NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry says guard E'Twaun Moore is ready to return from a lower leg strain that sidelined him for two games and is expected to play Sunday night against Miami.Gentry says forward Nikola Mirotic is missing his second straight game with a right ankle injury.Moore, who has started all but three of 27 games in which he has played, has averaged 14 points per game this season. Recently he shifted into primary reserve role.Mirotic has been New Orleans fourth-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points.Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says guard Goran Dragic is sitting out his third straight game and fourth in five because of sore right knee. Dragic is with the team on its six-game trip that ends in New Orleans and could be seen working out before tip-off.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jimmy Butler returned for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing two games because of a strained groin.Sixers coach Brett Brown said before Sunday's matchup that Butler would be a game-time decision. The four-time All-Star went through warmups and was in the starting lineup.Butler was injured in the first quarter Monday against Detroit and went scoreless in 10 minutes. Philadelphia won that game, but lost to Brooklyn and Indiana with the 6-foot-8 guard sidelined.Butler was coming off back-to-back 38-point games when he got hurt. He's averaging 19.8 points in 13 games since being acquired from Minnesota on Nov. 12 and 20.4 points overall.The Cavaliers beat the Sixers 121-112 in Philadelphia on Nov. 23.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a three-way trade fell apart over mistaken identity, the Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle Saturday to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a potential three-way deal involving the Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night over whether Memphis was including Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks. The saga included general managers informing players they'd been traded, awkward conversations to explain they weren't and finally the talks coming to an end.Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a three-way trade fell apart over mistaken identity, the Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle Saturday to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a potential three-way deal involving the Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night over whether Memphis was including Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks. The saga included general managers informing players they'd been traded, awkward conversations to explain they weren't and finally the talks coming to an end.Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a potential three-way deal involving the Memphis Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night. Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after practice Saturday. "You never know what's going to happen, when it's going to happen. The first time I've ever seen a trade go dead and guys are on a bus talking about it. Kind of devastating for those guys."Ariza, 33, returns to Washington, where he played the 2012-13 and... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a reported three-way deal involving the Memphis Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night. Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after practice Saturday. "You never know what's going to happen, when it's going to happen. The first time I've ever seen a trade go dead and guys are on a bus talking about it. Kind of devastating for those guys."Ariza, 33, returns to Washington, where he played the 2012-13 and... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards have an agreement in principle to acquire Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, a person familiar with the deal said Saturday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by either team.Ariza, 33, returns to Washington, where he played the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound swingman is averaging 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26 games with the Suns this season.To get Ariza, the Wizards gave up the 23-year-old Oubre, who they wouldn't part with in a potential trade for Jimmy Butler earlier this fall. Oubre was the 15th overall pick in 2015 and is averaging 12.9 points per game in his fourth NBA season.Rivers goes to Phoenix after Washington had just acquired the 26-year-old from the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer.The Wizards landed Ariza directly from the Suns after a reported three-way trade involving the Memphis Grizzlies... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person familiar with the deal says the Washington Wizards have an agreement in principle to acquire Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because it had not been announced by either team.The Wizards landed Ariza directly from the Suns after a reported three-way trade involving the Memphis Grizzlies fell apart late Saturday night. Rivers was not aware of the details after a loss at Brooklyn but believed he was departing the team that had just acquired him from the Clippers over the summer.To get the 33-year-old Ariza, Washington gave up the 26-year-old Rivers and the 23-year-old Oubre, who was the 15th overall pick in 2015 and averaging 12.9 points a game in his fourth NBA season. Ariza's contract expires after this season.___AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich and AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — There was no big celebration for Spencer Dinwiddie when he signed a contract extension with Brooklyn that guarantees a paycheck in an NBA where he once couldn't even hold a job.Outside of the satisfaction of knowing his parents can retire, Dinwiddie said nothing really changed."Other than that, basketball-wise we're not where we want to be, so we've got to continue to push and go forward," he said Friday. "We're trying to make the playoffs and we're trying to win championships in the future. That's what I signed on to be a part of and I'm also trying to push my limits individually and hopefully that helps the ballclub as much as it possibly can."The Nets are counting on it.They signed the 6-foot-6 guard to a three-year extension worth about $34 million, rewarding Dinwiddie for his rise from the NBA G League to one of the league's top sixth men this season who scored a career-high 39 points in his previous outing.Nets leadership believes there's more to come."We want more.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — There was no big celebration for Spencer Dinwiddie when he signed a contract extension with Brooklyn that guarantees a paycheck in an NBA where he once couldn't even hold a job.Outside of the satisfaction of knowing his parents can retire, Dinwiddie said nothing really changed."Other than that, basketball-wise we're not where we want to be, so we've got to continue to push and go forward," he said Friday. "We're trying to make the playoffs and we're trying to win championships in the future. That's what I signed on to be a part of and I'm also trying to push my limits individually and hopefully that helps the ballclub as much as it possibly can."The Nets are counting on it.They signed the 6-foot-6 guard to a three-year extension worth about $34 million, rewarding Dinwiddie for his rise from the NBA G League to one of the league's top sixth men this season who scored a career-high 39 points in his last outing.Nets leadership believes there's more to come."We want more. I... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon, the second and fourth leading scorers for the Milwaukee Bucks, are out against the Cleveland Cavaliers.Middleton has a sprained right finger and Brogdon a sore left hamstring. Neither will play Friday night in the second matchup between the teams this week.Middleton is averaging 17.4 points, but is 16 of 47 from the field in the last four games. Brogdon is averaging 15.3 points and is shooting 52 percent from the field. He's made 47 percent of his 3-point attempts.Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer declined to say who would start in place of the injured players during his pregame meeting with the media.Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't play because of a sore neck Monday when the Bucks defeated the Cavaliers 108-92 in Milwaukee. He returned in Wednesday's 113-97 loss to Indiana but scored a season-low 12 points.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki at last began his record-breaking 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, coming off the bench in the first quarter of a 99-89 loss to the Phoenix Suns.No other NBA player has played that many seasons with the same team."It is good to be back," he said after the game. "Obviously I got a lot of work to do timing-wise, conditioning-wise. I have been running on a treadmill, which is not the same as playing NBA speed against a bunch of 20-year-old athletes."The 40-year-old had been tied at 20 seasons with Kobe Bryant, who retired from the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2015-16 season.Nowitzki had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle last April, and the timing was to make sure he would be ready at the start of this season. But the 7-foot German had a setback before training camp, with tendon soreness forcing him to continue rehabbing the injury and missing the first 26 games.He made his first appearance in the lineup this season with 3:27... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki at last began his record-breaking 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, coming off the bench in the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns.No other NBA player has played that many seasons with the same team.The 40-year-old had been tied at 20 seasons with Kobe Bryant, who retired from the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2015-16 season.Nowitzki had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle last April, and the timing was to make sure he would be ready at the start of this season. But the 7-foot German had a setback before training camp, with tendon soreness forcing him to continue rehabbing the injury and missing the first 26 games.He made his first appearance in the lineup this season with 3:27 left in the opening quarter. A minute later, he banked in his first shot in his six-minute stint on the court.The 2007 MVP said the slow pace of the rehab was to ensure Nowitzki wouldn't be sidelined again once he returns. The 13-time All-Star has... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets gave Spencer Dinwiddie a contract extension Thursday, a day after the best game of his career.The three-year extension will be worth about $34 million for the guard who was playing in the NBA G League before he signed with the Nets on Dec. 8, 2016.He has gone on to become one of their top players and scored a career-high 39 points, the most by any player off the bench in the NBA this season, in a victory at Philadelphia on Wednesday."The journey is just beginning," Dinwiddie wrote on Twitter. "I'm thankful that @brooklynnets believe in me enough to give me a home."Not to mention a nice raise from the $1.7 million he's making this season.Dinwiddie was third in voting for the Most Improved Player last season and could find himself in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. He is averaging 16.9 points, helping the Nets overcome the loss of scoring leader Caris LeVert to injury."It's just so evident, you can't take him out and he's playing... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki was active for Dallas' game against Phoenix on Thursday night, prepared to belatedly begin his record-setting 21st season with the Mavericks.No other NBA player has played that many seasons with the same team.The 40-year-old had been tied at 20 seasons with Kobe Bryant, who retired from the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2015-16 season.Nowitzki had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle last April, and the timing was to make sure he would be ready at the start of his record-setting season. But the 7-foot German had a setback before training camp, with tendon soreness forcing him to continue rehabbing the injury and missing the first 26 games.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets and guard Spencer Dinwiddie have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth about $34 million.The deal Thursday came a day after Dinwiddie scored a career-high 39 points, the most by any player off the bench in the NBA this season, in a victory at Philadelphia.Dinwiddie was third in voting for the Most Improved Player last season and could find himself in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. He is averaging 16.9 points, helping the Nets overcome the loss of scoring leader Caris LeVert to injury.Dinwiddie became eligible to sign an extension last week but it was unclear if the Nets would offer one, which would cut into the cap space that will be available to them this summer. But Dinwiddie has played well enough on the court and been one of the team's leaders off it, so they decided it was worth it to pay now.The third year of the deal is a player option and all three years are guaranteed.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry didn't mean it.Curry told ESPN this week he was joking when he questioned on a podcast whether astronauts landed on the moon, comments that sent social media into a tizzy.He also said he will accept NASA's invitation to tour the lunar lab at the Johnson Space Center in Houston."Obviously I was joking when I was talking on the podcast," Curry told ESPN. "(Then) I was silently protesting how stupid it was that people actually took that quote and made it law as, 'Oh my God, he's a fake-moon-landing truther,' whatever you want to call it, yada, yada, yada. So I was silently protesting that part about it, how the story took a life of its own."But in terms of the reaction that I've gotten, I am definitely going to take (NASA) up on their offer."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have signed guard Allonzo Trier to a guaranteed deal after the undrafted rookie's strong start to the season.The Knicks say Thursday that Trier became the first two-way player to sign a guaranteed NBA contract within the first two months of the season. The team acted quickly to make sure Trier wouldn't have to spend time in the NBA G League after he was one of the top contributors to the Knicks.Trier is averaging 11.3 points in 27 games and is shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range, which ranks third among first-year players.He was signed to a two-way contract on July 3 after the former Arizona guard wasn't taken in the draft despite averaging 18.1 points as a junior.To make room on the roster for Trier's contract, the Knicks waived guard Ron Baker.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Hornets owner Michael Jordan said it was a "tap of endearment."After watching a bizarre ending to Charlotte's win against Detroit on Wednesday, a bewildered Jordan lightly smacked the back of second-year guard Malik Monk's head in closing seconds of the game.Jordan told The Associated Press Thursday via text message through his spokeswoman Estee Portnoy there was no malicious intent when he playfully smacked Monk on the back of his head."It was like a big brother and little brother tap," Jordan told the AP. "No negative intent. Only love!"Monk and teammate Bismack Biyombo ran from the bench on to the court to celebrate as Jeremy Lamb launched a 22-footer game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left. Officials gathered at the scorer's table and assessed the Hornets a one-shot technical foul for having six men on the floor."Big, big, big brother," Monk said with a laugh Thursday. "But it was nothing. He was just playing."Monk went on to say, "it's Mike, and whatever he does... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Hornets owner Michael Jordan says lightly smacking the back of second-year guard Malik Monk's head in closing seconds of Wednesday night's win against the Pistons was a "tap of endearment."Monk and teammate Bismack Biyombo ran from the bench on to the court to celebrate as Jeremy Lamb launched a 22-footer game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left. Officials gathered at the scorer's table and assessed the Hornets a one-shot technical foul for having six men on the floor.Jordan told The Associated Press Thursday there was no malicious intent when he playfully smacked Monk on the back of his head.The Hornets owner, says "It was like a big brother and little brother tap. No negative intent. Only love!"The Pistons made the one technical foul shot, but Lamb's basket was allowed to stand and the Hornets won 108-107.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports