PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has a hairline fracture in his left foot, the team said. McCollum will wear a walking boot and be reevaluated in four weeks. He was injured Saturday during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. McCollum was averaging a career-best 26.7 points, as well as five assists, per game when he got injured. McCollum's injury is the latest to befall the Blazers. Center Jusuf Nurkic fractured his wrist during a game last week against the Indiana Pacers and is out indefinitely. In his eighth NBA season, McCollum was first thought to have a sprain but the team said additional imaging showed a hairline fracture to the lateral cuneiform. It was unclear when he was injured but it appeared that Atlanta's Clint Capela stepped on his foot following a layup in the opening quarter. The Blazers went on to win the game 112-106. Rodney Hood took McCollum's place in Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, finishing with 21 points in Portland's 125-104 loss. Nurkic was averaging 9.8 points and 7.7. assists before he was injured. Enes Kanter has started in his absence. The Blazers are also missing forward Zach Collins, who is expected to be out several months after ankle surgery in December. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks first-round pick Onyeka Okongwu will miss at least the first two games of the regular season because of a foot injury. The team said Friday the 6-foot-9 center from Southern California was continuing his rehabilitation for an inflamed sesamoid bone in his left foot, including modified participation in contact practices. He has yet to be cleared for full team practices. Okongwu's condition will be re-evaluated Dec. 28, the day of the Hawks' home opener against Detroit. He will miss the first two games of the regular season at Chicago on Wednesday and at Memphis on Dec. 26. Okongwu was the No. 6 overall pick.. He is expected to back up starter Clint Capela and give Atlanta a much-needed defensive presence off the bench. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young said it's going to take some time to adjust to the Atlanta Hawks' new mix following the additions of such veterans as Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn and Rajon Rando. “It’s not something that just happens overnight,” Young said Tuesday. “We’ve added a lot of new guys with different talents who bring a lot of different things to the game. It’s going to be fun learning and figuring out where they like the ball the best and things like that.” There's not much time to find the new mix. The NBA season opens on Dec. 22. The Hawks' preseason opener is Dec. 11. Just don't suggest to Young that it'll be an adjustment for him to share the ball with established shooters in Atlanta's lineup. Young was fourth in the league in scoring and shots from the field last season, but he's quick to note he also was second in assists. “Passing is nothing new for me,” Young said. “I love getting my teammates involved and when my teammates are open I’m going to find them... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Three Atlanta Hawks newcomers are dealing with injuries as the team prepares to open training camp. Most notably, first-round draft pick Onyeka Okongwu has inflammation in the sesamoid bone of his left foot. An MRI confirmed the condition, which has forced t he No. 6 overall selection from Southern California to make a gradual return to form shooting and conditioning activities. Okongwu is expected to back up center Clint Capela and provide a defensive presence for the revamped Hawks. The team also announced that guards Kris Dunn (right knee cartilage) and Tony Snell (right foot inflammation) underwent MRIs. Dunn is able to participate in modified individual workouts, while Snell had resumed limited form shooting and conditioning activities. All three players will be evaluated again on Dec. 11, when the Hawks are set to host the Orlando Magic in their first of four preseason games. Dunn was among the Hawks' hefty class of free agents, while Snell was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Pistons. Both are expected to provide valuable minutes off the bench this season. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Just like that, the Atlanta Hawks transformed themselves into a playoff contender. A team that averaged less than 25 wins the last three seasons added to its impressive young core with a whirlwind of free-agent signings, capped by the news late Tuesday that Sacramento would not match a four-year, $72 million offer sheet to Bogdan Bogdanovic. “It's go time,” tweeted Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young, clearly excited by the bulked-up supporting case he'll have around him in 2021. “Let's work!!!” Bogdanovic tweeted back. Flush with more cap space than any other team heading into free agency after beginning a major overhaul three years ago, the Hawks quickly signed forward Danilo Gallinari (three years, $61.5 million) and guards Rajon Rondo (two years, $15 million) and Kris Dunn (two years, $10 million). Then, after a proposed sign-and-trade that would have sent Bogdanovic to the Milwaukee Bucks fell through, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk pounced at the opportunity to grab... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Just like that, the Atlanta Hawks transformed themselves into a playoff contender. A team that averaged less than 25 wins the last three seasons added to its impressive young core with a whirlwind of free-agent signings, capped by the news late Tuesday that Sacramento would not match a four-year, $72 million offer sheet to Bogdan Bogdanovic. “It's go time,” tweeted Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young, clearly excited by the bulked-up supporting case he'll have around him in 2021. “Let's work!!!” Bogdanovic tweeted back. Flush with cash heading into free agency after beginning a major overhaul three years ago, the Hawks quickly signed forward Danilo Gallinari (three years, $61.5 million) and guards Rajon Rondo (two years, $15 million) and Kris Dunn (two years, $10 million). Then, after a proposed sign-and-trade that would have sent Bogdanovic to the Milwaukee Bucks fell through, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk pounced at the opportunity to grab the 28-year-old Serbian guard... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade center Dewayne Dedmon to the Detroit Pistons for guards Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade needs approval from the NBA before becoming official. The deal allows the Hawks to clear a logjam at center. The Hawks selected center Onyeka Okongwu from Southern Cal with the No. 6 pick of the NBA draft on Wednesday night. Last season, the Hawks acquired center Clint Capela from Houston at the trade deadline. Capela was injured and didn’t play before Atlanta's season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic, but he's expected to play a key role next season. Snell, who turned 29 this month, averaged 8.0 points in 59 games in 2019-20, his first season with Detroit. The 6-foot-6 guard played three seasons for Milwaukee and three for Chicago prior to that. Thomas, a 6-foot-3 guard, has played two seasons with the Pistons since being drafted in the second round in 2018. He appeared in only eight games last season, averaging 7.7 minutes. Dedmon, 31, was acquired for his second stint with the Hawks last season as the team sought to bolster the center position. The 7-foot Dedmon averaged a career-best 10.8 points with 7.5 rebounds for Atlanta in the 2018-19 season. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden and the Houston Rockets believed the addition of Russell Westbrook and their unorthodox small lineup would be what they needed to win their first title in 25 years.Instead, they suffered another early playoff exit and must find a coach after Mike D’Antoni told them he wouldn’t return after he and management couldn’t agree on a new contract.The Rockets beat Oklahoma City in seven games in the first round and won Game 1 against the Lakers before losing the next four games to be eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year. “It’s very, very frustrating,” Harden said. “Especially with the amount of work individually that I put in. But I’m going to keep chipping away, I’m going to keep going and going until I can’t go anymore.”Harden had another splendid regular season, averaging 34.3 points to lead the league in scoring for the third straight year. He was also first in the NBA in 3-pointers (299) and free throws (692) and ranked fifth... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Lloyd Pierce sees improvement in each of the five players he calls the core of the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks.There is pressure for the coach to deliver proof of that growth. Pierce says it's time for a young team led by Trae Young to become a winner.Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists and earned the All-Star berth in only his second season. Young and John Collins give the team two young high-scoring starters and reason to hope a streak of three straight losing seasons will end.“The excitement is the possibility of what they can become as they continue to grow together,” Pierce said Tuesday. “I’m always focused on the big picture and it’s really about getting those guys to all be a we team and to play together and for us to grow in the same way these guys have done individually.”Pierce said in April the Hawks “need to make a major jump next year."Atlanta's 20-47 record provided no proof of improvement. The Hawks finished in a virtual tie for last in the Eastern Conference,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks completed their dramatic overhaul of their center position on Thursday by reacquiring Dewayne Dedmon from the Sacramento Kings and Skal Labissiere from the Portland Trail Blazers.The trades came one day after Atlanta acquired center Clint Capela from Houston.The Hawks didn't stop with Dedmon and Capela. The team added more help inside by acquiring Labissiere and cash from Portland in exchange for a conditional 2024 second-round pick.The Hawks had roster spots to fill after requesting waivers on center Nenê, who was acquired with Capela, and forward Chandler Parsons. Dedmon is returning to Atlanta, where he enjoyed his two most productive seasons, from 2017-19. The trade sent center Alex Len and forward Jabari Parker to Sacramento. The Kings also are giving the Hawks two second-round picks.“We are happy to welcome Dewayne back to Atlanta,” said Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk. “In his time with us, he developed into a reliable outside shooter and strong... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Here's how busy the Timberwolves were at trade-deadline time: They announced the jersey numbers of eight new players Thursday... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Here's how busy the Timberwolves were at trade-deadline time: They announced the jersey numbers of eight new players Thursday... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Marcus Morris leaves New York for Los Angeles, going from the woebegone Knicks to the title-hoping Clippers — who added... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says center Dewayne Dedmon is returning to the Atlanta Hawks in a trade that sends center Alex Len and forward Jabari Parker to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings also are giving the Hawks two second-round picks.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced by the teams. The deal comes hours before the NBA trade deadline.Dedmon is returning to Atlanta, where he enjoyed his two most productive seasons, from 2017-19. The trade also satisfies his wish to leave Sacramento. Dedmon was fined $50,000 on Jan. 2 for making public his desire to be traded by the Kings."I haven’t been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated,” Dedmon told the Sacramento Bee Dedmon has averaged 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting in only 10 games for the Kings this season. He averaged a career-best 10.8 points with 7.5 rebounds for Atlanta in the 2018-19 season.According... [More]

The Atlanta Hawks have requested waivers on center Nen�, one day after he was acquired from Houston as part of a four-team trade.The Hawks on Wednesday also acquired center Clint Capela from the Rockets in the four-team trade involving 12 players. In the deal, Atlanta sent guard Evan Turner and a conditional 2020 first-round pick to Minnesota and a 2024 second-round pick to Houston.The 37-year-old Nen� has not played this season due to a left adductor strain.The 6-foot-11 Nen�, from Brazil, has averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds in 18 seasons with Denver, Washington and Houston. He set career highs by averaging 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds with Denver in the 2008-09 season. He started in only two of 42 games with Houston last season, averaging 3.6 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Atlanta Hawks have requested waivers on center Nen�, one day after he was acquired from Houston as part of a four-team trade.The Hawks on Wednesday also acquired center Clint Capela from the Rockets in the four-team trade involving 12 players. In the deal, Atlanta sent guard Evan Turner and a conditional 2020 first-round pick to Minnesota and a 2024 second-round pick to Houston.The 37-year-old Nen� has not played this season due to a left adductor strain.The 6-foot-11 Nen�, from Brazil, has averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds in 18 seasons with Denver, Washington and Houston. He set career highs by averaging 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds with Denver in the 2008-09 season. He started in only two of 42 games with Houston last season, averaging 3.6 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Robert Covington is going to the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela is headed to the Atlanta Hawks as the headline moves in a complicated four-team trade that was approved by the NBA late Wednesday night.All told, it included 12 players and three draft picks.The Rockets got Covington and Jordan Bell from Minnesota, plus Golden State’s 2024 second-round pick from the Hawks. Atlanta got two centers, Capela and Nenê from Houston. Denver got Gerald Green from Houston along with the Rockets' 2020 first-round pick. The Nuggets also landed Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier and Noah Vonleh from Minnesota.Minnesota got Brooklyn's 2020 first-round pick and Evan Turner from Atlanta, plus Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Juancho Hernangomez from Denver. Covington told Houston television station KRIV Fox 26 upon his arrival at the airport Wednesday that he was looking forward to a new opportunity.“It’s all over the place right now,” Covington said when asked about his emotions. “Just kind of getting... [More]

Robert Covington is going to the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela is headed to the Atlanta Hawks as the headline moves in a complicated four-team trade that was approved by the NBA late Wednesday night.All told, it included 12 players and three draft picks.The Rockets got Covington and Jordan Bell from Minnesota, plus Golden State’s 2024 second-round pick from the Hawks. Atlanta got two centers, Capela and Nenê from Houston. Denver got Gerald Green from Houston along with the Rockets' 2020 first-round pick. The Nuggets also landed Keita Bates-Diop, Shabazz Napier and Noah Vonleh from Minnesota.Minnesota got Brooklyn's 2020 first-round pick and Evan Turner from Atlanta, plus Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Juancho Hernangomez from Denver. Covington told Houston television station KRIV Fox 26 upon his arrival at the airport Wednesday that he was looking forward to a new opportunity.“It’s all over the place right now,” Covington said when asked about his emotions. “Just kind of getting... [More]

Robert Covington is going to the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela is going to the Atlanta Hawks as the headline moves in a complicated trade that was struck early Wednesday involving four teams, 12 players and at least three draft picks, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.Among the key components, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade has not received league approval: Covington and Jordan Bell will join the Rockets from Minnesota, Capela and Nene are leaving the Rockets for the Hawks, the Timberwolves added soon-to-be restricted free agents Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez from Denver and the Nuggets got Shabazz Napier from Minnesota plus a first-round pick from Houston.ESPN and The Athletic first reported the trade.Covington told Houston television station KRIV Fox 26 upon his arrival at the airport Wednesday that he was looking forward to a new opportunity.“It’s all over the place right now,” Covington... [More]

Robert Covington is going to the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela is going to the Atlanta Hawks as the headline moves in a complicated trade that was struck early Wednesday involving four teams, 12 players and at least three draft picks, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.Among the key components, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade has not received league approval: Covington and Jordan Bell will join the Rockets from Minnesota, Capela and Nene are leaving the Rockets for the Hawks, the Timberwolves added soon-to-be restricted free agents Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez from Denver and the Nuggets got Shabazz Napier from Minnesota plus a first-round pick from Houston.ESPN and The Athletic first reported the trade.Covington told Houston television station KRIV Fox 26 upon his arrival at the airport Wednesday that he was looking forward to a new opportunity.“It’s all over the place right now,” Covington... [More]