CHICAGO (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to regroup after losing center Jusuf Nurkic to a gruesome leg injury.The 7-footer had surgery Tuesday after sustaining compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula late in a playoff-clinching, double-overtime victory over Brooklyn a night earlier.Nurkic's leg bent awkwardly when he landed going for an offensive rebound, and he crumbled to the floor. The team has no timetable for him resuming basketball activities."Obviously, we're still a little down about Jusuf being out, but we know the season rolls on and we got to be prepared not only for the Bulls but the rest of the season," coach Terry Stotts said prior to Wednesday's game at Chicago.He said Nurkic hoped to head home Wednesday or Thursday."When he was on the floor, I saw his eyes," center Enes Kanter said. "I saw he was crying and everything, so he definitely was in everybody's heart. But we've got a job to do. We just got to go out and play the game."Nurkic was averaging a... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Center Enes Kanter has joined the Portland Trail Blazers.Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week. Kanter announced Wednesday on Twitter that he had signed with the Blazers for the rest of the season. The deal was first reported by ESPN."I look forward to helping the Blazers achieve the ultimate goal of competing for a championship," he said on the post. "Excited to meet my new teammates, coaches, staff and most importantly the fans. It is a blessing to continue to compete at the highest level."Kanter was once a starter for the Knicks but fell out of the rotation altogether when the team — with the worst record in the league — turned its focus to younger players. The Knicks could not find a deal for Kanter before the deadline.The center from Turkey came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons.... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Center Enes Kanter has joined the Portland Trail Blazers.Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week. Kanter announced Wednesday on Twitter that he had signed with the Blazers for the rest of the season. The deal was first reported by ESPN."I look forward to helping the Blazers achieve the ultimate goal of competing for a championship," he said on the post. "Excited to meet my new teammates, coaches, staff and most importantly the fans. It is a blessing to continue to compete at the highest level."Kanter was once a starter for the Knicks but fell out of the rotation altogether when the team — with the worst record in the league — turned its focus to younger players. The Knicks could not find a deal for Kanter before the deadline.The center from Turkey came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then any spot at all in recent weeks.The Blazers previously made a four-year, $70 million offer for Kanter in 2015 when he was a restricted free agent, but the Thunder matched it.Kanter will play behind Portland's starting center Jusuf Nurkic in a strong second unit that includes Seth Curry, Jake Layman, Rodney Hood and Evan Turner.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Center Enes Kanter has joined the Portland Trail Blazers.Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week. Kanter announced Wednesday on Twitter that he had signed with the Blazers for the rest of the season.Kanter was once a starter for the Knicks but fell out of the rotation altogether when the team — with the worst record in the league — turned its focus to younger players. The Knicks could not find a deal for Kanter before the deadline.The center from Turkey came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then any spot at all in recent weeks.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have waived Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews, allowing them to sign with other teams for a playoff run.The Knicks were unable to find a trade before Thursday's deadline for Kanter, their former starting center who had fallen out of the rotation altogether with New York having the worst record in the league and focusing on its younger players.The center from Turkey was acquired from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then any spot at all in recent weeks.General manager Scott Perry says Kanter "passionately embraced our franchise and our city," adding that "he is a courageous individual and we thank him for his many contributions both on the court and in the community."Matthews was acquired last week from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade and played in two games. The veteran swingman is averaging 12.8 points this season.Players on an NBA roster have to be waived by March 1 in order to be eligible to sign with another team an appear in the postseason.

LONDON (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the safety and security of players will always be paramount for the league after New York Knicks center Enes Kanter did not travel to London for his team's game against the Washington Wizards.Kanter said he feared he could be attacked or killed over his opposition to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he were to travel to London. Istanbul-based newspaper Daily Sabah reported that an arrest warrant was issued for Kanter by Turkish prosecutors on Wednesday.Silver said NBA officials never suggested that Kanter skip the game but understand why he chose not to travel."There are significant issues that he is dealing with, and I recognize that for the NBA, by virtue of the fact that we're a global business, we have to pay a lot of attention to those issues as well," Silver said. "I will say there's nothing more important to me, as the commissioner of the league, the safety and security of our players, and so we take very seriously... [More]

LONDON (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the safety and security of players will always be paramount for the league after New York Knicks center Enes Kanter did not travel to London for his team's game against the Washington Wizards.Kanter said he feared he could be attacked or killed over his opposition to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he were to travel to London. Istanbul-based newspaper Daily Sabah reported that an arrest warrant was issued for Kanter by Turkish prosecutors on Wednesday.Silver, speaking ahead of Thursday's game, says "it was never a suggestion from the league that (Kanter) was not welcome on this trip.""There are significant issues that he is dealing with, and I recognize that for the NBA, by virtue of the fact that we're a global business, we have to pay a lot of attention to those issues as well," Silver says.Kanter, who has frequently criticized Erdogan, had his Turkish passport revoked in 2017.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for New York Knicks player Enes Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization.Sabah newspaper says the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office had also prepared an extradition request for the NBA player. Officials at the prosecutor's office could not be reached by The Associated Press for comment.Kanter, who didn't go with the Knicks this week for their game in London because he feared he could be killed over his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responded on Twitter that the Turkish government could not present "any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing.""I don't even have a parking ticket in the U.S.," he wrote Wednesday.Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Erdogan, and his Turkish passport was revoked in 2017.This time, Sabah says prosecutors are seeking an Interpol "Red Notice" citing Kanter's ties to exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a failed... [More]

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for New York Knicks player Enes Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization.Sabah newspaper says the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office had also prepared an extradition request for the NBA player. Officials at the prosecutor's office could not be reached by The Associated Press for comment.Kanter, who didn't go with the Knicks this week for their game in London because he feared he could be killed over his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responded on Twitter that the Turkish government could not present "any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing.""I don't even have a parking ticket in the U.S.," he wrote Wednesday.Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Erdogan, and his Turkish passport was revoked in 2017.This time, Sabah says prosecutors are seeking an Interpol "Red Notice" citing Kanter's ties to exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a failed... [More]

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for New York Knicks player Enes Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization.Sabah newspaper says the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office had also prepared an extradition request for the NBA player. Officials at the prosecutor's office could not be reached for comment.Sabah says prosecutors are seeking an Interpol "Red Notice" citing Kanter's ties to Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a failed coup in 2016, and accusing him of providing financial support to his group.Earlier this month, Kanter refused to travel to London for a regular-season NBA game, saying he feared he could be assassinated for his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Kanter's Turkish passport was revoked in 2017.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA changed the All-Star voting process two years ago, in part to prevent Zaza Pachulia being elected a starter.Instead, it might keep Dwyane Wade from being one — again. Luka Doncic and Derrick Rose, too.Entering the last full week of balloting, Wade would be in a good position for a farewell All-Star start under the old system, which was solely dependent on fan votes. He's running second among Eastern Conference guards, with a sizeable gap to No. 3 Kemba Walker after the second set of returns were released last week.Doncic is second among West forwards in a bid to start as a rookie, and Rose is ahead of MVP James Harden in the second spot in the West backcourt.But fan vote is now just 50 percent of the process, a change that was made after Pachulia was undeservedly nearly elected a starter through a huge overseas push in 2016. The players' vote and a media panel each account for 25 percent, and in its first year it did stop Pachulia, who would have been elected to start by fans in... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New York center Enes Kanter will not travel to London for the Knicks' upcoming international game because he believes he could be assassinated for his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Kanter announced his plan Friday night after the Knicks' 119-112 win over the Lakers. The Knicks later said Kanter also won't make the trip because of a visa issue.Kanter will stay in New York while the Knicks travel to face Washington at The O2 arena in London on Jan. 17. He says he can't travel anywhere except the U.S. and Canada because "there's a chance I could get killed out there.""Sadly, I'm not going because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president," Kanter said. "It's pretty sad that all the stuff affects my career and basketball, because I want to be out there and help my team win. But just because of the one lunatic guy, one maniac, one dictator, I can't even go out there and do my job. It's pretty sad."Kanter has been a vocal critic of Erdogan for years,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New York center Enes Kanter will not travel to London for the Knicks' upcoming international game because he believes he could be assassinated because of his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Kanter announced his plan Friday night after the Knicks' 119-112 win over the Lakers.Kanter will stay in New York while the Knicks travel to face Washington in London on Jan. 17. He says he can't travel anywhere except the U.S. and Canada because "there's a chance I could get killed out there."Kanter has been a vocal critic of Erdogan for years, and his Turkish passport was revoked last year. Kanter is a follower of a U.S.-based Turkish cleric accused of masterminding a failed military coup in 2016.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins isn't even playing for Golden State yet and he's been ejected from a game.Cousins was thrown out in the first quarter of the Warriors' 128-100 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night after arguing with referee Scott Foster.Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Foster told him he had already warned Cousins and Knicks center Enes Kanter about their jawing with each other. Cousins then apparently directed his talking to Foster.As play resumed following a timeout with 2:28 remaining in the period, it was announced that Cousins had been assessed a technical foul during the break, and then subsequently ejected."Cousins took exception to the ruling and during the timeout he was ejected for one technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct," Foster told a pool reporter.Cousins was tossed after just one technical instead of the standard two, with Foster saying the officials felt that was enough for a player not in the game. Asked if the ejection was because of what Cousins said, Foster replied: "More so the way of which he stated what he stated."Cousins is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He took part in his first practice with the Warriors on Thursday, but there is still no timetable for his return to action.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Enes Kanter is sticking with the New York Knicks.Kanter informed the Knicks on Friday he was opting into his contract for next season, rather than becoming a free agent. He teased his decision on Twitter with a picture of himself speaking at a podium that read "Make Knicks Great Again."The center from Turkey will make $18.6 million in 2018-19.Kanter was acquired in September from Oklahoma City as part of the trade for Carmelo Anthony. He averaged 14.1 points and 11 rebounds in 71 games, all starts, and shot a career-best 59 percent from the field.

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin sat with his injured ankle wrapped on one side of the locker room while Reggie Jackson dressed on the other.The Detroit Pistons didn't get to see much of them together on the court, part of the reason their playoff hopes are just about finished.So they're trying to take the positives from a strong finish in a season where so much else went wrong.Andre Drummond narrowly missed a second straight 20-20 game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and the Pistons beat the New York Knicks 115-109 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory."It's been a long season. It's been a tough one for us. We're not where we necessarily envisioned ourselves, but like I said I'm just proud of the resiliency this team's had," Jackson said. "Despite what our record may say, coming in every day and trying to get better and continue to battle."Jackson and Anthony Tolliver each scored 17 points for the Pistons, who won for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without Griffin because... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Andre Drummond narrowly missed a second straight 20-20 game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks 115-109 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory.Reggie Jackson and Anthony Tolliver each scored 17 points for the Pistons, who won for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without the injured Blake Griffin. Reggie Bullock added 16.Drummond was 8 for 13 from the floor and the formerly woeful free throw shooter was 6 of 8 from the line. The All-Star center had 24 points and 23 rebounds in a victory over Washington on Thursday and leads the NBA with seven 20-point, 20-rebound games this season.Griffin had an MRI Thursday on his right ankle that revealed a bone bruise. The Pistons said he will be re-evaluated in one week and a timetable for his return to action will be provided as appropriate.Michael Beasley scored 32 points and Trey Burke Jr. added 18 points and 15 assists for the Knicks, who have dropped three straight.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks were scouting Kristaps Porzingis ahead of the 2015 draft when they noticed one of his teammates in Spain.Willy Hernangomez eventually joined Porzingis in New York, and after his promising rookie season both were considered key pieces for the team's future.Now Porzingis is headed for surgery and Hernangomez is on his way to Charlotte.The Knicks traded Hernangomez to the Hornets on Wednesday in a deal that brings back second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, plus forward Johnny O'Bryant.Hernangomez was an all-rookie selection last season and had been identified by team management during the summer as a one of the young players to build around. But the Knicks then acquired Enes Kanter from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade and Hernangomez fell to third in the center rotation behind Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn."He showed last season that he can contribute when given the opportunity and we believe that the added depth he provides will benefit our... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have traded center Willy Hernangomez to the Charlotte Hornets.The Knicks will receive second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, plus forward Johnny O'Bryant in the deal that was agreed to Wednesday, the day before the NBA trade deadline.Hernangomez was an all-rookie selection last season and had been identified by team management during the summer as an important piece of the Knicks' future. But the Knicks then acquired Enes Kanter from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade and Hernangomez fell to third in the center rotation behind Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn.The deal comes hours after the Knicks lost All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to a torn ACL.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the deal says the New York Knicks have agreed to trade center Willy Hernangomez to the Charlotte Hornets.The person says the Knicks will receive a pair of second-round picks and Johnny O'Bryant in the deal that was agreed to Wednesday, the day before the NBA trade deadline. The person spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade is not yet official.The deal was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.Hernangomez was an all-rookie selection last season and had been identified by team management during the summer as an important piece of the Knicks' future. But the Knicks then acquired Enes Kanter from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade and Hernangomez fell to third in the center rotation behind Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn.The deal comes hours after the Knicks lost All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to a torn ACL.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball