Thu Jul 2 2020 | 16:21 | 76ers' Simmons recovered from back injury for restart | Joel Embiid | C | 76ers | Free Agent |
| | | Ben Simmons | PF | 76ers | Free Agent |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons’ back pain threw his postseason status into uncertainty had the NBA season reached its natural conclusion.Check out Simmons these days on Instagram.He’s muscular, spry — and throwing down dunks without a wince on his face. The All-Star guard who watched the Philadelphia 76ers from the bench during the final days in March is now healthy, confident and ready to dominate.“I’m feeling better than I was at the start of the season,” Simmons said Thursday. “I’ve been working since I had the injury, working until now to be prepared for whatever happens and wherever we go. I’m feeling great and been rehabbing this whole time, so I’ve been feeling ready and I’m very comfortable.”Simmons, the NBA’s leader in steals, had been quiet except for social media posts since the league shut down March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 23-year-old had missed eighth straight games and was receiving daily treatment for nerve issues in his lower back when the season stopped.... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 18:31 | Mavs add Burke after Cauley-Stein opts out of resumed season | Jalen Brunson | PG | Mavericks | Free Agent |
| | | Trey Burke | PG | Knicks | Free Agent |
| | | Willie Cauley-Stein | C | Kings | Free Agent |
| | | Luka Doncic | PG | Mavericks | Free Agent |
| | | Tim Hardaway | SG | Knicks | Free Agent |
| | | Kristaps Porzingis | PF | Knicks | Free Agent |
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks signed guard Trey Burke on Wednesday after center Willie Cauley-Stein decided not to rejoin the team for the planned resumption of the season.Burke spent part of the 2018-19 season with the Mavericks after coming over in the blockbuster trade that also brought Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks.The 27-year-old Burke played 25 games this season with Philadelphia before he was waived in February, about a month before the NBA shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.Cauley-Stein, acquired in a deal with Golden State before the trading deadline this year, opted out of playing because of the impending birth of his daughter this month.President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said the Mavericks chose a guard over an interior player because of a need for backups behind All-Star Luka Doncic and shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.Jalen Brunson, one of the backups to Doncic, won't play if the season resumes because of shoulder surgery.Burke has career averages of 10.5 points and 3.5 assists in 386 games over seven seasons. He has played for Utah and Washington in addition to the Knicks, Mavericks and 76ers.The Mavericks are supposed to resume the season July 31 against Houston in Orlando, Florida.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 18:21 | Rivers: Lou Williams expected to join Clippers for restart | Landry Shamet | PG | 76ers | Free Agent |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Lou Williams is expected to join the team for the NBA’s restart in Florida.Williams has described himself as “50-50” on whether he would finish out the pandemic-interrupted season because he didn’t want to distract from the ongoing push for social justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death while in police custody. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen,” Rivers said during a video conference with media Wednesday. “But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he's not.”Williams, last year's Sixth Man of the Year, was averaging 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 60 games before the league shut down in March due to the coronavirus. Rivers said he doesn't think any of the Clippers are opting out from resuming the season. The team heads to Orlando, Florida, on July 8.“But listen, it is their choice and we support that,” the coach said. "There are so many reasons for everybody to... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 17:11 | Lakers add veteran J.R. Smith for Orlando championship push | Avery Bradley | SG | Clippers | Free Agent |
| | | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Lakers | Free Agent |
| | | Alex Caruso | PG | Lakers | Free Agent |
| | | Dwight Howard | C | Hornets | Free Agent |
| | | LeBron James | SF | Cavaliers | Free Agent |
| | | Dion Waiters | SG | Heat | Free Agent |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push.The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player Wednesday, the first day allowed under the rules of the NBA's summer restart.Smith is the Lakers' roster replacement for Avery Bradley, who cited family reasons last week for his decision not to finish the season with his team in Orlando amid the coronavirus pandemic.“We’re not going to ask him to come in and be Avery Bradley,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s going to come in and be J.R. Smith. He’s going to just fill that position more than fill that role. Avery’s loss is obviously a huge loss for us, but we’re a next-man-up team. J.R. is going to come in and help fill that need, but we have a lot of guys in that position that can do the same.”The 34-year-old Smith hasn't played in the NBA since November 2018, but the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year is a longtime trusted teammate of James. During... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 17:01 | Rivers: Lou Williams expected to join Clippers for restart | Landry Shamet | PG | 76ers | Free Agent |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Lou Williams is expected to join the team for the NBA’s restart in Florida.Williams has described himself as “50-50” on whether he would finish out the pandemic-interrupted season because he didn’t want to distract from the ongoing push for social justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death while in police custody. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen,” Rivers said during a video conference with media Wednesday. “But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he's not.”Williams, last year's Sixth Man of the Year, was averaging 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 60 games before the league shut down in March due to the coronavirus. Rivers said he doesn't think any of the Clippers are opting out from resuming the season. The team heads to Orlando, Florida, on July 8.“But listen, it is their choice and we support that,” the coach said. "There are so many reasons for everybody to... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 15:21 | Lakers add veteran J.R. Smith for Orlando championship push | Avery Bradley | SG | Clippers | Free Agent |
| | | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Lakers | Free Agent |
| | | Alex Caruso | PG | Lakers | Free Agent |
| | | LeBron James | SF | Cavaliers | Free Agent |
| | | Dion Waiters | SG | Heat | Free Agent |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push.The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player Wednesday, the first day allowed under the rules of the NBA's summer restart.Smith is the Lakers' replacement for Avery Bradley, who cited family reasons last week for his decision not to finish the season with his team in Orlando.The 34-year-old Smith hasn't played in the NBA since November 2018, but the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year is a longtime trusted teammate of James. During their four years together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, they won a title in 2016 and reached four consecutive NBA Finals.Bradley was a starter and a key role player in his first season with the Lakers, averaging 8.6 points per game and playing solid wing defense. But the Western Conference-leading Lakers also excelled while Bradley missed 13 games due to injury, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope capably filling the role.Smith... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 15:11 | 76ers coach Brown says Embiid, Simmons healthy for restart | Joel Embiid | C | 76ers | Free Agent |
| | | Ben Simmons | PF | 76ers | Free Agent |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says All-Star guard Ben Simmons is “good to go” for the NBA restart after sitting out the final games before the shutdown with a back injury.Brown, whose contract runs through 2021-22, also expected fellow All-Star Joel Embiid to start the season in the best shape of his professional career.The Sixers need their franchise stars at full strength if one of the early favorites to win the East Conference can shake off both an ordinary regular season (39-26; 6th in the East) and a nearly five-month layoff to return contenders for their first NBA championship since 1983.The 23-year-old Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve issues in his lower back when the season stopped. Embiid was recovering from surgery on his left hand and had just returned after missing five games with a sprained left shoulder at the time of the shutdown. “I’m looking for Joel to come in as good a shape as he has... [ More] |
Wed Jul 1 2020 | 14:41 | Despite virus cases, Nets say no thought to skipping restart | Jarrett Allen | C | Nets | Free Agent |
| | | Wilson Chandler | SF | Nuggets | Free Agent |
| | | Spencer Dinwiddie | PG | Nets | Free Agent |
| | | Kyrie Irving | PG | Celtics | Free Agent |
| | | Tyler Johnson | PG | Heat | Free Agent |
| | | DeAndre Jordan | C | Clippers | Free Agent |
| | | Kevin Durant | SF | Warriors | Free Agent |
| | | Theo Pinson | | | Free Agent |
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving aren't coming back. DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler aren't going, either.Spencer Dinwiddie is a maybe, with his status unclear after both he and Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus.The Brooklyn Nets don't look ready for a restart, but general manager Sean Marks said Wednesday there was no discussion of the team not traveling to Florida for the resumption of the NBA season.“Look, we have a job to do,” Marks said. “Again, we have to bring a team to Orlando. We will bring a team to Orlando. We will go down there and we will compete. That’s our jobs here.”It's not an easy one for interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over when the Nets surprisingly parted ways with Kenny Atkinson on March 7. He won his first two games, capped by an impressive victory over the West-leading Lakers in Los Angeles.Then the season stopped and his challenges really began.Vaughn had moved Jordan into the starting lineup, but now the job apparently goes back to... [ More] |
Tue Jun 30 2020 | 18:51 | Positive tests force Nuggets to close practice facilities | Nikola Jokic | C | Nuggets | Free Agent |
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets say they’ve closed their facilities after two members of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. A third tested positive this week.All three are asymptomatic, the Nuggets said Tuesday in confirming a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 35-member traveling party includes players, coaches and staff.Also Tuesday, Pelicans general manager David Griffin said three New Orleans players have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be in self-isolation until testing shows they can return to team activities without infecting others.It’s unclear if the Nuggets will reopen their practice facilities before the team flies to Orlando on July 7 to resume the season that was halted in mid-March because of the virus, which has has killed more than 128,000 people in the United States.The 22 teams that will restart the season July 30 returned to their practice facilities last week and players, coaches and staff have been subject to... [ More] |
Tue Jun 30 2020 | 17:11 | Positive tests force Nuggets to close practice facilities | Nikola Jokic | C | Nuggets | Free Agent |
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets say they’ve closed their facilities after two members of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. A third tested positive this week.All three are asymptomatic, the Nuggets said Tuesday in confirming a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 35-member traveling party includes players, coaches and staff.It’s unclear if the Nuggets will reopen their practice facilities before the team flies to Orlando on July 7 to resume the season that was halted in mid-March because of the virus, which has has killed more than 128,000 people in the United States.The 22 teams that will restart the season July 30 returned to their practice facilities last week and players, coaches and staff have been subject to ongoing testing as they prepare to resume the season. A week ago, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, one of only four players averaging 20 points and... [ More] |
Tue Jun 30 2020 | 00:01 | Dinwiddie, Jordan have coronavirus, may not return with Nets | Spencer Dinwiddie | PG | Nets | Free Agent |
| | | Kyrie Irving | PG | Celtics | Free Agent |
| | | DeAndre Jordan | C | Clippers | Free Agent |
| | | Kevin Durant | SF | Warriors | Free Agent |
NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan said Monday they have tested positive for the coronavirus, potentially leaving the Brooklyn Nets without two starters when the NBA season resumes.Jordan said he won't be in Florida with the Nets when they return from the suspension of the 2019-20 season, while Dinwiddie told The Athletic that he was experiencing symptoms and it was unclear if he would be at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.At least six players on the Nets have tested positive for the virus. The other four were back in March, when Kevin Durant said he was one of them.Both players said they tested positive after returning to New York to rejoin the team. Some players left the city, which was a hot spot at the time, after the NBA halted play.Dinwiddie said he tested negative for the virus multiple times after returning to Brooklyn and took part in a couple practices. But he has since tested positive and said he has a fever and chest soreness.His absence would be... [ More] |
Mon Jun 29 2020 | 17:51 | Wizards rule out John Wall returning this season | Davis Bertans | PF | Spurs | Free Agent |
| | | John Wall | PG | Wizards | Free Agent |
John Wall will not join the Washington Wizards for the resumption of the NBA season this summer, ending the chances of the five-time All-Star guard playing his first game since 2018.General manager Tommy Sheppard effectively ruled out Wall returning this season when he said Monday the 29-year-old wouldn't be part of the Wizards' traveling party to Central Florida. Among the factors in the decision was a cap of 35 people per team in the quarantined bubble at Walt Disney World. The COVID-19 pandemic also hindered Wall's progress in his rehab from multiple surgeries.“He definitely lost all the basketball gains that he had made,” Sheppard said on a video call with reporters. “He’s got to focus on what he’s got to do, but having somebody go into that bubble that’s not going to play, that’s just more people going into the bubble.”Wall hasn’t played an NBA game since December 2018. Surgery for bone spurs in his left heel ended that season; while he was working his way back from that, he tore his... [ More] |
Mon Jun 29 2020 | 13:21 | AP Source: Cavs agree to 2-year deal with free agent F Bell | Jordan Bell | PF | Warriors | Free Agent |
| | | Dean Wade | | | Free Agent |
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to terms with free agent forward Jordan Bell on a two-year contract and signed two-way forward Dean Wade to a multiyear deal, a person familiar with the negotiations said Monday.The additions fill two roster openings for the Cavs ahead of the NBA reopening its transaction window Tuesday, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the deals.The 6-foot-8 Bell was a second-round pick in 2017. He spent his first two seasons with Golden State before signing with Minnesota as a restricted free agent in 2019 and then going to Memphis. He's averaged 3.8 points in 154 games.Wade played in 12 games last season for Cleveland. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds. For most of the season, he played for Canton, the Cavs' affiliate in the G League. Cleveland is impressed with the 6-foot-10 Wade's versatility.The Cavs are tweaking their roster while watching the league's resumption in Florida from afar. Cleveland was one of the eight teams excluded from the restart in Orlando scheduled for late July.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Sun Jun 28 2020 | 20:11 | Clippers sign Joakim Noah to deal for rest of the season | Joakim Noah | C | Knicks | Free Agent |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have signed free agent Joakim Noah to a new contract for the rest of the season, three months after he first signed a 10-day deal with the team.The two-time All-Star averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games for Memphis last season. Noah originally signed with the Clippers on March 9, two days before the NBA put its season on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.The 35-year-old center was the 2014 defensive player of the year. Noah provides the Clippers with playoff experience and additional depth at the position.Noah's 12 years in the NBA also includes stints with Chicago and the New York Knicks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Fri Jun 26 2020 | 17:50 | NBA, players sign off on final terms for restarted season | Chris Paul | PG | Rockets | Free Agent |
Acknowledging that no option would have been risk-free during a pandemic, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that the concern shared by the league and its players surrounding next month's restart of the season is rising as coronavirus cases in Florida keep climbing.That said, the league and the National Basketball Players Association is moving forward — finalizing the deal that will bring the NBA game back and see teams start arriving at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida in less than two weeks.Many of the details of the agreement were already known, such as how “stringent health and safety protocols” would be in place for the 22 teams that will be participating, that no fans will be present and that games will be held in three different arenas at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. But when those protocols were completed, the Orange County, Florida area — which includes Orlando — had seen a 5% rate of positive coronavirus tests over the preceding 10 days. In the 10 days that... [ More] |
