DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks didn’t take long to settle on a plan to fill a big void created by a season-ending injury to center Dwight Powell.The Mavericks are set to acquire Willie Cauley-Stein from the Golden State Warriors for a second-round pick in this year’s draft, three people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.Two of the people said Dallas intends to make room for Cauley-Stein on the roster by waiving Justin Patton, acquired in a separate trade with Oklahoma City. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Cauley-Stein deal can’t be finalized until Patton is waived.The Mavericks made the moves three days after Powell, their starting center, tore his right Achilles tendon against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder sent cash along with Patton to Dallas for rookie Isaiah Roby. The 7-foot Cauley-Stein, who missed all of training camp and the exhibition games because of a left foot injury, is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — The Golden State Warriors were working Friday to finalize a trade to send center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a second-round draft pick this summer.A person with direct knowledge of the trade discussions confirmed the swap of Cauley-Stein was in the works and anticipated it would be completed soon, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.The Mavericks also made a roster-clearing move by trading rookie Isaiah Roby to Oklahoma City for Justin Patton and cash. A person with direct knowledge of the deal said Dallas was planning to waive Patton. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision on Patton had been announced.Dallas had a sudden need for a big man after starting center Dwight Powell tore his right Achilles tendon in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.The 7-foot Cauley-Stein, who missed all of training camp and the exhibition games because of a left foot injury, is averaging 7.9 points,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra has a suggestion for All-Star voting: Ditch the positions.A day after the NBA revealed the starters for the Feb. 16 All-Star Game — two guards and three forwards from each conference — the Miami Heat coach said he wonders why the league still has players broken down by positions in the voting process for starters.Heat forward Jimmy Butler came up short in the chase for one of the three East front-court spots. But he received more fan votes than starting guard Kemba Walker and got more media and fellow player votes than the other East guard starter, Atlanta’s Trae Young.“It’s a joke that he’s not,” Spoelstra said about Butler. “Hopefully this will change things in the future.”Reserves, voted on by the NBA’s head coaches, are not broken down by position. And when captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo pick their teams on Feb. 6, they won’t be working within position parameters either.But the starters are still decided by having players, fans and media... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls expect forward Lauri Markkanen to miss four to six weeks because of an injured right hip.The 7-footer from Finland had an MRI on Thursday after experiencing soreness in the hip for about a week.“It hasn’t really gotten worse, but it’s been there for a couple of games," he said Friday. “We decided to get an MRI before we go on the road.”Markkanen is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds. He had appeared in all 46 games, though he played through a sprained left ankle the past three weeks. He initially wanted to try playing through the injury, which was termed an early stress reaction.“I really wanted to play, but at the same time I had to take a step back and think about what was smart," he said. The Bulls were 10th in the Eastern Conference at 17-29 entering Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Golden State Warriors were working Friday to finalize a trade to send center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a second-round draft pick this summer.A person with direct knowledge of the trade discussions confirmed the swap of Cauley-Stein was in the works and anticipated it to be complete soon, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.The 7-foot Cauley-Stein, who missed all of training camp and the exhibition games because of a left foot injury, is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a team-leading 1.22 blocks in 41 games with 37 starts for the Warriors. He has scored in double figures 17 times.A video of Cauley-Stein was still included on Golden State's Twitter feed for “Game Day" ahead of a matchup Friday night against the Pacers at Chase Center.The No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft, Cauley-Stein averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds with the Sacramento Kings during the 2018-19 season before joining the Warriors.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic is set to be the youngest All-Star starter since LeBron James, yet another link between the Dallas sensation and the player he grew up admiring, even when he was already playing pro ball as a 16-year-old in Spain.Now the 20-year-old Doncic waits to see who James, as the leading vote-getter, will take with the No. 1 pick before the other captain — Doncic's fellow European and 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee — gets to choose.“No, I don't think I will be,” the 2019 Rookie of the Year said with a laugh when asked if he thought he would be the top choice by the Los Angeles Lakers star.All that matters for the Mavericks is that Doncic was at the top of their draft board in 2018, and the trade up two spots to get the third overall pick ended up involving two players getting All-Star starts in their second seasons. Atlanta's Trae Young was one of the five Eastern Conference players to get voted in.Doncic leads the NBA with 12 triple-doubles — two more than... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls expect forward Lauri Markkanen to miss four to six weeks because of an injured right hip.The Bulls said Friday the 7-footer from Finland had an MRI a day earlier.Markkanen is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds. He had appeared in all 46 games, though he played through a sprained left ankle the past three weeks.The Bulls were 10th in the Eastern Conference at 17-29 entering Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Once again, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are All-Star captains.Once again, the fans — mostly, anyway — got who they wanted as the game’s starters.And once again, too many NBA players made a mockery of their vote to decide which colleagues should start the league’s showcase exhibition.It’s time for the NBA to take the vote away from the players. It's clear too many don’t want the job.While fan voting pretty much set the tone for who will start Feb. 16 in Chicago, an AP analysis of the numbers shows that 380 players took part in the voting. The players, like the media and fans, voted for three frontcourt players and two guards apiece from the Eastern and Western Conferences.A look inside those numbers reveals a growing concern. Antetokounmpo — the league’s reigning MVP — got the most player votes, with 258. That means 67.9% of players who voted thought he was worthy of an All-Star start. More importantly, that means 32.1% of players who voted thought he should either come off the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — It’ll be an All-Star rematch: Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will be the captains for the NBA All-Star Game, just as they were last season. They earned the captaincies by being the top overall votegetters from the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.The other starters for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago: Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks.“For me, it's always a blessing just being part of All-Star weekend," James told TNT on Thursday night.James, as the leading overall vote-getter, will have the top pick when he and Antetokounmpo pick their teams; Antetokounmpo will pick first in the second round, when the reserves are... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — It’ll be an All-Star rematch: Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will be the captains for the NBA All-Star Game, just as they were last season. They earned the captaincies by being the top overall votegetters from the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.The other starters for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago: Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks.James, as the leading overall vote-getter, will have the top pick when he and Antetokounmpo pick their teams; Antetokounmpo will pick first in the second round, when the reserves are chosen.James is a starter for the 16th time, an NBA record. Being a 16-time All-Star also puts him third... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — It’ll be an All-Star rematch: Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will be the captains for the NBA All-Star Game, just as they were last season. They earned the captaincies by being the top overall votegetters from the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.The other starters for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago: Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks.James, as the leading overall vote-getter, will have the top pick when he and Antetokounmpo pick their teams; Antetokounmpo will pick first in the second round, when the reserves are chosen.James is a starter for the 16th time, an NBA record. Being a 16-time All-Star also puts him third... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker has produced the kind of all-around numbers for the past few seasons that suggest he should be an NBA All-Star. He usually commands the respect of opposing defenses like an All-Star. His teammates and coach believe there is no doubt that he's an All-Star.Yet the fifth-year Phoenix Suns guard has never been an All-Star.That could change fairly soon. The 23-year-old looks like he'll be caught in quite a battle for the final spots in the Western Conference when the reserves are announced next week. The league's coaches will likely have several good players to choose from, including Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Brandon Ingram.If he makes it, Booker would be the Suns' first All-Star since Steve Nash in 2012. “I've said it for a couple years — my main focus is to turn around this franchise and get to the playoffs,” Booker said. “Obviously, (being an All-Star is) an individual goal of mine. I feel like I've played at that level.... [More]

PARIS (AP) — Different continent, same challenge for the Charlotte Hornets: How to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo?When the Hornets played Milwaukee in December, the league's MVP scored 26 points in just 20 minutes in a blowout win for the Bucks. As they prepare for rematch in Paris on Friday, Charlotte's French forward Nicolas Batum said there is no obvious answer when it comes to preventing Antetokounmpo from dominating again.“It's been two years now that no one has the answer,“ Batum said ahead of the NBA's first regular-season game to be played in France. “He's becoming more reliable with his shooting and he'll become an unstoppable machine soon. For me he's the MVP so far this season.“Antetokounmpo is coming off his fourth triple-double of the season on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls. In that game he also reached a milestone of 10,000 points.According to Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, though, the Greek star hasn't reached his full potential yet. “We feel like he's going to continue... [More]

PARIS (AP) — The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player has simple advice for the player many are viewing as a future MVP after his show-stopping debut.“Don’t rush the process,“ was the message that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sent to Zion Williamson on Thursday from Paris.The 19-year-old Williamson made his highly-anticipated NBA debut for New Orleans Pelicans against San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. The NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick had the crowd on their feet and asking for more after scoring 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter of a 121-117 loss which took a back seat to Williamson's impact.Antetokounmpo, an NBA All-Star for the past three years, knows what it's like to be surrounded by hype and urged Williamson to take his time.“You’re going to be a beast, the whole league knows you’re going to be a beast,“ Antetokounmpo said in Paris, where the Bucks will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. “Just take it step by step, day by day.“Because of the time difference,... [More]

The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player has simple advice for the player many are viewing as a future MVP after his show-stopping debut.“Don’t rush the process,“ was the message that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sent to Zion Williamson on Thursday from Paris.The 19-year-old Williamson made his highly-anticipated NBA debut for New Orleans Pelicans against San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. The NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick had the crowd on their feet and asking for more after scoring 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter of a 121-117 loss which took a back seat to Williamson's impact.Antetokounmpo, an NBA All-Star for the past three years, knows what it's like to be surrounded by hype and urged Williamson to take his time.“You’re going to be a beast, the whole league knows you’re going to be a beast,“ Antetokounmpo said in Paris, where the Bucks will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. “Just take it step by step, day by day.“Because of the time difference, Antetokounmpo... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson’s sublime 17-point surge in a span of barely more than three minutes could very well become part of New Orleans' pro sports lore — even if the final score won't.For the Pelicans, a narrow loss to a well-coached, savvy San Antonio Spurs team carried far less weight than the burgeoning form of a young superstar in the making.“The way he came out was very poised,” veteran Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday said of Williamson. "The way he played ... bringing energy, especially down the stretch, was something that I guess you don’t really see from somebody so young. But even on top of that, we are almost in February and he hadn’t played a game yet, so for him to be able to come out here and do that his first game is pretty elite.” Extraordinary hype, fueled by social media, has followed the affable, 6-foot-6, 285-pound Williamson since his high school days in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It only increased during his one stellar season at Duke, making him the consensus... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Goran Dragic is not going to play for Slovenia in this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournament, insisting Thursday that he will not change his stance on being retired from international basketball.The Miami Heat guard has a slew of reasons why he won’t change his mind, including his looming free agency this summer, a desire to spend as much quality time as possible with his family and that at his age — he’ll be 34 in May — another offseason of playing simply wouldn’t be the best thing for his body.Dragic said after leading Slovenia to its best sports moment, a gold medal at the 2017 European championships, that he was done with the international game.“When I was younger I showed my nation that I would always play for my national team, no matter who was there,” Dragic said. “If we had a good team or a bad team, I was there. I feel like I gave everything that I have and at this point in my career, my body isn’t the same and I have to be smart.”Slovenia has not qualified for the... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers were missing three starters for Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Kawhi Leonard wasn't playing because of left knee injury management, while Patrick Beverly was sidelined after leaving the previous night's victory at Dallas with a groin injury. Paul George was out for the seventh straight game with a left hamstring strain. The Hawks also were without their best player. Trae Young, averaging 29.2 points, was sidelined with a right thigh contusion.Lou Williams and Terance Mann started for the Clippers in place of Leonard and Beverly. Recently acquired Jeff Teague got the nod at point guard for the Hawks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — With a big night against Golden State, Damian Lillard signaled that he's asserting himself at a crucial point of the Trail Blazers' season. And where Lillard goes, the Blazers tend to follow. “There comes a time in the season where everybody's tired, everybody's worn out, everybody's physically and mentally drained," he said. "The players got to go out there and make their minds up, are we going to do this or not? And I think we're just, as a team, getting closer to that time. We've got to leave it all out there. We've got to go take it.”Lillard had a franchise-best 61 points — including 11 3-pointers — this week in Portland's 129-124 overtime victory over the Warriors.It was the most points for a player in the NBA this season, and it broke Lillard's own franchise record of 60 points set earlier this season against Brooklyn. Afterward, a flood of admirers ranging from reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic to Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson recognized... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers center Ante Zizic is sidelined indefinitely after experiencing dizziness and other vertigo-like symptoms.The team said Wednesday that Zizic, who has missed Cleveland's past five games, has been diagnosed with a vestibular condition. The 23-year-old Croatian has been nauseous and dizzy and the Cavs are going to rest him to further evaluate his symptoms. He's averaging 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16 games this season, his third with Cleveland.Also, the Cavs said rookie swingman Dylan Windler had successful surgery Tuesday on a lower leg stress reaction. Windler was initially diagnosed with the injury before training camp opened in October. He was close to joining the Cavs after playing for the Canton Charge in the NBA's G League before suffering a setback.The No. 26 overall pick last year from Belmont is out of the remainder of this season.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA