SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs were eager to turn the page after all the injuries and uncertainty of last season.Instead, the hard luck continues.San Antonio was beset by two knee injuries in the preseason, the most devastating to point guard Dejounte Murray. Coach Gregg Popovich said Murray will likely miss the season after tearing his right ACL on Oct. 7."I feel bad for the team because they were all so high on Dejounte," Popovich said, "but mostly for him because he's worked hard and he has improved."The injury and the torn right meniscus suffered two days earlier by first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV dampened the Spurs' eagerness to put last season — and the awkward offseason — behind them. Injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, Danny Green, Kyle Anderson and several others hurt, though the Spurs managed to earn their 21st straight postseason berth.Leonard missed all but nine games with right quadriceps tendinitis and then forced a trade in the offseason amid reports he didn't... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — This is supposed to be the year that the Phoenix Suns finally start to win again.General manager Ryan McDonough had said the goal was to be the most improved team in the NBA. If that happens, it will be without McDonough.Owner Robert Sarver fired the general manager nine days before the Suns' season opener."For me, the switch has flipped and it's now time to start figuring out how to win," Sarver said in an interview on 98.7 Arizona Sports the day of the firing.Well, maybe.Under first-year coach Igor Kokoskov, Phoenix will have some talent on the floor. Devin Booker, fresh from signing a five-year, $158 million contract, leads the way after averaging 24.9 points per game last season.Trevor Ariza came over from Houston as a free agent and Ryan Anderson was acquired from the Rockets in a trade.And, of course, there's 7-foot-1 Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, patrolling the middle.Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren provide backup strength off the bench.But where... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr understands the NBA's business side, free agency and everything it takes to build a perennial winner with a star-studded roster like the one he coaches every day.He also knows the Warriors' dominance won't last forever. Kerr addressed that thought with his group on the eve of training camp. Sure, a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals would be an incredible feat. Yet Kerr won't make that a regular topic of discussion.Instead, just enjoy the moment and cherish the process while this special team is still together."Last year I took the approach we're going stare right in the eyes of the beast and I kind of shared my experience as a player and 'Hey, I know this is going to be hard, we all know this is going to be hard,'" Kerr said. "And it was, but I don't want that to be our theme this year. You can only go with that for so long before it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."What we're trying to do is embrace the idea here we are in this moment in time and... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Once the Detroit Pistons traded for Blake Griffin last season, their roster was largely set for the foreseeable future.When that deal wasn't enough to push the Pistons into the playoffs, they made the easiest changes they could in the offseason, hiring a new coach and overhauling the front office.Stan Van Gundy is out and Dwane Casey is in on the Detroit bench, but the team Casey will coach isn't much different than the group that went 39-43 last season. The Pistons will hope for a nice boost from their new coach and some better health for key players. With Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, Detroit has an intriguing nucleus, but those three were rarely on the court together in 2017-18."Our expectations should be high," Griffin said. "In the East, with our roster, I don't see why getting home court in the playoffs is not a reasonable expectation."The Pistons appeared headed toward a season like that before Jackson went down with an ankle injury in late December.... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Carmelo Anthony experiment in Oklahoma City didn't go well last season.The Rockets believe things will be different for the 10-time All-Star in Houston and that Anthony can be the piece stars James Harden and Chris Paul need to win the rugged West — and maybe win it all."We can win. I think he sees that, feels that," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Now it's just up to everybody (and) they're going to do whatever it takes to win."Anthony balked at the suggestion he would come off the bench for the Thunder had he stayed. He still doesn't want to talk about the possibility of a reserve role in Houston, but he seems to have made peace with playing with the second team if it means he might finally get a ring in his 16th season."At the end of the day whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, then that's what's going to be done," Anthony said.Anthony was traded to the Hawks after one tough season with the Thunder, where he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When LeBron James chose the Los Angeles Lakers, the burgeoning entertainment mogul realized many people would think he joined a mediocre team with a five-year playoff drought because he wanted to be in Hollywood.James simply scoffs at the notion he's thinking about anything but his day job as he begins the next chapter in one of the greatest careers in NBA history."My decision was based solely on my family and the Lakers," James explained before his first full practice in purple and gold. "I'm a basketball player. I play ball. That's what I do. When I do it at the level I do, everything else will take care of itself. As far as my business, those things have been taking care of themselves way before I even came out here."After winning three championship rings while leading — and sometimes carrying — his last eight consecutive teams in Miami and Cleveland to the NBA Finals, the 33-year-old James' new business is restoring a fraction of the Lakers' traditional glory following... [More]

Jimmy Butler is back with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his first practice of the season had fireworks.He caused them — with his words and his play.Butler, who asked for a trade more than three weeks ago, practiced with the Timberwolves for the first time this season in Minneapolis on Wednesday. ESPN reported that Butler verbally challenged players, coaches and even general manager Scott Layden in the practice, during which Butler dominated the team's scrimmages even when going up against stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.In an interview taped with ESPN after practice, Butler acknowledged that "a lot" of the network's report was true and that the scene in practice was him just showing passion and being "brutally honest.""All my emotion came out at one time," Butler said in the interview. "Was it the right way to do it? No. But I can't control that when I'm out there competing. That's my love of the game. That's raw me. Me at my finest, me at my purest. That's what you're... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Losing All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to injury in the middle of last season helped Pelicans general manager Dell Demps decide on roster moves this summer, particularly after Cousins chose to bolt in free agency.Demps had a chance to see the Pelicans coalesce around fellow All-Star Anthony Davis and a faster-paced style as they rallied to finish sixth in the Western Conference and sweep third-seeded Portland in the first round of the playoffs."It was fun to watch as the guys were playing fast and sharing the ball and flying all over the place," Demps said. "When you feel like you've established an identity that has had success, you want to continue along those lines."We feel like we've established ourselves from a defensive standpoint and an offensive standpoint," he added. "We're going to defend. We're going to play fast. We're going to move the ball and we're going to play for each other."To help fill the void left by Cousins, Demps brought in former Lakers forward Julius... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves parlayed the arrival of Jimmy Butler into the franchise's first appearance in the playoffs in 14 years.Butler, naturally, has been the focal point for Minnesota with the start of this season fast approaching, but in a most surprising and distracting way.Butler's request for a trade has yet to be fulfilled. After three consecutive lackluster preseason performances by the Timberwolves, Butler joined practice on Wednesday and created quite a stir by verbally challenging teammates and executives during the session.The opener at San Antonio is just a week away and coach Tom Thibodeau wants Butler to remain with Minnesota despite his adamant refusal to re-sign with the team before he can opt out of his contract next summer. So the possibility remains that the 29-year-old Butler would take the court for the Wolves with an awkward-at-best atmosphere surrounding their 30th season as a franchise.Butler's stance about wanting to be elsewhere,... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — There was LeBron James, still somewhat of a startling sight in purple and gold. And there were Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, still very much the champions of basketball for now and the foreseeable future.Playing each other Wednesday night in a game that meant nothing — except for those looking for a glimpse into the future of the NBA.Basketball's biggest stars on stage in a city full of stars. An exhibition game, yes, but that didn't stop fans from packing T-Mobile Arena on the Strip, where in a few years there almost surely will be a team they can call their own.And maybe the best thing? Anyone in the arena with a betting account could pull out their phone and bet a few dollars during the game.The gambling stigma is gone, thanks largely to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's progressive attitude and a Supreme Court decision that allowed sports betting in other states. The Vegas Golden Knights showed in their inaugural season that professional sports... [More]

The roadblock has been removed. With LeBron James gone, the path to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference is open again.Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and more are hoping to win the race to it.James ruled over the East for eight years, making four straight trips to the finals from Miami and then moving back to Cleveland in 2014 and getting there every year since.From Boston to Indiana, up north in Toronto all the way down to Atlanta, teams would emerge with what they thought was a title contender only to see James send them home for the summer.Now King James has abdicated his throne and moved to Los Angeles, and there should be rejoicing in the land he left behind."It's a new lease on life in the Eastern Conference," said Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Reggie Miller, who faced a similar situation when he played in the East during the era of Michael Jordan's Bulls."It's great that LeBron has taken his talents out West because it opens up the doors for not only a lot of these young players,... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers have placed Omari Johnson and Elijah Stewart on waivers.The moves came less than a week before Indiana's regular season opener against Memphis.Johnson is a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward who made his NBA debut in 2017. The Oregon State alum did not appear any preseason games with Indiana.Stewart is a 6-5, 194-pound guard from Southern California. He was averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds during the preseason.