OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Goran Dragic has told the Miami Heat he is exercising his $19.2 million option for next season, said a person with knowledge of the situation.Dragic spent several weeks weighing his decision, the person told The Associated Press Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because neither the guard nor the team has made any public announcement about the move.Dragic was limited to 36 games for the Heat last season, averaging 13.7 points and 4.8 assists — which are also the same averages for his 11-year career with Miami, Phoenix and Houston. He had until later in the month to decide on his option, and the move means he can now be included in trades if the Heat are so inclined. He turned 33 last month and was a 2018 All-Star.Dragic said last month, "I love Miami and would love to always be in Miami."The Heat are still waiting to hear Hassan Whiteside's decision on his $27.1 million option for next season. He is expected to accept and, like Dragic, will then be in the final year of his contract. Udonis Haslem still has not said if he will be back for a 17th season and Miami has about four more weeks to decide on the guaranteed portion of Ryan Anderson's $21.3 million contract.Miami holds the No. 13 pick in next week's NBA draft.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have made a host of roster moves for what they expect to be a vastly improved season ahead."I feel like we checked most of the boxes on our to-do list this summer," general manager Ryan McDonough said at the team's media day Monday. "We have more shooting. We have potentially a better defensive team. And we have a lot of veteran guys to teach our young guys how to win and help them win."But one glaring question remains. Just who is the point guard?There is no experienced point guard among the 17 players who head north for the Suns' weeklong training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff."I figured that would be the first question," McDonough said. "We're young there. We're inexperienced there."The team has four point guards, including rookies Elie Okobo and De'Anthony Melton. The veterans are Isaiah Canaan, who was playing well for Phoenix until a gruesome leg injury ended his season, and Shaquille Harrison.A trade remains a possibility."We don't... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have completed a four-player trade that sends guard Brandon Knight and forward Marquese Chriss to the Houston Rockets for forward Ryan Anderson and guard De'Anthony Melton.Knight had been considered in line to start at point guard for the Suns after missing last season while recovering from knee surgery but now will see time as a backup to Chris Paul for what is expected to be an NBA contender in Houston.The 6-foot-10 Anderson, who two years ago signed a four-year, $80 million free agent deal with Houston, figures to start at power forward alongside this year's No. 1 overall draft pick, center Deandre Ayton.Chriss was the eighth overall pick out of Washington two years ago who has not progressed the way the Suns had hoped. Still, he's just 21.Melton, 19, is a second-round draft pick out of USC who showed dynamic, if raw, talent in the Las Vegas Summer League.To make the trade work financially, Anderson agreed to reduce the guaranteed portion of his contract... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says Phoenix and Houston are close to finalizing a trade that would send forward Ryan Anderson to the Suns and point guard Brandon Knight to the Rockets.Phoenix also would send former first-round pick forward Marquese Chriss to Houston and the Suns would get guard De'Anthony Melton from the Rockets.The person asked for anonymity Thursday night because the deal had not been completed.If the trade goes through as expected, Anderson could be the starting power forward for Phoenix. He averaged 9.3 points last season and has two years left on a four-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Rockets in 2016.Knight, who appeared to be in line to start at point guard for the Suns after missing last season with a knee injury, figures to see time as a backup to Chris Paul in Houston.The trade would leave Phoenix searching for a starter at the point guard position with no one on the roster ready to assume that responsibility.The 6-foot-10 Chriss, the eighth overall pick out of Washington in 2016, had not shown the improvement the Suns had hoped to see. His averaged dropped from 9.2 points as a rookie to 7.7 points last season. But he is just 21 years old.Melton was a second-round pick out of USC this year who had some good moments in Summer League play.The deal was first reported by ESPN.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first taste of the NBA playoffs for Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has been rather bitter, thanks to the 3-point-happy Houston Rockets.The two-game totals tell a frustrating story for the 22-year-old: just 13 points, 5 for 18 shooting and a 2-0 deficit in the series against the Rockets. Towns has found himself the subject of pointed criticism from analysts, fans and even his own team.The switch-heavy Rockets have double-teamed Towns to a stifling effect, and the Timberwolves sure haven't helped their 7-footer out by getting him the ball in favorable situations in the post."They're coming to double. He knows that. He has to face up, be strong with the ball, make quick moves," point guard Jeff Teague said. "But we have to figure out how to get him running, get him some easy buckets."The team's struggles have taken a little luster off Minnesota's first postseason home game in 14 years, but the fans who remember the Timberwolves reaching the Western Conference... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George has found his shot.Actually, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star has been on a roll heading into the playoffs.In the five regular season games in April, he averaged 27.6 points and made 41 percent of his 3-pointers and 90 percent of his free throws. He closed the regular season with a 40-point outburst against Memphis.He kept it up in OKC's playoff opener, scoring 36 points and setting a Thunder playoff record with eight 3-pointers as Oklahoma City beat Utah 116-108 .It took George a minute to consistently take the scoring pressure off Russell Westbrook. He struggled on offense right after the All-Star break and said he couldn't find his shot."To his credit, when he was going through a little bit of that slump where he wasn't shooting the ball particularly well, he really put extra work in," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I felt like he was really driven and focused to work his way through it."A couple of former OKC standouts are also thriving early in... [More]

