Golden State owner and CEO Joe Lacob often uses the same phrase when asked about how much money the Warriors are willing to spend to keep a championship-contending roster together."Whatever it takes," Lacob says.In the NBA, those words have never been as weighty.The summer spending starts Sunday in the NBA, with teams and players set to reach agreements on more than $2 billion — maybe even more than $3 billion — in new deals over the next few days. It's a risk-reward play, one where teams must dig deeply into their pockets to land the best players and hope that those massive financial commitments don't end up crippling their franchise for years.The Warriors are likely to offer Kevin Durant a $221 million, five-year deal that will come with two big pills for the team to swallow. One, he'll be on a $38 million scholarship next season while he recovers from Achilles surgery and cannot play. And two, Durant would be owed more than $50 million when his then-35-year-old self plays the final year... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis will wind up with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers after all.The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to trade the disgruntled Davis to the Lakers for point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Josh Hart and three first-round draft choices, several people familiar with the situation said Saturday.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot become official until the new league year begins July 6. ESPN first reported the trade.The deal ends a nearly five-month saga that became an awkward NBA sideshow, arguably derailed the Lakers' push to make the playoffs and even cost people jobs after Davis requested a trade in late January through his agent, Rich Paul, who also represents James.Now the 26-year-old Davis, a six-time All-Star, will bring his dynamic, up-tempo, above-the-rim play to Hollywood alongside the 34-year-old James, a three-time NBA champion and Finals regular.In return, the Pelicans... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Three-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker said he would consider taking less money than he is eligible to make to stay with the Charlotte Hornets if that means helping them build a winning team.Because Walker was named to an All-NBA team this season, the Hornets can offer him a five-year "supermax" contract worth up to $221 million — significantly more than the five-year, $190 million deal had he not been named All-NBA.Other NBA teams can only offer a four-year deal worth $140 million when free agency begins June 30."Yeah, why not? I would take less, for sure," Walker said Thursday during his youth basketball camp at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte.The eight-year NBA veteran said the Hornets remain his first priority, but he said he's "pretty sure" he will meet with other interested teams before making a decision on his future.The 29-year-old Walker said he's eager to hear what other teams have to offer."That all factors in (to my decision) when I sit down with the... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Three-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker says he'd be willing to work with the Hornets and take less than the "supermax" $221 million contract he's eligible to receive to re-sign with Charlotte.The Hornets can offer Walker, their all-time leading scorer, a five-year contract worth up to $221 million. Other NBA teams can only offer a four-year deal worth $140 million."Yeah, why not? I would take less, for sure," Walker said Thursday.Walker says the Hornets remain his "first priority," but he plans to meet with other interested teams before making a decision on his future.NBA free agency begins June 30.Asked if he's confident he'll be back with Charlotte, Walker says: "I have no clue. ... This is where I want to be and if it doesn't work out, it just doesn't. I'm prepared."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden got the most votes, and Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker also were big winners when the All-NBA teams were announced.Those guards can cash in with supermax contracts based on their selections to one of the three All-NBA teams that were announced Thursday.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic, who was Denver's first All-NBA selection since Carmelo Anthony in 2010.Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections, receiving all 100 votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters who had to choose two guards, two forwards and one center for each of the three teams.Walker was the final selection but all that matters is that he made it. By doing so, he became eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte, a reward the NBA put... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden got the most votes, and Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker were also big winners when the All-NBA teams were announced.Those guards can cash in with supermax contracts based on their selections to one of the three All-NBA teams that were announced Thursday.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic, who was Denver's first All-NBA selection since Carmelo Anthony in 2010.Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections, receiving all 100 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters who had to choose two guards, two forwards for each of the three teams.Walker was the final selection but all that matters is that he made it. By doing so, he became eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte, a reward the NBA put in recently... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden were unanimous selections to an All-NBA team that could mean big payoffs for Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker.Both of those guards were voted to one of the three teams announced Thursday, making them eligible for supermax contract extensions from their teams.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic.Walker was voted a third-team selection to the All-NBA team and is eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte. Lillard, a second-team selection, can get more than $190 million over four years with a new contract in Portland.The three All-NBA teams were voted on by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters, with two guards, two forwards and a center selected for each of the three teams.Philadelphia center Joel Embiid led the second team that along with Lillard included Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.James and Walker headlined a third team that featured Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Rudy Gobert.

It begins.When the buzzer sounded in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, the question immediately became this: Has Kyrie Irving played his last game for the Boston Celtics?It's very possible.Welcome to free agency, Kyrie.He's now in the place that other big names like Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson all will be whenever their respective seasons end, whether that happens with a playoff defeat, or with an injury — Durant left Game 5 of Golden State's Western Conference semifinal series against Houston on Wednesday night with a right calf strain — or with their fingerprints smudging the golden surface of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.They will all hear some version of the question that Irving got.Free agency doesn't technically start until July 1, but in actuality it began for the superstar point guard with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 — when he checked out for the last time in what capped Boston's ousting from the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Milwaukee... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — David Fizdale went to his office one day last week and got right to work as usual.He wrote ideas on a board. Met with other staff in the building.After about 45 minutes, something dawned on him."I had to, like, stop myself. Wait a minute, you don't have to get it all done right now," Fizdale said.There's plenty to do when it comes to fixing the New York Knicks, but it can't happen yet.So Fizdale convinced himself to go home for some family time, but he'll be back to work as a coach this week. He expects to get started pouring over film of college players, and of course there will be months of discussions about potential free-agent targets.He was beaten often during the worst season in the NBA, but he certainly doesn't seem beaten down.A 17-65 finish was tied for the worst in the history of a franchise that has lost plenty for nearly two decades, yet Fizdale said fans have been great to him. Part of that, he figures, is because the Knicks made it clear they would... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Mitch Kupchak says the Charlotte Hornets plan to do everything they can to keep three-time All-Star Kemba Walker.The Hornets first-year general manager knows that has become a two-sided equation given Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and able to choose his next team. The 28-year-old Walker was an All-Star game starter this season and averaged a career-high 25.6 points per game, so he's expected to be hot commodity when the free agent market opens in July."I think this is a place that he wants to be and we'll do everything that we can to bring him back here," Kupchak said Friday. "But he is half of the equation."For Walker to stay, Kupchak may have to find productive quality pieces to put around him — and quickly.They've struggled to do that in the past with players like Nicolas Batum — who received a five-year, $120 million contract three years ago — failing to live up to expectations.Walker has said in the past he wants to continue playing... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — There's a part of Kemba Walker that wants to play his entire career with the Charlotte Hornets. There's another part that wants to compete for an NBA championship before he's too old.With the Hornets not ready to compete with the Golden State Warriors of the world, the 28-year-old Walker enters this offseason having to make a choice between loyalty and chasing a ring.And he's just not ready to do that just yet."I have no feeling right now, I don't know," Walker said of his impending decision in free agency this summer. "Honestly, I don't know what to expect. I guess it's a lot of different emotions bottled up into one. I'm not sure. I don't know."The three-time All-Star point guard is expected to be a hot commodity when free agency opens July 1.He's coming off his most productive season statistically, averaging a career-high 25.6 points per game to go along with 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He was selected as an All-Star game starter for the first time and has put... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Kemba Walker is keeping the Charlotte Hornets in the postseason pictureWalker scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half to help Charlotte build a big lead and they went on to beat the Detroit Pistons 104-91 Sunday in a possibly pivotal game with just two games remaining in the regular season for the playoff-hopeful teams.The Hornets (38-42) have won three straight to cling to their chances of rallying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference."I'm happy to still be playing for something," Walker said.The Pistons have a lot at stake as well and yet they still seemed to lack effort at times, leading to some boos from their fans and criticism from at least one player."We didn't play for 48 minutes like we understood the implications and what this season is coming down to," Detroit star Blake Griffin said.Detroit (39-41) has lost four in a row to possibly plummet from being a sixth-seeded team to missing the postseason for a third consecutive year and the ninth time in... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half to help the Charlotte Hornets build a big lead and they went on to beat the Detroit Pistons 104-91 Sunday.Charlotte (38-42) has won three straight to cling to its chances of rallying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.The Pistons (39-41) have lost four in a row to possibly plummet from being a sixth-seeded team to missing the postseason for a third consecutive year and the ninth time in a decade.Detroit coach Dwane Casey said before the game that his team had to slow down Walker after he helped the Hornets win the previous three matchups.That simply didn't happen.Walker had 11 points in the first quarter and nine in the second, lifting the Hornets to a 60-42 lead.The electric point guard had plenty of help.Hornets reserve Frank Kaminski scored a season-high 24 points and Jeremy Lamb had 17 points off the bench. Charlotte's Dwayne Bacon had 14 points and rookie Miles Bridges added 10 points.Detroit was led... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sonya Curry hasn't stopped smiling all weekend.She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for All-Star Weekend festivities. She even hit a half-court shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest."It's been everything that I hoped it would be," she said of her sons' return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. "Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that's hard to beat."With remnants of half-eaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.Still, Sonya didn't want the night to end.Neither did her husband.Dell... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10:55 p.m.Kevin Durant had 31 points and seven rebounds, LeBron James added 19 points and Team LeBron overcame a big game from Giannis Antetokounmpo to defeat Team Giannis 178-164 on Sunday night in the All-Star game.Team LeBron trailed by 18 points in the first half, but battled back in the third quarter to take the lead behind the sharpshooting of Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard. Thompson had 20 points and Lilllard 18.James Harden sealed the win with a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left putting Team LeBron up by 16.Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds to lead his team, while Bucks teammate Khris Middleton added 20 on six 3-pointers. Stephen Curry had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his return to Charlotte but was 4 of 17 from the 3-point range.__10:30 p.m.Dwyane Wade's alley-oop dunk off a pass from former Heat teammate LeBron James has helped Team LeBron rally to take a 132-131 lead over... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10:30 p.m.Dwyane Wade's alley-oop dunk off a pass from former Heat teammate LeBron James has helped Team LeBron rally to take a 132-131 lead over Team Giannis after the third quarter in the NBA All-Star Game.Wade, playing in his final All-Star game, flew through the air and grabbed a perfectly thrown pass from James for the dunk. That helped get his team moving as Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard combined for 15 points in the quarter helping Team LeBron erase an 18-point deficit as the teams have started to play defense.Wade and Dirk Nowitzki were presented with a commemorative All-Star jersey at the end of the third quarter and Wade told the crowd "the game is in great hands with these players and it is easy to walk away."Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking to become the first international player to win the All-Star game MVP leading all scorers with 31 points on eight dunks for Team Giannis.___10 p.m.The third quarter... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10 p.m.The third quarter of the All-Star game has begun after a halftime show by rapper J. Cole.Cole who wore a Hornets jacket and jeans, started his show atop a glass platform, opening with "Middle Child." He launched into "A lot" as he walked into the crowd at midcourt and then broke into "ATM" as the lights dimmed.He slowed things down with what he told the crowd was his favorite song "Love Yourz" before closing with G-rated version of his most popular hit "No Role Modelz."Team Giannis led 95-82 after the first half, highlighted by Stephen Curry bounce pass over the rim that Giannis Antetokounmpo caught high above the rim and slammed home.The big question of the second half will be which team decides to play defense first. Antetokounmpo had five uncontested dunks in the first quarter and leads all scorers with 20 points on 10 of 12 shooting.Kevin Durant has 13 points for Team LeBron, which is just 13 of 41 from 3-point... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)9:30 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo has 20 points —most of those coming on dunks— to lead all scorers as his team leads Team LeBron 95-82 at halftime of Sunday night's All-Star game.Bucks teammate Kris Middleton has five 3-pointers and 17 points, while Paul George has 14 points for Team Giannis, which is threatening to challenge the NBA All-Star Game record of 196 points in a game set by the West All-Stars in 2016.Kevin Durant leads Team LeBron with 13 points but James Harden is struggling, going 1 of 7 from the field.Stephen Curry has just six points in his return to Charlotte for Team Giannis.___9:15 p.m.If this is Dirk Nowitzki's last All-Star game, he's making the most of it.The 40-year-old Nowitzki is showing that he still has the shooting touch, knocking down all three of his uncontested 3-point attempts for Team Giannis.Paul George had 360-degree dunk, but that wasn't even the best play of the second quarter.That... [More]