OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony plans to opt in and take the $28 million he is due next season.The New York Times first reported the 34-year-old Anthony's decision to bypass the chance to become a free agent. A person with knowledge of details confirmed Anthony's choice to The Associated Press on Friday night. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.The Thunder traded for Anthony and Paul George to join Russell Westbrook before last season, moves that gave them high hopes of challenging Golden State in the West. It didn't work out as planned.The 34-year-old Anthony had been the headliner his entire career — he's 19th in NBA history with 25,417 points — but he was more of a catch-and-shoot scorer last season instead of the isolation specialist he had always been. He averaged 16.2 points per game, but struggled at times in his new role. His playing time dwindled in the playoffs and he... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic didn't get compared to Larry Bird when he was introduced a day after the Dallas Mavericks traded up to get the third overall pick in the NBA draft.For president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, that's progress based on his last experience of getting a tender-aged European in hopes of lifting the Mavericks out of the doldrums.Twenty years later, Dirk Nowitzki is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in league history. Back then, the big German wasn't remotely comparable to Larry Legend — and his rough first two years proved it.So ask Nelson about a player the Mavericks clearly coveted heading into the draft in Doncic, and he'll choose his words carefully regarding the 19-year-old from Slovenia. Doncic won't turn 20 until after the All-Star break of his rookie season, which is expected to be Nowitzki's record 21st with one franchise."Dirk and I had a long talk coming in," Nelson said about the player Dallas drafted days after his 20th birthday in 1998."We're... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Kevin Knox took a call from someone who knew exactly what he experienced on draft night.New Yorkers didn't welcome Kristaps Porzingis with open arms, either."He asked me how the fans reacted and I told him I got the same amount of boos as he got," Knox said Friday. "He just laughed and he said it's all motivation and fuel to the fire, and he said just work and he said sooner or later they'll be cheering for you."That's what happened with Porzingis, who quickly won over those who loudly booed his selection in 2015 with his talent, competitiveness and work ethic.The Knicks see the same traits in Knox, convincing them that the Kentucky freshman was not only the player to take with the No. 9 pick but that he's ready to start and match up with the NBA's best small forwards next season.That's why they decided a day before the draft they were taking Knox if he was available and didn't waver from that even when Michael Porter Jr. was still on the board — disappointing some... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Now that the Denver Nuggets have a player they coveted in the NBA draft, their focus shifts to the start of free agency next week.Michael Porter Jr. went to the Nuggets at No. 14 Thursday night, giving them a potential impact player. Now the priority this offseason is keeping their own free agents and locking down the face of the franchise.Center and budding superstar Nikola Jokic is the top priority, and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has said the Nuggets want to sign him to a long-term contract before he hits the market next summer."Nikola's going to be here for a long, long time," Connelly said. "Whatever we do, we're going to ensure that he's here as long as possible. We'll talk to Nikola, his brothers and his representation and he'll be in Denver for a long, long time. He'll be buying here."Will Barton is an unrestricted free agent and forward Wilson Chandler can opt out of the last year of his deal. Connelly said the Nuggets want to retain both."Will... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — General manager Mitch Kupchak wants point guard Kemba Walker to end his NBA career right where it started — with the Charlotte Hornets.Kupchak said Friday that Walker is "revered" in the Charlotte community, and that he and owner Michael Jordan look at the two-time All-Star as "the focal point of this franchise going forward."The 28-year-old Walker has been the subject of possible NBA trade talks as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract with the Hornets. That speculation has amped up recently because it is a practical impossibility for Charlotte to sign Walker to an extension before he becomes a free agent in July of 2019 since the Hornets are so tight under the salary cap."I think everybody is aware of the situation, if you follow basketball a little bit, it is unique that he is on an extension that may make it a challenge going forward to figure out before he becomes a free agent," Kupchak said.At $12 million per year, Walker well underpaid when compared... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Collin Sexton endeared himself to the Cavaliers with his competitive streak, speed and attitude long before they picked him in the NBA draft.His jersey number showed them something else: He's fearless.Sexton made quite a first impression by deciding to take No. 2, his college number but also the one previously worn in Cleveland by All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. After showing off his jersey at a news conference Friday, Sexton said he doesn't feel pressure to live up to Irving's high standards."Not at all," he said. "Coming in, I'm going to set goals for myself and then as well there's going to be team goals set. But I feel like I'm not going to have to live up to anybody's shoes, but I'm going to come in and learn and be the best player I can be on the court as well as off the court."Some Cleveland fans feel No. 2 should be retired. After all, Irving made the biggest shot in franchise history in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals before asking to be traded last summer... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown had an A-list comparison for 1-B first-round pick Zhaire Smith: Disgruntled San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard."I think that when you look at just where I believe Zhaire can be, there are some common denominators that Kawhi had when we first brought him to San Antonio," Brown said.High praise for the Texas Tech guard.But why settle for a rookie who may never develop into a franchise player when the Sixers can try and aquire the real deal?The 76ers are open for business this summer and an organization that has long preached patience is now in the market for marquee talent to team with blossoming stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons."We are star hunting or star developing," Brown said Friday. "You're not going to win a championship any other way."Brown hit on the "star hunter" phrase at Thursday's draft and again when he introduced Smith, acquired from Phoenix in a swap of first-rounders, and Wichita State guard Landry Shamet at the team's... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — With one deadline looming on his future in Cleveland, LeBron James has been in contact with the Cavaliers through his representatives.Following the NBA draft on Thursday night, Cavs general manager Koby Altman said he has had positive discussions with the three-time champion's group. James has until June 29 to tell the team if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or become a free agent."We continue to have good dialogue with his management team," Altman said. "I think LeBron has more than earned the right to approach his contracts the way he does. He's done that before, so this is nothing new for us. We want to respect his space during this process and I continue to have really good dialogue with his management team as he goes through that process."That's probably all I can say at this point regarding him, but we don't take him for granted. We love him, this city loves him. He means the world to us and this franchise."James led the Cavs to their... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — General manager R.C. Buford acknowledges star forward Kawhi Leonard is unhappy with the Spurs.He remains optimistic the relationship can be salvaged.Leonard has requested a trade from San Antonio because he is unhappy after missing most of last season with a right quadriceps injury. Buford would not comment on "speculation" of a trade demand, but agreed there is a fractured relationship between Leonard and the only franchise he has played for."Kawhi and his family mean a lot to the organization and to the community and while none of wish we are where we are, we're going to do what we can to build the best relationship we can with him," Buford said Thursday night as the Spurs made two late picks in the NBA Draft. "We'll explore all of our options, but the first one would be to do what we can to keep Kawhi as part of our group."Leonard missed the first 27 games of the season but returned to play in nine games. He complained of discomfort and pain in the leg in his final... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — General manager R.C. Buford acknowledges star forward Kawhi Leonard is unhappy with the Spurs.He remains optimistic the relationship can be salvaged.Leonard has requested a trade from San Antonio because he is unhappy after missing most of last season with a right quadriceps injury. Buford would not comment on "speculation" of a trade demand, but agreed there is a fractured relationship between Leonard and the only franchise he has played for."Kawhi and his family mean a lot to the organization and to the community and while none of wish we are where we are, we're going to do what we can to build the best relationship we can with him," Buford said Thursday night as the Spurs made two late picks in the NBA Draft. "We'll explore all of our options, but the first one would be to do what we can to keep Kawhi as part of our group."Leonard missed the first 27 games of the season but returned to play in nine games. He complained of discomfort and pain in the leg in his final... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — General manager R.C. Buford is acknowledging star Kawhi Leonard is unhappy with the San Antonio Spurs.He says the team remains optimistic it can salvage the relationship.Leonard has reportedly requested a trade from San Antonio because he is unhappy with how the team handled a right quadriceps injury that kept him out for all but nine games last season. Buford would not comment on "speculation" of a trade demand, but did acknowledge a fractured relationship between Leonard and the only franchise he has played for.Leonard has one year remaining on his contract and is eligible to sign a $220 million extension with San Antonio as part of the league's supermax contract. He is reportedly willing to walk away from that to play elsewhere, possibly in Los Angeles.

BOSTON (AP) — Power forward Robert Williams was projected to be a lottery pick — and that was last year, after his freshman year at Texas A&M.But there he was, sliding down to the Boston Celtics at the 27th pick in the NBA draft Thursday night."It's not my job to know what the other 26 teams are thinking," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after adding the two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. "We thought that he was the right pick for us, and we felt very fortunate to be able to get him."A 6-foot-10, 237-pound Oil City, Louisiana, native, Williams was considered a certain first-round pick as a freshman — maybe in the top 10.But he decided he wasn't ready. He returned and averaged 10.4 points and an SEC-leading 9.2 rebounds while leading the Aggies to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16."He's a rim-protector and a rebounder, and he can play above the rim on both ends of the court," Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said. "We don't have much of that."Williams, 20,... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Power forward Robert Williams was projected to be a lottery pick — and that was last year, after his freshman year at Texas A&M.But there he was, sliding down to the Boston Celtics at the 27th overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night."It's not my job to know what the other 26 teams are thinking," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after adding the two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. "We thought that he was the right pick for us, and we felt very fortunate to be able to get him."A 6-foot-10, 237-pound Oil City, Louisiana, native, Williams was considered a certain first-round pick as a freshman — maybe in the top 10.But he decided he wasn't ready. He returned and averaged 10.4 points and an SEC-leading 9.2 rebounds while leading the Aggies to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.He still has some work to do— especially on offense, according to scouting reports. Stevens said current Celtics big men Al Horford and Gordon Hayward will be a big help in... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have selected Texas A&M power forward Robert Williams with the No. 27 pick in the NBA draft.The 6-foot-10, 237-pound sophomore is a two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. He averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Aggies last year. He had been projected as a lottery pick.The Celtics followed an appearance in the 2017 Eastern Conference finals with an offseason overhaul that brought in Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. Despite losing both of them to injuries during the season, they returned to the league's final four.They had picked third in back-to-back years, landing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, thanks to the trades that dismantled their 2008 championship team. Williams could replace free agent Aron Baynes as a big man in the rotation behind Al Horford.

DETROIT (AP) — Dwane Casey looks at the roster of the Detroit Pistons and sees a core of players capable of a lot more than the team accomplished last season."Our time is now," Casey said.The Pistons introduced Casey as their new coach Wednesday, over a week after hiring him to replace Stan Van Gundy. Casey inherits a team built around Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, but the roster has little flexibility and the team gave up its first-round draft pick this year to acquire Griffin.In other words, Detroit's performance in 2018-19 may depend largely on what Casey can get out of a group that fell short under Van Gundy."I'm telling the guys now: We're not developing, we're not two or three years away," Casey said. "We want to win right now."Casey took the Detroit job after being fired by the Toronto Raptors. He's a finalist for NBA coach of the year after leading the Raptors to a team-record 59 wins this past season, but he lost his job after Toronto was swept in the playoffs... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are taking a pair of picks and a flexible approach into the NBA draft.The Wolves own the 20th overall selection in the first round as well as the 48th overall choice in the second round on Thursday night.In a draft that's considered deep in wing players, the Wolves could stay put and use one or both of those picks at a position where defense and 3-point shooting are critical and depth is needed behind Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. Cap space would help, too, so trading out of their spot to seek salary relief would not be a surprise, either.President and coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday that "all options are open right now."___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets for center Timofey Mozgov and two second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The Hornets will get the Nets' second-round pick Thursday night (45th overall) and a second-round pick in 2021, the person said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade and the league cannot approve the deal until the trade moratorium ends on July 6.The 32-year-old Howard played only one season for Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He is due to make $23.8 million this season, the final year of his contract.Brooklyn will be Howard's fourth team in as many seasons. He had pushed for a trade from Orlando to the Nets during the 2011-12 season in hopes of joining Deron Williams, then changed his mind and recommitted the Magic, who instead dealt him... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets for center Timofey Mozgov and two second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The Hornets will get the Nets' second-round pick Thursday night (45th overall) and a second-round pick in 2021, the person said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade and the league cannot approve the deal until the trade moratorium ends on July 6.The 32-year-old Howard played only one season for Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He is due to make $23.8 million this season, the final year of his contract.Brooklyn will be Howard's fourth team in as many seasons.After spending three seasons with the Houston Rockets, Howard was acquired by his hometown Atlanta Hawks in 2016 as a free agent and signed a three-year contract.But he wore out his welcome... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets for center Timofey Mozgov and two future second-round draft picks.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the teams have not announced the trade and the league has not yet approved it.Howard played only one season for Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He is due to make $23.8 million this season, the final year of his contract.Mozgov has two years left on his contract at $16 million per season.New Hornets general manager Kupchak signed Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal in 2016 when both were with the Lakers.___AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown sued the city of Milwaukee and its police department Tuesday, saying officers' use of a stun gun during his arrest for a parking violation constitutes excessive force and that they targeted him because he is black.Brown's attorney Mark Thomsen filed the lawsuit in federal court, accusing police of "discriminating against Mr. Brown on the basis of his race." The lawsuit alleges officers involved in his arrest used their incident report to try to reframe what happened to give the impression Brown was resisted and obstructed them."Mr. Brown hopes that instead of the typical denial of the claims ... the city actually admit to the wrongs, admit that his constitutional rights were violated," Thomsen said at a news conference outside City Hall after filing the lawsuit.Brown had been talking with officers while waiting for a citation for illegally parking in a disabled spot outside a Walgreens at about 2 a.m. on Jan. 26, when officers took him... [More]