News for All Players - 2018 9 Category, $200 Cap, 4G/4F/2C

Show news on or before
Prev Next
Mon Oct 15 201814:08Knicks intent on rebuilding and not afraid to say itTrey BurkePGKnicksFree Agent
Emmanuel MudiayPGNuggetsFree Agent
Kristaps PorzingisPFKnicksFree Agent
NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Mills just wanted his clothes. He ended up getting an earful.The man delivering Mills' dry cleaning one day this summer wasn't happy with the Knicks' draft, and he let the team president know it. That's what happens in New York, home of a frustrated fan base.Still, Mills believes fans are on board with the Knicks' plan for patience, one that seems to guarantee that a 45-year drought without a title will last at least a few years more."I grew up here and I just have a different point of view. I talk to a lot of fans, I talk to people on the streets all the time. I think people here will let you rebuild," Mills said."They will let you rebuild as long as you are true to what you say, and you lay out for them what you're going to do. I just, in my gut, believe New Yorkers are OK with that."Perhaps that's because they've seen the Knicks try every other way, from blockbuster trades to splashy signings, and it hasn't worked. So building through the draft and developing players... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201814:05Nets want to be better, but probably still won't be goodSpencer DinwiddiePGNetsFree Agent
Rondae Hollis-JeffersonPFNetsFree Agent
D'Angelo RussellSGNetsFree Agent
NEW YORK (AP) — The Nets arrived in Brooklyn six years ago with big boasts about winning over New York and eventually winning a title.They don't say much now at all.There are no promises about how much they will win or how soon. In fact, they don't even really talk about winning.The goal remains to be better, which isn't quite the same as being good. The Nets are content to do things slowly, knowing there are no quick fixes to the problems their former win-now attitude created.So it's all about improvement, just as it was last season."I think that's the theme," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "I think we need to take another step forward, take another big step. That's the goal and I think our guys are excited about it."Brooklyn did that last season, making a seven-win improvement that trailed only Philadelphia among Eastern Conference teams. But that still left the Nets at only 28-54, and it's hard to see them doing much better than that this season.But the won-loss record won't determine how... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:49Spurs enter new season battling the same uncertaintiesDeMar DeRozanSGRaptorsFree Agent
Patty MillsPGSpursFree Agent
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs were eager to turn the page after all the injuries and uncertainty of last season.Instead, the hard luck continues.San Antonio was beset by two knee injuries in the preseason, the most devastating to point guard Dejounte Murray. Coach Gregg Popovich said Murray will likely miss the season after tearing his right ACL on Oct. 7."I feel bad for the team because they were all so high on Dejounte," Popovich said, "but mostly for him because he's worked hard and he has improved."The injury and the torn right meniscus suffered two days earlier by first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV dampened the Spurs' eagerness to put last season — and the awkward offseason — behind them. Injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, Danny Green, Kyle Anderson and several others hurt, though the Spurs managed to earn their 21st straight postseason berth.Leonard missed all but nine games with right quadriceps tendinitis and then forced a trade in the offseason amid reports he didn't... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:45After late firing of GM, Suns look to begin winning, finallyDeandre AytonPFSunsFree Agent
Devin BookerSGSunsFree Agent
Josh JacksonSFSunsFree Agent
PHOENIX (AP) — This is supposed to be the year that the Phoenix Suns finally start to win again.General manager Ryan McDonough had said the goal was to be the most improved team in the NBA. If that happens, it will be without McDonough.Owner Robert Sarver fired the general manager nine days before the Suns' season opener."For me, the switch has flipped and it's now time to start figuring out how to win," Sarver said in an interview on 98.7 Arizona Sports the day of the firing.Well, maybe.Under first-year coach Igor Kokoskov, Phoenix will have some talent on the floor. Devin Booker, fresh from signing a five-year, $158 million contract, leads the way after averaging 24.9 points per game last season.Trevor Ariza came over from Houston as a free agent and Ryan Anderson was acquired from the Rockets in a trade.And, of course, there's 7-foot-1 Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, patrolling the middle.Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren provide backup strength off the bench.But where... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:44Warriors vow to cherish moment, knowing window may be shortDeMarcus CousinsCPelicansFree Agent
Stephen CurryPGWarriorsFree Agent
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr understands the NBA's business side, free agency and everything it takes to build a perennial winner with a star-studded roster like the one he coaches every day.He also knows the Warriors' dominance won't last forever. Kerr addressed that thought with his group on the eve of training camp. Sure, a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals would be an incredible feat. Yet Kerr won't make that a regular topic of discussion.Instead, just enjoy the moment and cherish the process while this special team is still together."Last year I took the approach we're going stare right in the eyes of the beast and I kind of shared my experience as a player and 'Hey, I know this is going to be hard, we all know this is going to be hard,'" Kerr said. "And it was, but I don't want that to be our theme this year. You can only go with that for so long before it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."What we're trying to do is embrace the idea here we are in this moment in time and... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:38New coach Lloyd Pierce set to begin 1st year with HawksTrae YoungPGHawksFree Agent
ATLANTA (AP) — Lloyd Pierce is hardly expecting a smooth ride in his first season as a head coach.His Atlanta Hawks have begun a major rebuilding job. They have no star player, their point guard is a 20-year-old rookie, and their roster depth is suspect."Our margin of error to start when you have a new team, a new staff, is very slim," Pierce said. "So we need to try to get on the same page as early and often as we can."After going 24-58 to finish with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season, general manager Travis Schlenk parted ways with coach Mike Budenholzer and hired Pierce, an assistant the last four years with Philadelphia.Atlanta's focus quickly centered on remaking the roster with youth. The Hawks traded down two spots in the draft to get point guard Trae Young at No. 5 overall, and they added a first-round pick next year from Dallas. They took shooting guard Kevin Huerter in the 19th spot and power forward Omari Spellman 30th.Young will start and get as much playing... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:36Kings will rely heavily on younger players Fox, BagleyMarvin BagleyPFKingsFree Agent
De'Aaron FoxPGKingsFree Agent
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As one of the NBA's youngest teams for a second straight season, the Sacramento Kings are thinking long term.It's not that the Kings are giving up hope on ending their 13-year playoff drought. The roster is laden with young and mostly unproven players, coupled with playing in a Western Conference that got even tougher with the arrival of LeBron James. So Sacramento's focus is as much on development as instant success."It's a season where we're going to commit to playing even more young guys than we have in the past," Joerger said. "It's an opportunity for guys to develop and it's an opportunity for the organization to evaluate long-term which guys will still be considered a core guy two, three, four years from now."That means a lineup that likely will be in flux most of the season - not surprising for a team that finished 27-55 a year ago.The Kings last made the playoffs in 2005. They have won more than 35 games just once since then.Most of the youth comes Sacramento's... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:35Pistons hope for improvement with new coach, similar rosterAndre DrummondCPistonsFree Agent
Reggie JacksonPGPistonsFree Agent
DETROIT (AP) — Once the Detroit Pistons traded for Blake Griffin last season, their roster was largely set for the foreseeable future.When that deal wasn't enough to push the Pistons into the playoffs, they made the easiest changes they could in the offseason, hiring a new coach and overhauling the front office.Stan Van Gundy is out and Dwane Casey is in on the Detroit bench, but the team Casey will coach isn't much different than the group that went 39-43 last season. The Pistons will hope for a nice boost from their new coach and some better health for key players. With Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, Detroit has an intriguing nucleus, but those three were rarely on the court together in 2017-18."Our expectations should be high," Griffin said. "In the East, with our roster, I don't see why getting home court in the playoffs is not a reasonable expectation."The Pistons appeared headed toward a season like that before Jackson went down with an ankle injury in late December.... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:34'Melo joins Rockets for Houston's latest bid to win titleCarmelo AnthonyPFThunderFree Agent
Clint CapelaCRocketsFree Agent
James HardenSGRocketsFree Agent
Chris PaulPGRocketsFree Agent
HOUSTON (AP) — The Carmelo Anthony experiment in Oklahoma City didn't go well last season.The Rockets believe things will be different for the 10-time All-Star in Houston and that Anthony can be the piece stars James Harden and Chris Paul need to win the rugged West — and maybe win it all."We can win. I think he sees that, feels that," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Now it's just up to everybody (and) they're going to do whatever it takes to win."Anthony balked at the suggestion he would come off the bench for the Thunder had he stayed. He still doesn't want to talk about the possibility of a reserve role in Houston, but he seems to have made peace with playing with the second team if it means he might finally get a ring in his 16th season."At the end of the day whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, then that's what's going to be done," Anthony said.Anthony was traded to the Hawks after one tough season with the Thunder, where he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:32LeBron in LA: Superstar begins next chapter with LakersLonzo BallPGLakersFree Agent
LeBron JamesSFCavaliersFree Agent
Rajon RondoPGPelicansFree Agent
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When LeBron James chose the Los Angeles Lakers, the burgeoning entertainment mogul realized many people would think he joined a mediocre team with a five-year playoff drought because he wanted to be in Hollywood.James simply scoffs at the notion he's thinking about anything but his day job as he begins the next chapter in one of the greatest careers in NBA history."My decision was based solely on my family and the Lakers," James explained before his first full practice in purple and gold. "I'm a basketball player. I play ball. That's what I do. When I do it at the level I do, everything else will take care of itself. As far as my business, those things have been taking care of themselves way before I even came out here."After winning three championship rings while leading — and sometimes carrying — his last eight consecutive teams in Miami and Cleveland to the NBA Finals, the 33-year-old James' new business is restoring a fraction of the Lakers' traditional glory following... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:31Jimmy Butler to ESPN: I was 'brutally honest' with WolvesJimmy ButlerSFTimberwolvesFree Agent
Jimmy Butler is back with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his first practice of the season had fireworks.He caused them — with his words and his play.Butler, who asked for a trade more than three weeks ago, practiced with the Timberwolves for the first time this season in Minneapolis on Wednesday. ESPN reported that Butler verbally challenged players, coaches and even general manager Scott Layden in the practice, during which Butler dominated the team's scrimmages even when going up against stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.In an interview taped with ESPN after practice, Butler acknowledged that "a lot" of the network's report was true and that the scene in practice was him just showing passion and being "brutally honest.""All my emotion came out at one time," Butler said in the interview. "Was it the right way to do it? No. But I can't control that when I'm out there competing. That's my love of the game. That's raw me. Me at my finest, me at my purest. That's what you're... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:30Pelicans, Davis, hope new faces, faster pace mean more winsAnthony DavisPFPelicansFree Agent
Jrue HolidaySGPelicansFree Agent
Elfrid PaytonPGMagicFree Agent
Julius RandlePFLakersFree Agent
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Losing All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to injury in the middle of last season helped Pelicans general manager Dell Demps decide on roster moves this summer, particularly after Cousins chose to bolt in free agency.Demps had a chance to see the Pelicans coalesce around fellow All-Star Anthony Davis and a faster-paced style as they rallied to finish sixth in the Western Conference and sweep third-seeded Portland in the first round of the playoffs."It was fun to watch as the guys were playing fast and sharing the ball and flying all over the place," Demps said. "When you feel like you've established an identity that has had success, you want to continue along those lines."We feel like we've established ourselves from a defensive standpoint and an offensive standpoint," he added. "We're going to defend. We're going to play fast. We're going to move the ball and we're going to play for each other."To help fill the void left by Cousins, Demps brought in former Lakers forward Julius... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:28As Butler drama lingers, Wolves aim for return to playoffsJimmy ButlerSFTimberwolvesFree Agent
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves parlayed the arrival of Jimmy Butler into the franchise's first appearance in the playoffs in 14 years.Butler, naturally, has been the focal point for Minnesota with the start of this season fast approaching, but in a most surprising and distracting way.Butler's request for a trade has yet to be fulfilled. After three consecutive lackluster preseason performances by the Timberwolves, Butler joined practice on Wednesday and created quite a stir by verbally challenging teammates and executives during the session.The opener at San Antonio is just a week away and coach Tom Thibodeau wants Butler to remain with Minnesota despite his adamant refusal to re-sign with the team before he can opt out of his contract next summer. So the possibility remains that the 29-year-old Butler would take the court for the Wolves with an awkward-at-best atmosphere surrounding their 30th season as a franchise.Butler's stance about wanting to be elsewhere,... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:27Column: A glimpse of the NBA's future in Las VegasStephen CurryPGWarriorsFree Agent
LeBron JamesSFCavaliersFree Agent
Kevin DurantSFWarriorsFree Agent
LAS VEGAS (AP) — There was LeBron James, still somewhat of a startling sight in purple and gold. And there were Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, still very much the champions of basketball for now and the foreseeable future.Playing each other Wednesday night in a game that meant nothing — except for those looking for a glimpse into the future of the NBA.Basketball's biggest stars on stage in a city full of stars. An exhibition game, yes, but that didn't stop fans from packing T-Mobile Arena on the Strip, where in a few years there almost surely will be a team they can call their own.And maybe the best thing? Anyone in the arena with a betting account could pull out their phone and bet a few dollars during the game.The gambling stigma is gone, thanks largely to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's progressive attitude and a Supreme Court decision that allowed sports betting in other states. The Vegas Golden Knights showed in their inaugural season that professional sports... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:24With LeBron gone, Eastern Conference set for a new championLeBron JamesSFCavaliersFree Agent
The roadblock has been removed. With LeBron James gone, the path to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference is open again.Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and more are hoping to win the race to it.James ruled over the East for eight years, making four straight trips to the finals from Miami and then moving back to Cleveland in 2014 and getting there every year since.From Boston to Indiana, up north in Toronto all the way down to Atlanta, teams would emerge with what they thought was a title contender only to see James send them home for the summer.Now King James has abdicated his throne and moved to Los Angeles, and there should be rejoicing in the land he left behind."It's a new lease on life in the Eastern Conference," said Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Reggie Miller, who faced a similar situation when he played in the East during the era of Michael Jordan's Bulls."It's great that LeBron has taken his talents out West because it opens up the doors for not only a lot of these young players,... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:22Pacers put 2 players on waivers with regular season loomingOmari JohnsonSFGrizzliesFree Agent
Elijah StewartSGPacersFree Agent
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers have placed Omari Johnson and Elijah Stewart on waivers.The moves came less than a week before Indiana's regular season opener against Memphis.Johnson is a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward who made his NBA debut in 2017. The Oregon State alum did not appear any preseason games with Indiana.Stewart is a 6-5, 194-pound guard from Southern California. He was averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds during the preseason.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Mon Oct 15 201813:22Lakers-Warriors most-watched NBA preseason game ever on ESPNLeBron JamesSFCavaliersFree Agent
NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James' first game against the Warriors as a Laker drew nearly 2 million viewers, making it ESPN's most-watched preseason game ever.The Lakers' 123-113 victory Wednesday night in Las Vegas was watched by 1.98 million viewers, the network said Thursday. A spokesman says that is the most viewers for an NBA preseason game on any network since at least 1994, which is as far back as the records go.James developed a rivalry with the Warriors while meeting them in a record four straight NBA Finals while he played in Cleveland. His move to Los Angeles in July put him in the same division as the two-time defending champions.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Mon Oct 15 201813:20Spurs' White out 6-8 weeks as injuries plague backcourtDerrick WhitePGSpursFree Agent
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — San Antonio point guard Derrick White will miss six-to-eight weeks after injuring his left heel in his first game as a starter since replacing Dejounte Murray, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL.Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced during Friday's shootaround that the second-year guard will be out for up to two months. White was already ruled out of the preseason finale on Friday with the Orlando Magic.White injured his heel during San Antonio's 130-127 preseason loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. He had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.White's injury caps an injury-filled week for the revamped backcourt. The Spurs lost Murray to season-ending surgery after his knee buckled Sunday against Houston. Rookie Lonnie Walker IV will miss at least six weeks after sustaining a knee injury last Friday.Patty Mills is expected to start in White's place.
Mon Oct 15 201813:20Luka Doncic gives Mavs hope of transition to next Euro starLuka DoncicPGMavericksFree Agent
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic is getting help from a variety of angles as the teenager makes the transition from European basketball to the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks.The Slovenian rookie has mom to keep things settled at home, 40-year-old fellow Euro transplant Dirk Nowitzki to teach what it takes to become an NBA MVP and young point guard Dennis Smith Jr. to share the burden of expectations for lifting a fading franchise.Add it all up and there's still plenty of work the 19-year-old faces on his own as a potential international star in an increasingly global league."He's one of the most high-profile guys to come through Europe," said Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, in a better position than most to know. "There's a real buzz, which means absolutely nothing when he gets to the NBA because he starts from scratch."Nowitzki emerged from a rough rookie season 20 years ago to become one of the NBA's seven 30,000-point scorers. The German changed the game as a 7-footer... [More]
Mon Oct 15 201813:19Butler misses T-Wolves shootaround amid trade-demand dramaJimmy ButlerSFTimberwolvesFree Agent
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jimmy Butler was absent as the Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up preparations for their preseason finale Friday night.Butler has demanded a trade but returned to practice with the team Wednesday, a session that included him verbally challenging teammates and coaches. He was not with the team at Friday's shootaround in Milwaukee.Coach Tom Thibodeau, speaking publicly for the first time since Wednesday's practice, said Butler was doing conditioning work in Minneapolis and had not been suspended.Asked if Butler would play in Minnesota's regular-season opener at San Antonio next Wednesday, Thibodeau said: "The situation remains fluid."Butler told ESPN following Wednesday's practice that his issues with the Timberwolves have not been fixed."Let's just be honest. It could be," Butler said in the interview. "But do I think so? No."Center Karl-Anthony Towns would not address what happened at that practice or whether a players' meeting was held Thursday."I think the only thing that... [More]
Prev Next