CLEVELAND (AP) — Once summer rolls around, LeBron James stars on a different stage.All eyes in the NBA and across the sports world will focus on James during free agency.There are already teams lining up for an audience with The King, should he opt out of his contract. On Thursday, the Cavaliers turned their roster upside down in hopes of convincing James he doesn't have to go anywhere.And just like that, another chapter was added to a chaotic season in Cleveland.With an unexpected flurry of moves before the NBA trade deadline, the Cavs unloaded six players to change their identity and culture while moving back into title contention. They also showed James, who can be a free agent in July, they're willing to do whatever's necessary to help him win another championship."He's the guy that is going to take us back to the promised land," Cavs general manager Koby Altman said, "so you want to put the right pieces around him."All it took was a massive makeover.Altman ended an experiment doomed... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. General manager Koby Altman traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got substantially younger and more athletic and wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Following a long day that left him "numb," Altman said his main objective in making the deals was to alter the chemistry of a team that was no longer playing with joy."We were really worried that what was going on the floor and sort of our culture in the building... [More]

From Isaiah Thomas to Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, the Cleveland Cavaliers loaded up on big names last summer.None will be there if the Cavaliers get back to the NBA Finals.In what felt like an unprecedented do-over for a contending team, the Cavaliers simply changed the pieces that weren't fitting for new ones on Thursday at the trade deadline.Fans who usually marvel at LeBron James were instead praising his general manager, as Koby Altman used a series of swaps to strengthen a sputtering team and leave open the possibility for more moves."They got better. They made the moves they wanted to make and I'm sure they're going to make it work over there," Golden State's Kevin Durant said. "It's fun for all the fans and the media to kind of see what's going on with the trade deadline."Cavs' fans probably had the most fun, and for good reason. Cleveland was the story Thursday .The Cavaliers acquired Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. in the deal with Los Angeles, which also got Channing Frye... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Watching from the West Coast, the defending champions took notice."It's interesting, really interesting," Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Cleveland's drastic midseason renovation. "It's probably obviously something that they felt was needed. I feel like they made some good moves. I don't know, we'll... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Watching from the West Coast, the defending champions took notice."It's interesting, really interesting," Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Cleveland's drastic midseason renovation. "It's probably obviously something that they felt was needed. I feel like they made some good moves. I don't know, we'll... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention.The Cavs began their shocking overhaul by sending the disappointing Thomas along with forward Channing Frye and one of their two first-round picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr.Thomas, who came over in last summer's blockbuster trade with Boston for Kyrie Irving, played in just 15 games and wasn't fitting in with... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With the stunning force of a LeBron James dunk, the Cavaliers shattered their roster.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning an NBA title this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of trades before the deadline, a person with direct knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press.The Cavs began their overhaul by sending disappointing guard Isaiah Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams are awaiting league approval to finalize all the deals. Thomas played in just 15 games as he returned from a hip injury and struggled to fit in, so the Cavs dealt him along with forward Channing Frye and one of their two first-round picks to the Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr.As the Thomas swap was being digested around the league, the Cavs completed a three-team deal with Utah and Sacramento. The Cavs sent guard Derrick Rose and forward Jae Crowder... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — After a quick stop, Isaiah Thomas is moving again. The point guard's strange stay with the Cavaliers is over.Thomas, who was never a good fit in Cleveland while recovering from a hip injury, was traded hours before the NBA's deadline to the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.Thomas was dealt with forward Channing Frye and one of the Cavs' two first-round draft picks to the Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams need NBA approval before the trade can be completed.The Cavs will keep their other first-round pick from the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston last summer for Thomas, who struggled on the floor in Cleveland and seemed at odds with teammates and coaches.ESPN was first to report the deal.Following the Cavs' dramatic 140-138 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, Thomas... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with direct knowledge of the trade says the Cleveland Cavaliers are dealing guard Isaiah Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the teams need NBA approval before the trade can be completed.Thomas has not been a good fit with Cleveland while coming back from a hip injury and is leaving after playing just 15 games.The person adds that Cleveland is also sending forward Channing Frye and one of their two first-round draft picks to the Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr. The Cavs will keep the other first-round pick in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston last summer for Thomas.ESPN was first to report the deal.Following the Cavs' dramatic win over Minnesota on Wednesday night, Thomas said he liked it in Cleveland and was hoping he wouldn't be traded again.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Goran Dragic scored 20 points as the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 101-89 in the Global Games in Mexico City on Saturday.Tyler Johnson also scored 20 points for the Heat to follow up his season-high 25-point showing in Wednesday's loss at San Antonio. He helped Miami stay close by scoring 18 of his points before halftime.James Johnson added 17 while Justise Winslow contributed a season-high 15 points and hit a career-best four 3-pointers as Miami shot 46.7 percent from the field.Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets with 18 points and Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 15 and nine assists but it was not enough as Brooklyn dropped its sixth straight game against Miami and appeared fatigued in the fourth quarter by Mexico City's over 7,000-foot altitude.Clippers 113, Wizards 112LOS ANGELES -- Lou Williams scored 35 points, including a long 3-pointer with just over a second remaining, as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.Otto Porter Jr. scored 27 points... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Andrew Wiggins hit 3-pointer as time expired to trump Carmelo Anthony's late triple and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 115-113 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota (2-1) with 27 points apiece. Towns also grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Jeff Teague added 19 points and nine assists.Anthony finished with 23 points, including his basket with five seconds left, as the Thunder took their second consecutive loss.Coming off one of his worst shooting performances in a loss to the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook shook off a slow start Sunday night to score 31 points, hand out 10 assists and nearly help the Thunder come back from a dismal start.Nets 116, Hawks 104NEW YORK -- Allen Crabbe produced 20 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4:37 left in the fourth quarter, as Brooklyn beat Atlanta.Crabbe, restricted because of an ankle injury, played 25:38 but was highly productive when he was on the court. He played... [More]

DENVER - Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson left Wednesday's game against the Denver Nuggets with a left patellar tendon strain.Clarkson scored all 13 of his points in 17 minutes of the first half. He played six more in the third quarter before leaving the game with the knee injury.Clarkson, in his second year out of Missouri, is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points a game.The Lakers played the end of the game without their three top scorers. Kobe Bryant left in the first quarter with a sore right shoulder and Lou Williams sat out the game with a left hamstring strain.

Clarkson had an all-around solid game on Thursday, recording 11 points (5-11 FG), six assists, four rebounds and a steal in a 105-97 loss to Toronto.

Clarkson had a breakout campaign last year and the Lakers will continue to develop him as their starting shooting guard of the future. Some regression could be coming though, as the offseason additions of D'Angelo Russell and Lou Williams could take some minutes away from the guard. In any case, look for him to provide nice counting stats in an offense that needs as much support as possible.

Clarkson scored 12 points (5-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt) and gathered three rebounds in Tuesday's preseason loss to the Jazz.

There was some concern that Clarkson might lose out on a starting role after the Lakers selected D'Angelo Russell in the first round of the June draft, but it appears he'll simply move over to shooting guard, while Kobe Bryant moves over to small forward. The 6-foot-5 Clarkson shoots well enough from the field to adapt to make the transition to the two-guard spot, but with his ball-handling responsibilities likely to tail off this season with Russell in the fold, presumably so will his assist totals.

Clarkson will have his contract for the upcoming season guaranteed, the Los Angeles Times reports.

By playing in summer league, Clarkson has his guarantee date moved up from the start of the season to August 1st. The Lakers are expected to keep him on the roster beyond Saturday, and he's heading into training camp vying for the starting shooting guard job, In five summer league games, Clarkson averaged 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 three-pointers in 32 minutes per game.

Clarkson has added 10-to-15 pounds of muscle this offseason and tweaked his shooting form, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Clarkson has bulked up in an effort to defend stronger guards, a sign he'll likely shift up to shooting guard this season. The second-year guard has also worked on his pick-and-roll execution as well as finishing at the rim. While he may not be able to replicate last season's second-half success, Clarkson proved himself, yet again, during the Las Vegas Summer League. In five games, he averaged 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 32 minutes per game.

Clarkson has impressed coach Byron Scott with his shooting range during minicamp, the Los Angeles Times reports. "He's been knocking that thing down on a regular basis, and from deep," Scott said.

Clarkson knocked in 31 percent of his three-pointers during his rookie season. Scott also said Clarkson will handle the ball less due to the recent acquisition of D'Angelo Russell. The Lakers begin summer league action on Friday, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Clarkson's fantasy value will take a substantial hit this season if he were to be recast as a spot-up shooter.

Clarkson showed enormous potential late last season, but with the Lakers selecting D'Angelo Russell with the number two pick in the NBA Draft, his hold on the starting job may be in jeopardy.

Clarkson averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals in his games as a starter, but with the return of Kobe Bryant and the addition of Russell, Clarkson may find it hard to approach those numbers again next season. Once Bryant retires, Clarkson may once again become a top 100 player, so dynasty league owners would have to invest for the future or try to acquire him at a discount from an owner who may be panicking with this move.

Clarkson, a second-round rookie, had a phenomenal end to his first season in the NBA and closed out the season averaging 11.9 points, 0.6 three-pointers, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks, shooting 45 percent from the field on 10.1 attempts and 83 percent from the line on 2.7 attempts in 25 minutes through 59 games.

Clarkson started off the season with a lot of promise, but was stuck behind Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and laughably, Ronnie Price until mid-January. Once the rookie was named the starter on January 23rd, Clarkson was the 57th ranked player for eight category rotisserie leagues, averaging 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes. While it's unlikely that Lin and Price will return next season, and Nash has already retired, KObe Bryant will be back to take shots and the ball away from Clarkson, and with the Lakers potentially in position to draft Emmanuel Mudiay or DeAngelo Russell, Clarkson may have had his best season in the NBA already. His fantasy value depends entirely on what the Lakers do in the offseason, but he has shown us that he belongs in the NBA.

Clarkson (ankle) will not play Wednesday against the Kings.

Clarkson sprained his ankle against Sacramento on Monday, and the injury will keep the point guard out of Wednesday's rematch, ending his season. Vander Blue, recently signed out of the D-League, will start in his place alongside Jabari Brown.