the Utah Jazz for guard Dante Exum and two future second-round draft picks on Tuesday. The teams agreed to terms of the deal shortly before their games in Cleveland and Miami tipped off on Monday, and the NBA approved it Tuesday.Clarkson was in the final year of his contract and was unlikely to re-sign with the Cavaliers as a free agent, so the club made a move to add a young player and future assets to help Cleveland rebuild.The Cavaliers will get San Antonio's second-round pick in 2022 and Golden State's in 2023. The Jazz acquired those selections in other trades.Clarkson could be the first of several veterans moved by the Cavs, who have reportedly been open to receiving offers for star forward Kevin Love. Following Monday's 121-118 victory over Atlanta, Love posted a message on Instagram, saying he would miss Clarkson.“This one hurt!!!” Love wrote. “JC really became... [More]