The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed forward Metta World Peace, the team announced Friday.Terms of the contract were not released, but World Peace said earlier that he agreed to a one-year deal.After playing in China in the 2014-15 season, World Peace returned to the NBA last year with Los Angeles. He played in 35 games and averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Lakers.Prior to that, World Peace played 29 games for the New York Knicks in 2013-14. He spent five seasons with the Lakers from 2009 until 2013, winning a championship in 2009-10.The 36-year-old World Peace is one-time All-Star (2004) with career averages of 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals over 966 games in 16 seasons.World Peace is expected to provide leadership for a young Lakers squad. He is a former teammate of first-year Lakers head coach Luke Walton.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are working on a buyout for Kevin Garnett that would end the forward's second stint with the team.Minnesota opens training camp on Tuesday and would like to have a solution before it starts, preferably with the 40-year-old Garnett electing to retire.Garnett is entering the final season of his contract and hasn't given the Timberwolves an answer on which direction he is leaning. He has spent 13 1/2 of his 21 NBA seasons with Minnesota.The 15-time All-Star ranks 17th in NBA history with 26,071 career points, ninth in career rebounds with 14,662 and 17th in career blocked shots with 2,037.Garnett played in just 38 games last season due to knee and leg injuries and averaged just 3.2 points and 3.9 rebounds. His current value lies more in terms of being a mentor for young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins than for his production.The Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau as coach and president in the offseason as well as a new general manager in Scott Layden. The... [More]

The Sacramento Kings signed free agent journeyman guard Jordan Farmar to a contract Wednesday.The team did not disclose terms of the deal for Farmar, who averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 12 games with coach Dave Joerger and the Memphis Grizzlies last season. Joerger is now with the Kings and the 29-year-old Farmer's value could rise as anointed starter Darren Collison pled guilty to a domestic violence charge. Collison is likely to face a lengthy suspension to begin the season. Ty Lawson and Isaiah Cousins can also play the point on Sacramento's roster.Farmar has averaged 7.7 points, 2.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game since being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 26th overall pick of the 2006 draft. The 6-foot-2 Farmar is a two-time NBA champion with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

Paul Pierce is undecided on the invitation to return to the Los Angeles Clippers for his 19th NBA season.Clippers coach Doc Rivers disclosed during a fundraiser at TD Garden in Boston that Pierce was on the fence about playing in 2016-17."Paul has had the summer, he's gone back and forth," Rivers said. "I think he has a right to do that. I really do. Paul didn't have the best year last year. I don't think he wants to go out that way. So I think that's why he's working to try to come back. But he still may change his mind next week. So we just have to wait. I told him if I see him at training camp, I'm assuming he's playing."Pierce spent most of his career in Boston, including winning the NBA championship in 2007, before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He reunited last season with Rivers in his home state, but Pierce did not have a major impact off the bench as expected. Rivers said there is no question Pierce can still be effective if he wants to play."If I don't think they can play,... [More]

Chris Bosh intensified on-court workouts and plans to return to the court this season.The Miami Heat forward shared the workout videos via social media and said he is ready to rejoin the team after each of the past two seasons ended with Bosh sidelined to treat blood clots."I know I've been gone for a moment, but now I'm back," Bosh said in a video. "Everybody is always asking me, 'Am I hooping?' Yes, I'm hooping. I'm a hooper."The 11-time All-Star was at odds with the Heat and publicly questioned why team trainers weren't obliging his request to return to the roster in the postseason. The two sides agreed to issue a joint statement that focused on Bosh's future and return to full health. Heat owner Micky Arison replied to one of Bosh's videos this week and said "Looking good CB look forward to seeing in camp."There has been no detailed update on Bosh's health and in particular whether medical professionals believe his recent issues with blood clots are considered a chronic concern. Team... [More]

Forward Carl Landry was waived by Philadelphia. Landry appeared in 36 games with 12 starts for the 76ers last season, averaging 10 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16 minutes per game. The nine-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 11 points and 5.0 rebounds in 513 games.

PG Ty Lawson signed a free-agent contract with the Kings. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but multiple outlets reported the pact was for one season. The 28-year-old Lawson averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 53 games last season with Houston before playing his final 13 contests with Indiana.

The Sacramento Kings signed free agent guard Ty Lawson to a contract on Wednesday.Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but multiple outlets reported the pact was for one season.Lawson likely will serve as the backup to Darren Collison at the point for Sacramento.The 28-year-old Lawson averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 53 games last season with Houston before playing his final 13 contests with Indiana.Lawson has averaged 13.1 points, 6.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game in 482 career contests with the Denver Nuggets, Rockets and Pacers since being selected with the 18th overall pick of the 2009 draft.

Free agent point guard Ty Lawson and the Sacramento Kings reportedly agreed Sunday night on a one-year contract.The Vertical first reported the deal, and multiple media outlets confirmed the report. Financial terms weren't announced. According to The Vertical, Lawson chose Sacramento over the New Orleans Pelicans.Lawson changed his Twitter profile to read, in part, "sac-town PG," and tweeted, "Wassup Sac-town"Lawson, 28, will be joining his third team in a matter of months. He had his contract bought out by the Houston Rockets in early March, then signed with the Indiana Pacers.The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Lawson is entering his eighth NBA season. He played his first six years with the Denver Nuggets before Houston acquired him in the summer of 2015. He averaged 5.8 points per game and 3.4 assists with the Rockets in 53 games (12 starts) last season, then 4.9 points and 4.4 assists in 13 games (one start) with the Pacers.He was a bit player for Indiana in the postseason, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 assists in seven games.In 482 career games (320 starts), Lawson has averaged 13.1 points and 6.2 assists.Off the court, Lawson has been charged with driving under the influence four times in his NBA career. He received a two-game suspension from the NBA in December.

A cousin of Chicago Bulls star Dwyane Wade was shot and killed while she was pushing her baby in a stroller Friday afternoon in Chicago, multiple media outlets reported.Nykea Aldridge, 32, and a man were walking when someone began firing at the man, according to the Chicago Tribune report.Aldridge was hit in the head and the arm and taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died, police said. The baby was not hurt.Aldridge had just finished registering her children at Dulles School of Excellence when the shooting occurred.Aldridge is the daughter of Wade's mother's sister.Wade issued a statement on Twitter late Friday:"My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal.#EnoughIsEnough"The Bulls also issued a statement: "The entire Chicago Bulls organization is deeply saddened by the news of Dwyane Wade's cousin, Nykea Aldridge. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Wade family during this difficult time."Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief James Jones said in a news conference that Aldridge was "an innocent party to this senseless shooting."

The Miami Heat re-signed guard Beno Udrih on Wednesday, adding depth to their backcourt.Terms were not disclosed but the Miami Herald reported the deal is for one year at the veteran's minimum of $1.4 million.Udrih, 34, has appeared in 792 NBA regular-season games (272 starts) during his 12-year career, averaging 8.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 22.3 minutes while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 34.9 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the foul line.Udrih averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 assists and 16.3 minutes in 36 games for the Heat last season after a November trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.The two-time NBA champion has appeared in 53 postseason games and averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 11.3 minutes while shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the free-throw line.Last season as a member of both the Heat and Grizzlies, Udrih appeared in 44 games (five starts) and averaged 4.7 points, 2.6 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 16.1 minutes while shooting 43.4 percent from the floor, 34.1 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the line.

Nick Young and D'Angelo Russell are mending fences and working on their friendship.The Los Angeles Lakers' teammates were involved in a public spat five months ago when Russell filmed Young answering questions about his relationships with women other than his pop star fiance Iggy Azalea. The video was leaked via Twitter, and a few months later Azalea ended the relationship."It's been so long, so it's kind of old," Young told the Los Angeles Daily News. "We've already been working it out. I can't be mad forever."Young made light of the Foot Locker commercial featuring Russell and 2016 No. 1 pick Ben Simmons in which Simmons asks for advice from Russell, who responds by hurling his cell phone into the ocean."Real funny," Young told the News. "I need my commercial now. I'll explain what happened to my life."Russell apologized publicly and Young said they would handle the situation outside the media.

Guard Ronnie Price signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but The Vertical reported it to be a guaranteed two-year, $5 million contract.The 11-year veteran appeared in 62 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging career highs in points (5.3), assists (2.4), rebounds (1.6), steals (1.19) and minutes played (19.5) per game. Price has appeared in 530 career NBA games, including stints with Sacramento, Utah, Portland, Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers since coming out of Utah Valley State College. He holds career averages of 3.8 points, 1.8 assists 1.2 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game.

Kevin Durant is a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.That probably isn't going to help him avoid a series of jeers and cat-calls on Feb. 11.The All-Star forward agreed to join the Golden State Warriors in July and will find himself back inside Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Arena for the first time as an opponent on Feb. 11 when the Warriors visit the Thunder.Durant's departure stunned the high-energy Thunder fans and his return to Oklahoma City is easily the highlight of the NBA schedule released on Thursday.Durant's first game for the Warriors comes on Oct. 25 in a season-opening doubleheader. Golden State will face the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of a TNT doubleheader, following the clash between the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.The Cavaliers and Warriors, who squared off in last season's NBA Finals, clash on ABC on Christmas Day as part of the league's traditional five-game showcase. ABC's other Dec. 25 telecast features the Spurs visiting the... [More]

LeBron James' new contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers will hit nine figures.Multiple media outlets reported Thursday that James agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal with the NBA champion Cavs.The new contract will make James the highest-paid player in the league in 2016-17 at $31 million, according to multiple reports. The superstar forward's 2017-18 salary will be more than $33 million, which would be a single-season NBA record, ESPN reported. The previous mark was the $33 million that Michael Jordan received in 1997-98 from the Chicago Bulls.The third season is reportedly a player option.James was a free agent, though he previously assured the Cavaliers that he would return.James announced on a video posted on his social-media site, Uninterrupted, "I just want to let y'all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team. I can't be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title. We all know last year was a magical,... [More]

The Denver Nuggets were quite busy on Tuesday, signing guards Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley and forward Juancho Hernangomez to contracts.Terms of the deals were not disclosed by the Nuggets, who also inked veteran reserve Mike Miller to a two-year contract, the Denver Post reported.Murray, who was selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2016 draft, averaged 19.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in five games at the 2016 Summer League in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old averaged 20.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in his lone season with Kentucky in 2015-16.Hernangomez was selected eight picks after Murray in the draft and averaged 9.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 24 contests with Movistar Esudiantes of the Spanish ACB league last season. The Madrid native also fared well in the Summer League, averaging 10.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.Beasley, who was picked 19th in the 2016 draft, averaged 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 34 games with Florida State last season.

Russell Westbrook has decided to become a solo marquee attraction with the Oklahoma City Thunder.The All-Star point guard officially signed a three-year, $85.7 million extension with the Thunder on Thursday.The signing comes approximately one month after All-Star forward Kevin Durant bolted the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors."I am grateful to extend my contract with the Thunder and continue to play with the only organization that I have played for and have loved being a part of since I was drafted into the NBA," Westbrook said in a statement. "I'm really excited about moving forward with this group of guys and continuing to play in front of the best fans in the world."The first year of the extension replaces Westbrook's current deal and raises his salary from $17.8 million to $26.5 million. There is also a player option for the third year, meaning Westbrook could potentially become a free agent following the 2017-18 campaign."On behalf of the Thunder organization and the entire... [More]

All-Star guard Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder are closing in on a three-year maximum contract extension worth more than $85 million, according to multiple media outlets.The deal, which could be finalized in a couple of days, reportedly includes a player option on the third year, giving Westbrook the option to test free agency in 2018.Westbrook's current contract expires after next season, with the new deal adding at least two years while escalating his salary from $17.8 million to $26.5 million per year.Westbrook has played all eight seasons of his NBA career with Oklahoma City, averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 587 games while teaming up with forward Kevin Durant. The Thunder appear to be trying to lock Westbrook up early to avoid losing him, as they did with Durant, who signed as a free agent this summer with the Golden State Warriors.Westbrook was drafted fourth overall in 2008 by the Seattle SuperSonics, who moved to Oklahoma City that year to become the Thunder. Durant was drafted second overall by Seattle in 2007.

The NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers re-signed veteran guard/forward James Jones to a one-year contract Wednesday.The deal is worth a reported $1.55 million.The 35-year-old Jones, who is close with LeBron James, has been a part of six consecutive Finals teams -- and three NBA championships -- in Miami and Cleveland"We're very happy to have James back with the Cavaliers," general manager David Griffin said in a statement. "He is a champion in every sense of the word and his leadership and professionalism over the last two years have translated with our team in many different ways that have helped us reach our goals. 'Champ' delivers a clear reflection of what success at the highest level should embody and his contributions and commitment to our team are something we need and appreciate greatly."The 6-foot-8, 218-pound Jones has spent the past two seasons with Cleveland after originally signing as a free agent with the team on Aug. 5, 2014. Last season, Jones appeared in 48 games for the... [More]

Less than a week after retiring from the NBA, Amar'e Stoudemire announced Monday he is continuing his basketball career in Israel.In a post on the Player's Tribune website, Stoudemire wrote: "I may be retiring from the NBA, but I'm not saying goodbye to basketball just yet. My next step is playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top teams in Europe. This isn't about collecting a paycheck overseas though; it's a spiritual journey, too."Stoudemire said at a press conference Monday in New York that he will sign a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, the team he co-owns. As part of the deal, ESPN reported he will sell his ownership shares that he purchased in 2013. "We are thrilled to have a player of Amar'e's caliber join our team, solidifying our place among the top echelon of Israeli and European basketball," Dr. Ori Allon, President and majority owner of Hapoel Jerusalem, said in a statement. "More important bringing Amar'e to Jerusalem raises the profile of the entire Israeli Basketball... [More]