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James' first game against the Warriors as a Laker drew nearly 2 million viewers, making it ESPN's most-watched preseason game ever.The Lakers' 123-113 victory Wednesday night in Las Vegas was watched by 1.98 million viewers, the network said Thursday. A spokesman says that is the most viewers for an NBA preseason game on any network since at least 1994, which is as far back as the records go.James developed a rivalry with the Warriors while meeting them in a record four straight NBA Finals while he played in Cleveland. His move to Los Angeles in July put him in the same division as the two-time defending champions.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jimmy Butler was absent as the Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up preparations for their preseason finale Friday night.Butler has demanded a trade but returned to practice with the team Wednesday, a session that included him verbally challenging teammates and coaches. He was not with the team at Friday's shootaround in Milwaukee.Coach Tom Thibodeau, speaking publicly for the first time since Wednesday's practice, said Butler was doing conditioning work in Minneapolis and had not been suspended.Asked if Butler would play in Minnesota's regular-season opener at San Antonio next Wednesday, Thibodeau said: "The situation remains fluid."Butler told ESPN following Wednesday's practice that his issues with the Timberwolves have not been fixed."Let's just be honest. It could be," Butler said in the interview. "But do I think so? No."Center Karl-Anthony Towns would not address what happened at that practice or whether a players' meeting was held Thursday."I think the only thing that... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki's debut in his record 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks won't be in the opener.Coach Rick Carlisle said Friday the 40-year-old Nowitzki will miss "multiple weeks" with a longer-than-expected recovery from left ankle surgery in April. The Mavericks open the season Wednesday in Phoenix.Nowitzki said he had a setback when he started playing again about a week before training camp. He hasn't practiced in the preseason. The surgery just before the end of last season was to remove bone spurs.Carlisle said the 13-time All-Star was doing better but hasn't done any significant work on the court.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder have waived four players ahead of their season opener Tuesday at Golden State.The team waived guard Abdul Gaddy, forward Donte Grantham, guard Scotty Hopson, and forward Dez Wells. The Thunder made the announcement in a news release Friday.Gaddy played in all four preseason games and averaged 1.0 point, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest. Grantham, Hopson and Wells were signed on Oct. 10 and did not play in the preseason.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Justise Winslow has agreed to a $39 million, three-year extension with the Miami Heat.A person with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed the terms to The Associated Press on Friday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Winslow isn't signing the contract until this weekend.Later, Winslow confirmed that he would be signing the deal."I'm just excited," Winslow said. "I'm invested in this team, in this city. It's nice to get it done before the season so I can just go out there and play, open mind, open heart. I'm committed to this team and committed to this city."Winslow averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds on 41 percent shooting over his first three seasons, playing mostly as a reserve. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2015 draft out of Duke.The contract means the Heat salary commitments for the 2019-20 season, when Winslow's extension would begin, are about $135 million for 10 players. Winslow will make $13 million in each of the three seasons of the deal,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have waived three players as they move toward setting their roster for the regular season.Forward Thomas Robinson and guards R.J. Hunter and C.J. Anderson were let go by the rebuilding team, which opens the season next Wednesday at New York.Robinson and Hunter were former first-round picks who signed with the Hawks in an effort to jump-start their struggling pro careers. Hunter played collegiately in Atlanta and is the son of Georgia State coach Ron Hunter.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Joakim Noah's disappointing Knicks career is over after just two seasons.Unable to find a trade, the Knicks waived the 33-year-old center Saturday with two years and $37.8 million remaining on his contract.Noah had been away from the team since clashing with former coach Jeff Hornacek last season, when he appeared in just seven games. The Knicks had already decided he wouldn't rejoin the club under new coach David Fizdale but were hoping they could find a long shot trade to get something back for him without having to cut him.The New York native signed with his hometown team in 2016 and drew a loud ovation in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden, where he was introduced as being from the Hell's Kitchen section of the city, rather than from Florida, the team he helped win two NCAA championships.The Chicago Bulls selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft. He had great years with the Bulls, highlighted by being voted Defensive Player of the Year and... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have waived guard Jarrett Jack and forward Garlon Green.Jack had signed with New Orleans a week before training camp and averaged 3.3 points and two assists in three preseason games.Jack has played 13 years in the NBA, including two stints with New Orleans. Jack has averaged nearly 11 points per game throughout a career that has included stints in Portland, Indiana, Toronto, Golden State, Cleveland, Brooklyn and New York. He averaged a career-best 15.6 points in the 2011-12 season with New Orleans.Green signed with New Orleans in July after playing on the Pelicans' summer league team in Las Vegas. He averaged four points and 1.5 rebounds in four preseason games.The Pelicans open the regular season Wednesday night in Houston.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports