NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Portland coach Terry Stotts says Carmelo Anthony will start at forward in his Trail Blazers debut against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.The 35-year-old Anthony agreed to contract terms with Portland last week but was officially signed Tuesday after passing a recent physical.The 16-year veteran’s first game with his fifth NBA team comes in the same city — and across the street — from where he led Syracuse to an NCAA national title in 2003.The 6-foot-8 Anthony began his NBA career in Denver, where he played seven-plus seasons before being traded in 2011 to the New York Knicks, where he spent six-plus seasons. He also has played one each with Oklahoma City and Houston. The Rockets traded him to Chicago last January, but the Bulls cut him before he played a game.He has averaged 24 points in 1,064 career regular season games.____More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland was at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony struggled at the end of his recent... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now set with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland was at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony struggled at the end of his recent... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now set with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland plays at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony but struggled at the end of... [More]

Plenty has changed since Carmelo Anthony last played an NBA game.Zion Williamson had just made his Duke debut. Kyrie Irving had said only a month earlier he planned to re-sign in Boston.There’s been turnover all over the league — including a blockbuster trade between Anthony’s last two teams that sent Russell Westbrook to Houston and Chris Paul to Oklahoma City.When Anthony joins the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in New Orleans, he will come to an NBA that’s much different since Nov. 8, 2018, and he will try to show he still fits in it.“I just look at that opportunity, that team, and say, ‘Look, this is what I can bring to the team, this where I can help,’ and it will only work if all parties see it the same way,” Anthony said in a video posted Monday.Plenty of fellow players think he can. A former coach hopes he will.“Hopefully this is a good situation,” Houston’s Mike D’Antoni said. “You never know why this didn’t happen before. For whatever reason. Maybe he wasn’t ready. I hope it... [More]

Plenty has changed since Carmelo Anthony last played an NBA game.Zion Williamson had just made his Duke debut. Kyrie Irving had said only a month earlier he planned to re-sign in Boston.There’s been turnover all over the league — including a blockbuster trade between Anthony’s last two teams that sent Russell Westbrook to Houston and Chris Paul to Oklahoma City.When Anthony joins the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in New Orleans, he will come to an NBA that’s much different since Nov. 8, 2018, and he will try to show he still fits in it.“I just look at that opportunity, that team, and say, ‘Look, this is what I can bring to the team, this where I can help,’ and it will only work if all parties see it the same way,” Anthony said in a video posted Monday.Plenty of fellow players think he can. A former coach hopes he will.“Hopefully this is a good situation,” Houston’s Mike D’Antoni said. “You never know why this didn’t happen before. For whatever reason. Maybe he wasn’t ready. I hope it... [More]

Carmelo Anthony is getting another shot in the NBA.The 10-time All-Star is returning to the league with the Portland Trail Blazers, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.Anthony hasn’t played since a short stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago after just 10 games. But the Blazers hope there is still enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 4-8 start.Anthony’s deal with Portland was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced. It was first reported by ESPN.com, which said that Anthony would join the team on its upcoming road trip.Anthony is a three-time Olympic gold medalist but struggled at the end of his recent stops in Oklahoma City and Houston following 6 ½ seasons in New York. He continued to work out with NBA players, and his many friends and supporters insisted he was still good enough to play in the league.Now he will get a chance to prove it.“It’s about damn time!!”... [More]

A person familiar with the details says Carmelo Anthony is returning to the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers.The 10-time All-Star hasn’t played since a short stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago after just 10 games. But the Blazers hope there is still enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 4-8 start.Anthony’s deal with Portland was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because it has not been announced. It was first reported by ESPN.com, which said that Anthony would join the team on its upcoming road trip.Anthony is a three-time Olympic gold medalist but has struggled at the end of his recent stops in Oklahoma City and Houston following 6 ½ seasons in New York.Anthony was acquired by the Chicago Bulls from Houston on Jan. 21, with the intention of trading him before the deadline or letting him go. He averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets last season, but hasn’t played since November... [More]

A person familiar with the details says Carmelo Anthony is returning to the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers.The 10-time All-Star hasn’t played since a short stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago after just 10 games. But the Blazers hope there is still enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 4-8 start.Anthony’s deal with Portland was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because it has not been announced. It was first reported by ESPN.com, which said that Anthony would join the team on its upcoming road trip.Anthony is a three-time Olympic gold medalist but has struggled at the end of his recent stops in Oklahoma City and Houston following 6 ½ seasons in New York.Anthony was acquired by the Chicago Bulls from Houston on Jan. 21, with the intention of trading him before the deadline or letting him go. He averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets last season, but hasn’t played since November 2018.Anthony was traded by Oklahoma City to Atlanta in July 2018, a move that preceded the Hawks releasing him to sign with the Rockets. The Bulls, technically, were his fourth franchise in seven months.Eight of Anthony's 10 appearances for the Rockets came off the bench after he had started all 1,054 games he'd played in his first 15 NBA seasons. He has averaged 24 points in 16 seasons.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin was asked to recall the early stages of Derrick Rose's career, when the dynamic point guard won an MVP for the Chicago Bulls at age 22."His run in Chicago was special," Griffin said. "I don't want to say it caught us off guard, because it was kind of a nice natural progression for him, but just everything he did was at a higher level than anybody else. He was great for the game of basketball — is great for the game of basketball."The Detroit Pistons are hoping Griffin was right to use the present tense after signing Rose as a free agent this offseason. Now 31, Rose is far removed from his days as an MVP, but the Pistons saw enough upside to bring him in. Detroit also added 38-year-old Joe Johnson.The Pistons now have the top picks from the 2008 and 2009 drafts in Rose and Griffin. Rose, Griffin and Johnson have combined for 16 All-Star selections, although the last time they made it at the same time was in 2012. How this trio will do in 2019 is anyone's guess.Detroit's... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder waived forward Patrick Patterson on Thursday.Patterson spent two seasons with Oklahoma City. He appeared in 145 games and averaged 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game.Patterson originally was expected to be Oklahoma City's starting power forward heading into the 2017-18 season, but the Thunder traded for Carmelo Anthony, moving Patterson to a reserve role. The younger, more athletic Jerami Grant emerged that season and eventually took over the starting job early in the 2018-19 season. Patterson got regular minutes the first half of the season, but the Thunder added Markieff Morris in February, taking Patterson out of the rotation.In his final season with the Thunder, Patterson averaged 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 63 games while shooting 37 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dwyane Wade is adamant that the end of this season will be the right time for him to bid farewell to the game of basketball.The game of basketball spent the weekend disagreeing with him.Wade's final All-Star appearance as a player is now complete, a four-day trip that had testimonials, celebrations, moments with his family, countless photos and chats with some of basketball's royalty, and one more lob to LeBron James for good measure. He scored seven points in his final NBA All-Star Game, helping Team LeBron get a 178-164 victory over Team Giannis."If you could wake up and say, 'This is how I would like my perfect day to go, this is how I would like my perfect All-Star weekend to go,' then this was it for me," Wade told The Associated Press. "This was exactly what I envisioned, what I wanted when I knew I had this opportunity. And it's been even more than I thought it could be."The score and the stats from the weekend will be forgotten.The moments won't be, at least... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Carmelo Anthony has been waived by the Chicago Bulls, making the 10-time All-Star forward a free agent.The Bulls acquired Anthony from Houston on Jan. 21 with the intention of trading him prior to the Feb. 7 deadline or letting him go. He averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets and has not played since Nov. 8.Anthony was traded by Oklahoma City to Atlanta in July, a move that preceded the Hawks releasing him to sign with the Rockets. The Bulls, technically, were his fourth franchise in seven months.Anthony has averaged 24 points in 16 seasons.Chicago also traded a protected second-round pick in the 2020 draft to Oklahoma City for guard/forward Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and cash on Friday. Luwawu-Cabarrot appeared in 21 games this season, including one start, and averaged 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game.Oklahoma City acquired Luwawu-Cabarrot from the Philadelphia 76ers last July in a three-team trade in which the Thunder also acquired Dennis Schroder.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Dwyane Wade considered ending his NBA career after last season. Carmelo Anthony was one of the people who told him he needed a proper goodbye.On Sunday, Wade's final lap around the league even brought Anthony back to Madison Square Garden.Anthony sat courtside at his former home to watch Wade help Miami beat the New York Knicks 106-97."I didn't know he was coming. I found out before the game. But it meant a lot, man. I am glad," Wade said."I talked to him this summer. We went out to dinner and I was contemplating retirement and Melo was one of the ones that was pushing me to come back and he was like, 'Flash, you can't go out like that. You got to come back and get that love, that last tour kind of.' And he was a big part of me making that decision. I am glad he came out (to) see me play in person, you know, maybe for the last time. So it's cool."Anthony spent 6½ seasons with the Knicks before they traded him to Oklahoma City in September 2017. He's still looking for a team... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Rockets and Bulls finalized a trade Tuesday that sends veteran forward Carmelo Anthony from Houston to Chicago.The Bulls acquired the draft rights to Jon Diebler and cash considerations in exchange for the rights to Tadija Dragicevic. The Bulls have no plans to play Anthony and will look to either trade the 10-time All-Star before the Feb. 7 deadline or ultimately waive him and make him a free agent.Anthony averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets. He has not played since Nov. 8. Anthony was traded by Oklahoma City to Atlanta in July, a move that preceded the Hawks releasing him to sign with the Rockets. The Bulls, technically, are Anthony's fourth franchise in seven months.Anthony was the No. 3 pick in the star-studded 2003 draft class that also included No. 1 LeBron James, No. 4 Chris Bosh and No. 5 Dwyane Wade. He has averaged 24.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his career.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is going to Chicago, albeit only on paper.Where he's going next remains unclear.A person with direct knowledge of the matter said the Houston Rockets are trading Anthony and an undisclosed amount of cash to the Bulls in a deal that is expected to be completed Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the trade still needs league approval.When that comes — the only reason why it didn't happen Monday is because the NBA office was closed to commemorate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday — Anthony will have a new team, though still won't be back on the floor. The Bulls have no plans to play Anthony and will look to either trade him before the Feb. 7 deadline or ultimately waive him and make him a free agent.The trade ends a short-lived saga in Houston for Anthony, who averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets. He has not played since Nov. 8.Anthony was traded by Oklahoma City to Atlanta in July, a... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston rookie Gary Clark had a special cheering section Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers as a contingent of people from the small North Carolina town where he grew up, including Pirates pitcher Chris Archer, attended the game.Clark and Archer were both raised and went to high school in Clayton, North Carolina, a town of just more than 21,000 people about 20 minutes outside Raleigh.Archer is about six years older than Clark, but has watched his career since the Rocket was a freshman in high school and made a point to catch at least one of his games every season since. After watching him work at Clayton high school, he continued to follow his career at Cincinnati in his four years playing for the Bearcats.Clark said his relationship with Archer has been an important one and that seeing his success as a professional athlete inspired him and many other kids in their community."For him to be the first superstar out of little ol' Clayton it kind of like opened up... [More]

There has been some early tinkering to lineups, a few hiccups and lots of drama to start the NBA season.None of the league's final four teams from last season — Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Golden State — look like locks to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this time.The addition of Carmelo Anthony to the Rockets' roster produced more thorns than fruit, and now he is out.In Boston, the Celtics are having early trouble trying to figure out how best to use their overflowing mix of young and veteran talent following the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward from injuries.And Cleveland has gotten off to a predictable slow start to the post-LeBron James' era, but few expected the total collapse by the Cavaliers.However, there is no drama like championship drama and the defending champion Warriors suddenly look more like the cast of a reality series than a harmonious lineup rolling along and vying for a third straight championship.Draymond's Green public outburst at Kevin Durant during the Warriors'... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is done in Houston.Rockets general manager Daryl Morey released a statement Thursday saying the team is "parting ways" with Anthony and "working toward a resolution."Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets after signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal during the offseason."Carmelo had a tremendous approach during his time with the Rockets and accepted every role head coach Mike D'Antoni gave him," Morey said. "The fit we envisioned when Carmelo chose to sign with the Rockets has not materialized, therefore we thought it was best to move on as any other outcome would have been unfair to him."Anthony was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July before the Hawks released him to clear the way for him to sign with the Rockets.Houston star James Harden said he liked having Anthony on his team but that the decision was out of his hands."It's one of my friends. He's a great guy, great teammate," Harden said. "It just didn't work out. It's... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is done in Houston.Rockets general manager Daryl Morey released a statement Thursday saying the team is "parting ways" with Anthony and "working toward a resolution."Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets after signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal during the offseason.Morey added that: "Carmelo had a tremendous approach during his time with the Rockets and accepted every role head coach Mike D'Antoni gave him. The fit we envisioned when Carmelo chose to sign with the Rockets has not materialized, therefore we thought it was best to move on as any other outcome would have been unfair to him."He was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July before the Hawks released him to clear the way for him to sign with the Rockets.Houston thought he could be the piece it needed to finally get past Golden State and win its first championship since back-to-back titles in 1994-95. Instead the Rockets limped out to a 6-7 start and the emergence... [More]