AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jimmy Butler may or may not be traded before Minnesota opens the season on Oct. 17 at San Antonio.However, it appears increasingly inevitable that the Butler won't be with the Timberwolves this season — and they've only got one more chance to start learning how to play without the four-time All-Star before the games start counting.Minnesota played its second-to-last preseason game on Sunday night at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State's home floor. The Timberwolves' G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, play roughly 30 miles away in Des Moines. It was the first game at Hilton, one of the loudest arenas in all of college basketball, since 1999 — and it drew a near-capacity crowd.From there it's a trip to Milwaukee's new arena on Friday and then a few days off ahead of the opener. And although the Butler drama has seemingly put the organization in a bind, Thibodeau warned against letting it become more of a distraction than it already is."Focus on the people that are here and get... [More]

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jimmy Butler may or may not be traded before Minnesota opens the season on Oct. 17 at San Antonio.However, it appears increasingly inevitable that the Butler won't be with the Timberwolves this season — and they've only got one more chance to start learning how to play without the four-time All-Star before the games start counting.Minnesota played its second-to-last preseason game on Sunday night at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State's home floor. The Timberwolves' G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, play roughly 30 miles away in Des Moines.From there it's a trip to Milwaukee's new arena on Friday and then a few days off ahead of the opener. And although the Butler drama has seemingly put the organization in a bind, Thibodeau warned against letting it become more of a distraction than it already is."Focus on the people that are here and get ready to play. That's it," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game. "We've got a long season, and if you look you can get distracted... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray will undergo an MRI after his right knee buckled late in the first half of San Antonio's preseason game against Houston on Sunday.Murray was driving to the basket against Rockets guard James Harden on a fastbreak when his knee gave. The third-year player remained on the court for several minutes writhing in pain. Spurs officials brought out a wheelchair to take him off the court, but Murray refused, rising to his feet amid a raucous cheer from the San Antonio fans. Murray tested his knee in front of the Spurs' bench before heading to the locker room with team officials.San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich did not have any updates on Murray's condition following the team's 108-93 loss to Houston.Murray replaced franchise stalwart Tony Parker as the team's starting point guard midway through last season.Murray's injury comes two days after Spurs rookie Lonnie Walker IV torn his right medial meniscus while attempting to cross over a Detroit defender. Walker will miss at least six weeks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Editors:To help you plan for the upcoming NBA season, here are some of AP's plans before games begin Oct. 16. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times Eastern. This advisory will be updated and is subject to change.PRESEASONThe AP is providing a daily roundup of preseason games, leading with the top angle of the night.UPCOMING STORIES:BKN--Magic-CliffordORLANDO, Fla. — Steve Clifford is sleeping more every night now, part of his commitment to health after a huge scare last season. But he knows that taking over as coach of the Orlando Magic and starting a rebuilding job will be an enormous challenge nonetheless — no matter how much more sleep he gets. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 2 p.m. Oct. 8BKN--NBA Diversity-Front OfficesThe NBA usually gets high marks for its diversity efforts and is widely viewed as a leader on social issues. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes the league needs to be better, and he made his feelings... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Kevin Durant got off the bus inside the loading dock of KeyArena about two hours before tipoff and made a quick glance toward the court, visible through the tunnel.He was back where his NBA career began more than a decade ago."When I woke up from my pregame nap I was nervous," Durant said. "I never felt that way coming into a game, especially a preseason game, but knowing this whole thing was set up for that moment I guess it was a crazy feeling to come out and feel that much love."Durant was back in Seattle on Friday night along with his Golden State Warriors for a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings for the first NBA game in the city since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City following the 2007-08 season. It was an opportunity for the Seattle basketball community to gather once more before KeyArena becomes a construction site later this fall as part of a $700 million renovation that is expected to land the city an expansion NHL team, and has raised hopes of the... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Slick Watts would wring out one of his sweaty headbands, whichever of the three or four in his rotation he'd worn that night, and hand it off to locker room attendant Rick Welts for a proper washing.Not just anybody got to touch Watts' signature, treasured bands, either.In Welts the Seattle SuperSonics trusted. To take care of their shoes. Stinky socks. To launder jerseys and keep track of the gear. The keys to the Seattle Center Coliseum, even, back when Welts started his Hall of Fame NBA career as a teenage ballboy.So imagine the nostalgia as the Golden State Warriors COO returned to his Pacific Northwest roots for his new team's exhibition game against Sacramento in the NBA's hurrah at KeyArena and the last scheduled event in the venue. He flew in Thursday on a picture-perfect Seattle day right over his old Queen Anne High School, then fittingly the rain came Friday — when former SuperSonics star Kevin Durant's homecoming was the biggest headline as Welts enjoyed his special... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Kevin Durant got off the bus inside the loading dock of KeyArena about two hours before tipoff and made a quick glance toward the court, visible through the tunnel.He was back where his NBA career began more than a decade ago."Definitely a different feeling pulling up into the arena and down into the ramp just like when I used to play here," Durant said. "Bringing back memories."Durant was back in Seattle on Friday night along with his Golden State Warriors for a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings for the first NBA game in the city since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City following the 2007-08 season. It was an opportunity for the Seattle basketball community to gather once more before KeyArena becomes a construction site later this fall as part of a $700 million renovation that is expected to land the city an expansion NHL team.But on this night it was again an NBA building with the same energy, excitement and noise that bounced off its walls in the heyday of... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Charles Barkley is being honored in Philadelphia with a media award.Barkley received the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award at Temple University on Friday.The basketball Hall of Famer and commentator on TNT's "Inside the NBA" told the room full of journalists to "be mad, be frustrated, but don't stop doing your job and telling the truth."He said he was going to mind the "three B's" in his speech: "be brief, brother." And he did, keeping his remarks under 10 minutes.He told the Philadelphia Inquirer he thinks his former 76ers have a good team, but how well No. 1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz plays will determine their success.He says Fultz is "the key."

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks' key free agent acquisition is a big man who could have an impact from the perimeter.Brook Lopez started at center in the Bucks' preseason opener against the Chicago Bulls, the first basketball game at Milwaukee's new Fiserv Forum.Lopez scored six points on 3-of-8 of shooting, missing all three 3-point attempts, in 15 minutes as the Bucks rolled to a 116-82 victory on Wednesday night at their new home arena.It was a milestone moment for a team featuring All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo that hopes to secure a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year."I think the stars have really aligned. We have all the talent in the world on the floor," Lopez said.The 10th overall pick by the Nets in 2008, Lopez averaged 13.0 points per game last season, matching his career low, in 74 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, after spending his first nine season with the New Jersey-Brooklyn franchise.But Lopez averaged more than 20 points a game in... [More]

Jimmy Butler is still with the Minnesota Timberwolves, at least in an official sense.In reality, it remains a mess.Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau Friday acknowledged the team's efforts to grant Butler's trade request."Obviously, we're trying to get something done," Thibodeau told reporters in Minneapolis.What that "something" is, that's still unknown.Friday was Day 18 of the Butler saga, starting from when the four-time All-Star swingman told Thibodeau of his desire to play elsewhere. Butler has not practiced with the Timberwolves during training camp, and Friday night's Wolves preseason game against Oklahoma City will be the third exhibition that he's missed — with no end to the impasse in sight.Multiple teams have been engaged in trade talks with the Timberwolves since Butler's intentions to play elsewhere became known. Miami is one of those teams, and has been involved in the Butler negotiations with Minnesota almost from the very beginning. A person with knowledge of those negotiations... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Andre Roberson will miss at least two months after a setback in his recovery from left knee surgery.A Thunder spokesman said Roberson underwent a minor procedure Thursday. Roberson previously had been doing non-contact work in practice and had hoped to be ready to play in December.Roberson suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in January and missed the second half of the season. The Thunder suffered without one of the league's best perimeter defenders, and was eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.The 6-foot-7 Roberson was an All-Defense second-team selection during the 2016-17 season.___For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA

BOSTON (AP) — Boston point guard Kyrie Irving says he intends to re-sign with the Celtics next summer.At a fan event at TD Garden on Thursday , Irving told the crowd, "If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here."Irving signed a five-year, $94 million deal with Cleveland prior to the 2015-16 season but asked for a trade last summer. He has a player option for next season and can become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.Despite injuries to Irving and top free agent Gordon Hayward, the Celtics finished with 55 wins last season before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals in seven games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — He was a kid at the time, all of 19 years old, about to conclude his first NBA season. He stood on the court in green and gold, waving his arms up and down, asking for more noise from the home crowd begging for another chance to see the home team play.That was more than 10 years ago. Kevin Durant was that kid. The Seattle SuperSonics were his team."Just that culture of the Sonics was really, really deep and so many people all around the world or all around the country enjoyed the Sonics," Durant said recently. "It was pretty crazy, man, now that I think about it the time we spent there, the little time we spent there and how much we could have impacted the city if we stayed."A decade later, Durant will be back in that same building, again likely to be waving his arms toward what is expected to be a sold out sea of green and gold. KeyArena, the former home of the Sonics, will host its final event Friday night when Durant's Golden State Warriors meet the Sacramento Kings in... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — He was a kid at the time, all of 19 years old, about to conclude his first NBA season. He stood on the court in green and gold, waving his arms up and down, asking for more noise from the home crowd begging for another chance to see the home team play.That was more than 10 years ago. Kevin Durant was that kid. The Seattle SuperSonics was his team."Just that culture of the Sonics was really, really deep and so many people all around the world or all around the country enjoyed the Sonics," Durant said recently. "It was pretty crazy, man, now that I think about it the time we spent there, the little time we spent there and how much we could have impacted the city if we stayed."A decade later, Durant will be back in that same building, again likely to be waving his arms toward what is expected to be a sold out sea of green and gold. KeyArena, the former home of the Sonics, will host its final event Friday night when Durant's Golden State Warriors meet the Sacramento Kings in... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — New Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan missed the team's trip to China for two exhibition games for unspecified personal reasons.Jordan and fellow starter Harrison Barnes stayed behind when the team left for China this week. Barnes injured a hamstring in practice and could miss all the preseason games.The 30-year-old Jordan joined the Mavericks this year, three years after agreeing to sign with them in free agency and changing his mind before contracts could be signed. He came to Dallas after opting out of the final season of that contract he signed to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers.The Mavericks play Philadelphia twice in China, early Friday morning and early Monday morning Dallas time. Their final preseason game is Oct. 12 at home against Charlotte.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Even the two-time defending NBA champions are seeking ways to reinvent themselves when it comes to preparation and practice routine.The Golden State Warriors are putting a greater emphasis on player development this training camp with a younger roster.An hour ahead of formal team workouts, Golden State's young core shows up for individual skill work, to learn defensive concepts or to go over offensive schemes and terminology with assistant coach Chris DeMarco."We have a veteran team, so being able to get these young guys in and still be able to do drill work that maybe the veterans don't need, that's always going to be beneficial moving forward because it's a long season," DeMarco said after practice Tuesday. "So sometimes you get caught up and you're not able to practice, there's back-to-backs where the young guys aren't out there developing those skills that we need them to develop. So coming in early, making sure they're getting that individual work, making sure... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans say center Jahlil Okafor has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle and is expected to miss one or two weeks.The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Pelicans' preseason opener at Chicago on Sunday.The 6-foot-11 Okafor was drafted third overall out of Duke by Philadelphia in 2015. But his production fell considerably last season from the nearly 15 points and six rebounds he averaged during his first two seasons with the 76ers.He appeared in only two games with Philadelphia last season before being traded to Brooklyn, where he played about 13 minutes per game as a reserve, averaging 6.4 points.In August, he signed a two-year contract with New Orleans that includes a team option in the second year. The Pelicans hope he can provide depth to a front court led by Anthony Davis, Julius Randle and Nikola Mirotic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young just might make the Atlanta Hawks fun to watch this season.The rookie point guard flashed some dazzling ball-handling skills in his preseason debut, keeping his teammates and fans involved in the action while he is on the floor.Atlanta is not expected to win many games this season, but Young will likely win over his teammates and more than a few fans."His greatest skill is he can facilitate and he can find guys," first-year coach Lloyd Pierce said. "When you have a player with the ability to do that, to find guys in creative ways, he's fun to play with."In his preseason debut Monday night, Young provided a glimpse of what Hawks fans can expect this year.Some good:On one play he bounced a pass off the backboard and later wrapped on around a defender on the baseline to assist on uncontested dunks.Some not so good: It was far from a perfect night as Young missed 10 of his first 11 attempts from the field.But he seemed to get a pass on his shooting — for now.The seamless... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving offered a simple message to science teachers Monday."I'm sorry," the Boston Celtics star said.And with that, Irving made clear that he regrets publicly saying that the Earth is flat.Speaking Monday at the Forbes Under 30 summit in Boston, the flat-Earth topic that Irving inserted himself into last year was discussed — and the All-Star guard said he didn't realize the effect that his claim would have once it went public."To all the science teachers, everybody coming up to me like, 'You know I've got to reteach my whole curriculum?' I'm sorry," Irving said, as the room attending his session laughed. "I apologize. I apologize."Irving said he's since learned certain thoughts are best kept in "intimate conversations."This whole saga started in February 2017, when Irving questioned whether the Earth is flat on a podcast that came out shortly before All-Star weekend that year in New Orleans. It became a major story and even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver — who, like Irving,... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving offered a simple message to science teachers Monday."I'm sorry," the Boston Celtics star said.And with that, Irving made clear that he regrets publicly saying that the Earth is flat.Speaking Monday at the Forbes Under 30 summit in Boston, the flat-Earth topic that Irving inserted himself into last year was discussed — and the All-Star guard said he didn't realize the effect that his claim would have once it went public."To all the science teachers, everybody coming up to me like, 'You know I've to got to reteach my whole curriculum?' I'm sorry," Irving said, as the room attending his session laughed. "I apologize. I apologize."Irving said he's since learned certain thoughts are best kept in "intimate conversations."This whole saga started in February 2017, when Irving questioned whether the Earth is flat on a podcast that came out shortly before All-Star weekend that year in New Orleans. It became a major story and even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver — who, like... [More]