PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are in advanced negotiations with former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to become president of basketball operations as part of their front-office overhaul that began after an underachieving season, multiple people with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The deal is expected to be finalized as early as this weekend, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been made official. Elton Brand will remain general manager, they said. Morey stepped down as GM of the Rockets earlier this month after blockbuster moves that failed to lead the franchise to the NBA Finals. The Rockets made the playoffs 10 times since Morey was hired in 2007, including the last eight seasons, for the longest active streak in the NBA. He was responsible for the trade that brought James Harden to Houston from Oklahoma City. The Rockets reached the Western Conference finals twice... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doc Rivers takes over a team tasked not with leading a Process-type rebuild or massaging the egos of two talented — yet frustrating — All-Stars. He's in Philadelphia to bring accountability to an oft-apathetic roster — and win big. Rivers brings his NBA championship credibility to the 76ers to resuscitate a franchise that entered this season with title expectations and ended it with grim concerns over its bloated payroll, incompatible mix of talent, and doubts that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can truly co-exist and lead the Sixers to their first title since 1983. Enter Rivers, the 58-year-old former NBA guard who coached the Boston Celtics to the championship in 2008 and another NBA Finals appearance in 2010. Just two days after he split with the Los Angeles Clippers, Rivers was in Philadelphia with ownership and general manager Elton Brand, and on Thursday he accepted the job to succeed Brett Brown. “Welcome to the city of Brotherly Love Coach @DocRivers !!!! Excited... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers can count on having Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.One day after the Sixers fired Brett Brown following another early playoff exit, general manager Elton Brand said he’s evaluating the front office and considering more changes but doesn’t plan to trade either of his two top stars.“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said Tuesday. “I’m looking to complement them better. They are 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can. They want to be here, they want to be with our organization and I see them here for a long, long time.”Simmons was sidelined for Philadelphia’s first-round sweep against Boston.“That’s a huge key to us getting swept,” Brand said. “I would love to see this group with Ben Simmons, but I don’t want to make any excuses. But I think that attention to detail, that energy level, that certain push that we didn’t have at times.”The Sixers underachieved after reaching the Eastern... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Patient and positive, Brett Brown was the perfect coach for the Philadelphia 76ers when they set up a long-term home in the NBA basement.They'll be looking for someone else now that they want to be on top.The 76ers fired coach Brown on Monday, a day after his seventh season ended in a first-round postseason sweep.The 76ers were 43-30 this season and had woefully underachieved in a year when they were expected to be serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.After the sixth-seeded Sixers were swept by the Boston Celtics, the move was expected.“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the city of Philadelphia,” general manager Elton Brand said in a statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers fired coach Brett Brown on Monday, a day after his seventh season ended in a first-round postseason sweep.The 76ers were 43-30 this season and had woefully underachieved in a year when they were expected to be serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.Instead, they weren't close, and the move was expected after the sixth-seeded Sixers were swept by the Boston Celtics.Brown had guided the 76ers back from the bottom of the NBA, but now someone else will try to take them further.“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” general manager Elton Brand said in a statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe it is best to go in a new direction."Brown... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A year ago against Toronto, four bounces of the basketball finished the 76ers. This season, four straight playoff losses ended Philly’s season and sent the Sixers to the brink of a serious shakeup.Brett Brown has but a slim chance of a return after seven seasons on the bench where he endured a 10-win season and losing streaks of 28 and 26 games. But, of most recent importance, Brown failed to mold the team out of the growing pains of the “Process” into championship contenders, with a mismatched roster that included All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers were swept out of the postseason by Boston with Simmons sidelined with a knee injury and Embiid tasked with carrying the franchise toward an unlikely title.Much like every season since 1983, it was never going to happen.Brown will likely pay the price. He seemed resigned to his fate after Game 4 and said Philly never got him at his best, mostly from the ugly mix of years of rebuilding, injury-prone players... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A year ago against Toronto, four bounces of the basketball finished the 76ers. This season, four straight playoff losses ended Philly’s season and sent the Sixers to the brink of a serious shakeup.Brett Brown has but a slim chance of a return after seven seasons on the bench where he endured a 10-win season and losing streaks of 28 and 26 games. But, of most recent importance, Brown failed to mold the team out of the growing pains of the “Process” into championship contenders, with a mismatched roster that included All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers were swept out of the postseason by Boston with Simmons sidelined with a knee injury and Embiid tasked with carrying the franchise toward an unlikely title.Much like every season since 1983, it was never going to happen.Brown will likely pay the price. He seemed resigned to his fate after Game 4 and said Philly never got him at his best, mostly from the ugly mix of years of rebuilding, injury-prone players... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks will work around the clock on Luka Doncic, hoping he can be healthy enough to play Sunday.The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets can tell them all about how hard the playoffs are without star guards.Doncic hopes to make a quick recovery, and the 76ers and Nets look to avoid quick exits heading into Game 4 of their series.Doncic sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Dallas' 130-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He came back in the fourth but wasn't moving well and eventually left for good.The Mavericks were hoping to get him an MRI exam Saturday and planning to keep him off the court all day. Coach Rick Carlisle said Doncic would likely be a game-time decision.“Obviously, we know the nature of the game. Sometimes injuries happen,” Dallas guard Trey Burke said. “If he can’t go, guys have got to be ready to play, step up and we’ve got to have the same mentality going out there and that’s to win.”The Mavs beat... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons is closer to getting cleared to play, should the NBA season resume.The league leader in steals was sidelined with nerve issues in his lower back when the season was suspended on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is allowed to rehabilitate at the 76ers’ practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, but there seemed to be no guarantee he would have been cleared to play in time for a playoff run.“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” 76ers GM Elton Brand said Tuesday. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard and I know he’d be close or ready.”Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve impingement at the time the season stopped. Brand, speaking to media for the first time since, said he would not speculate on Simmons’ availability had the Sixers still been playing... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons is closer to getting cleared to play, should the NBA season resume.Simmons, the league leader in steals, was sidelined with nerve issues in his lower back when the season was suspended on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is allowed to rehabilitate at the 76ers’ practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, but there seemed to be no guarantee he would have been cleared to play in time for a playoff run.“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” 76ers GM Elton Brand said Tuesday. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard and I know he’d be close or ready.”Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve impingement at the time the season stopped. Brand, speaking to media for the first time since the Sixers’ last game, said he would not speculate on Simmons’ availability... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid needs more surgery, this time for a torn ligament in a finger in his left hand, the latest setback in the injury-riddled career of the Philadelphia 76ers' All-Star center.Embiid, averaging 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in 31 games this season, will have surgery Friday and will be evaluated in one to two weeks.He has never played more than 64 games in a season and won't again this season after he was hurt Monday night in a victory over Oklahoma City. Embiid injured the radial collateral ligament in the ring finger in the first half, a grotesque injury that made teammate Ben Simmons say “I nearly threw up" when he saw the finger.Embiid's finger overlapped his pinkie to the point that it seemed he had his fingers crossed. He played most of the game with his finger taped and said he "couldn't go up with two hands.""There were a couple of times I could have grabbed with both hands but I just couldn't. I just kept tapping it," Embiid said Monday.The Sixers had... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia center Joel Embiid will have surgery Friday for a torn ligament in a finger in his left hand and will be evaluated in one to two weeks."All of a sudden, we're different," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “We're just different. I look at this as an opportunity. Nobody's crying. This is not a 'woe is me' moment, not for me, at all. And not for my players. We'll take what we have, and what we have, I love.”Embiid injured the radial collateral ligament in the ring finger in the first half Monday night against Oklahoma City. Embiid's overlapped his pinkie to the point that it seemed he had his fingers crossed. He played most of the game with his finger taped and said he "couldn't go up with two hands."Embiid has struggled with injuries ever since he was drafted with the No. 3 pick of the 2014. He missed his first two seasons with various injuries and hasn't played more than 64 games in any of the last three. He is averaging 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in 31 games this season.Al Horford, signed away from the Celtics in the offseason with a four-year deal, started at center Thursday against the Boston Celtics.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — While his front office contemporaries enjoyed the spoils of splashy signings and bold trades, Elton Brand flew halfway across the world to serve as perhaps the most overqualified ball boy for the league's most enigmatic talent.As Joel Embiid hoisted jumpers in his offseason workouts in Cameroon, his general manager gladly grabbed loose rebounds, the game plan of an equal parts hectic and intensely personal visit Brand hoped would deepen the bond between Embiid and the only franchise he's ever known. No member of the Philadelphia 76ers had ever made the pilgrimage to Africa's west coast to spend time in Embiid's homeland. Yet there Brand was, running a local hill with Embiid's cousin. Taking in home-cooked meals prepared by Embiid's mom, Christine. Getting a tour of the city of 2.8 million.It wasn't something Brand needed to do. Embiid is locked up in Philadelphia indefinitely . Yet the trip was significant to Brand, who called it "touching."The man tasked with helping... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The crowd screamed for Ben Simmons to shoot as he dribbled near the perimeter in a preseason game against a team from China. Joel Embiid motioned for him to let it fly. Simmons took a couple more steps, stopped and popped.Swish.Fans celebrated Simmons' first career 3-pointer as if the Philadelphia 76ers had just won Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Embiid ran over and hugged him, teammates rushed the court and the internet went wild.It's been nearly impossible to mention Simmons without adding jump shot in the conversation since his debut in October 2017. The 23-year-old Simmons is considered one of the best players in the world despite his reluctance to shoot jumpers in his first two seasons.The All-Star point guard told The Associated Press last month that he allowed criticism to bother him, but he "fell in love with the game again" over the summer during the countless hours he spent in the gym working on his shot.Simmons realizes adding a jumper would make him a complete... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Videos of Ben Simmons making jumpers flooded social media over the summer and the All-Star point guard is ready to take his game to another level when the Philadelphia 76ers open camp next week."I feel like this summer I fell in love with the game again," Simmons told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I've been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again and I've been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off so I'm excited for the season to start.Simmons, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, has helped lead the Sixers to the second round of the NBA playoffs two straight seasons after making his debut in 2017. He was the Rookie of the Year that season and an All-Star for the first time last season. Simmons has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Videos of Ben Simmons making jumpers flooded social media over the summer and the All-Star point guard is ready to take his game to another level when the Philadelphia 76ers open camp next week."I feel like this summer I fell in love with the game again," Simmons told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I've been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again and I've been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off so I'm excited for the season to start.Simmons, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, has helped lead the Sixers to the second round of the NBA playoffs two straight seasons after making his debut in 2017. He was the Rookie of the Year that season and an All-Star for the first time last season. Simmons has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5... [More]

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Al Horford took a seat at one of the three tables needed to fit six players, an owner and a general manager and admired the Philadelphia skyline in the distance."This view gets me excited," Horford said . "This view back there of the city."It's the city he will call his basketball home for the next four years, one that hasn't held a championship parade for the 76ers since 1983 and where the franchise went nearly 20 years without creating much of a stir until Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons arrived on the scene.But to try to finally get over that title hump, the 76ers need more — they needed Horford.Horford could be the difference for the Sixers this season, not just because he's a four-time All-Star who can thrive as a low post defender and shoot the 3. It's because Horford can spell Embiid, the notoriously injury-prone franchise player, at center. The theory goes, keep Embiid fresh and healthy in the regular season, and watch him carry the Sixers through a dominant postseason."We... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul in a swapping of top point guards. The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced.ESPN first reported the agreement.Paul is a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook an eight-time selection. Paul has 9,181 career assists, the most among active players. Westbrook has 138 triple-doubles, tied with Magic Johnson for second-most in NBA history behind only Oscar Robertson's 181. Both members of Houston's new glitzy backcourt are recent MVPs: Westbrook won it in 2017, Harden won it in 2018. And the trade means that the NBA's two highest scorers... [More]