F Ryan Anderson (12 points, 10 rebounds) posted a double-doubles on Friday night against the Spurs.

MEXICO CITY -- Caris LeVert recorded his first career double-double with 21 points and 10 assists as the Brooklyn Nets rallied from a 16-point deficit and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-95 on Thursday night at Ciudad de Mexico Arena.On the first anniversary of his NBA debut, LeVert saw extensive time at point guard because of Spencer Dinwiddie's foul trouble. In 30 minutes, Levert shot 6 of 10 and also played effective defense on Russell Westbrook down the stretch.Westbrook finished with 31 points but shot 10 of 27 from the field. He scored only five points in the fourth quarter and was also forced into a turnover by LeVert with 2:11 remaining.Oklahoma City missed three consecutive shots in a span of seven seconds, and LeVert iced Brooklyn's fourth win in six games by hitting four foul shots in the final 18 seconds.Lakers 107, 76ers 104PHILADELPHIA -- Brandon Ingram hit a 3-pointer with eight-tenths of a second left to lift Los Angeles over Philadelphia.Ingram led the Lakers with 21... [More]

F Ryan Anderson left late in the first half with back tightness and did not return.

F Ryan Anderson scored 19 points in Wednesday's win over Indiana. In his last five games, Anderson is averaging 17.2 points and shooting 55.3 percent (21 of 38) on 3-pointers.

F Ryan Anderson returned to the starting lineup and scored 13 points in a win over the Nets after coming off the bench against the New York Knicks last Saturday. Houston coach Mike D'Antoni will continue to experiment starting F P.J. Tucker over Anderson depending upon the matchup.

F Ryan Anderson (illness) and G Eric Gordon (calf) rejoined the rotation, marking just the second time this season Houston had its nine primary rotation players available. .

F Ryan Anderson added 21 points and shot 7-of-13 Wednesday. It was his third game with at least 20 points of the season.

F Ryan Anderson, who scored 21 points Friday, went 6-for-21 from 3-point range. He hit three in the first three minutes to set the tone.

F Ryan Anderson was listed as questionable due to lower back pain but started and logged 31 minutes, posting five points and six rebounds.

F Ryan Anderson scored 14 points Monday.

Ryan Anderson made two first-quarter 3-pointers. In the first two games of the series, Anderson missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts.

F Ryan Anderson chipped in 20 points as the Rockets beat the Wolves in the regular-season finale Wednesday. Anderson finished 6 of 15 on 3-pointers, bumping his season total to 204. He joined teammates James Harden (262) and Eric Gordon (246) with at least 200 3-pointers.

F Ryan Anderson, a Sacramento native, lit up his hometown team Sunday, scoring 21 points and canning 6 of 8 3-pointers, including his first five attempts. Anderson didn't miss from beyond the arc until launching a 30-footer shortly after swishing one from 27 feet. "I felt like I had it going," he said. "I had open looks, and those shots are ones I normally would take."Anderson played for only the second time since returning from a six-game absence caused by an ankle injury, and his return will move G Eric Gordon back to his sixth-man role.

F Ryan Anderson (right ankle) returned from a six-game injury hiatus and logged 13 minutes, all in the first half, and finished with nine points and three rebounds.