Fri Jun 26 2020 | 16:00 | Pistons sign oft-injured center Justin Patton | Justin Patton | C | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons signed center Justin Patton on Friday, hoping the 2017 first-round pick can stay healthy to help the franchise's turnaround.Patton had surgery for a broken foot in 2018 for the second straight year.The 6-foot-11 player was selected No. 16 overall three years ago by the Chicago Bulls, who traded him on draft night to Minnesota as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.Patton averaged less than two points a game, appearing in nine games over three seasons for the Timberwolves, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Thu Jun 25 2020 | 17:40 | Vince Carter, 43, retires after record 22 NBA seasons | Rudy Gobert | C | Jazz | Free Agent |
| | | Vince Carter | SF | Kings | Free Agent |
| | | Trae Young | PG | Hawks | Free Agent |
Vince Carter made his retirement official on Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career, the longest in league history, has come to an end.The announcement was largely a formality because the 43-year-old Carter had said many times over the course of this season that this would be his last in the NBA. He became the first NBA player to appear in four different decades.“Vince Carter has made an indelible impact on the NBA with his remarkable skill and enduring commitment,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who lauded Carter as “a true ambassador of the game.”Carter appeared in 1,541 NBA games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) on the league’s all-time list. He started his career with Toronto, then played for New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and spent his final two seasons with Atlanta.Carter’s first season was the 1998-99 campaign, which was shortened to 50 games because of labor strife. His final season was shortened... [ More] |
Thu Jun 25 2020 | 12:20 | Vince Carter, 43, retires after record 22 NBA seasons | Rudy Gobert | C | Jazz | Free Agent |
| | | Vince Carter | SF | Kings | Free Agent |
| | | Trae Young | PG | Hawks | Free Agent |
Vince Carter made his retirement official on Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career has come to an end.The announcement was largely a formality because the 43-year-old Carter had said many times over the course of this season that this would be his last in the NBA. His 22 seasons are the most in league history, and he became the first NBA player to appear in four different decades.Carter appeared in 1,541 NBA games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) on the league’s all-time list. He started his career with Toronto, then played for New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and spent his final two seasons with Atlanta.Carter’s first season was the 1998-99 campaign, which was shortened to 50 games because of labor strife. His final season was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, and the Hawks will not be part of the 22 teams headed to the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, next month for the planned resumption of... [ More] |
Thu Jun 25 2020 | 11:40 | AP source: Heat's Derrick Jones Jr. tests positive for virus | Malcolm Brogdon | PG | Bucks | Free Agent |
| | | Nikola Jokic | C | Nuggets | Free Agent |
| | | Derrick Jones | SF | Suns | Free Agent |
| | | Alex Len | C | Suns | Free Agent |
| | | Jabari Parker | PF | Bucks | Free Agent |
MIAMI (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says Miami forward Derrick Jones Jr. has tested positive for the coronavirus, a result that came in shortly after the Heat and other NBA teams began mandatory testing in preparation for next month's resumption of the season.Jones, the reigning NBA slam dunk contest champion, still plans to play when the Heat get back on the floor at the Disney complex near Orlando next month, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because neither the Heat nor the player revealed the result publicly.League officials have expected that positive tests would be inevitable, and believed that starting a testing regimen now — roughly five weeks before games begin at Disney — will give players with positive results time to recover and get back with their teams before those contests start July 30.A small number of NBA players publicly revealed Wednesday that they had tested positive, including Sacramento teammates Jabari Parker and Alex Len and Indiana's Malcolm Brogdon. All-Star Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has also tested positive, a person with knowledge of that situation told AP on Tuesday.Jones will be a free agent when this season ends. He's averaging a career-best 8.9 points this season for the Heat, who have clinched a postseason berth.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Thu Jun 25 2020 | 11:30 | Vince Carter, 43, retires after record 22 NBA seasons | Rudy Gobert | C | Jazz | Free Agent |
| | | Vince Carter | SF | Kings | Free Agent |
| | | Trae Young | PG | Hawks | Free Agent |
Vince Carter made his retirement official on Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career has come to an end.The announcement was largely a formality because the 43-year-old Carter had said many times over the course of this season that this would be his last in the NBA. His 22 seasons are the most in league history, and he became the first NBA player to appear in four different decades.Carter appeared in 1,541 NBA games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) on the league’s all-time list. He started his career with Toronto, then played for New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and spent his final two seasons with Atlanta.Carter’s first season was the 1998-99 campaign, which was shortened to 50 games because of labor strife. His final season was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, and the Hawks will not be part of the 22 teams headed to the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, next month for the planned resumption of... [ More] |