SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs understand how they can be overlooked in the Western Conference given the flurry of trades and free agent signings in the offseason that reshaped so many of their rivals.That doesn't mean they have to like it."We've got a lot of dogs," Spurs guard Dejounte Murray said. "A lot of dudes with chips on their shoulders. A lot of guys are ready to go and go to war against any team in the NBA."That resolve is needed if San Antonio hopes to earn its 23rd straight postseason berth under Gregg Popovich.Already long regarded as the league's strongest conference, the West got even tougher during a whirlwind first week in July.Former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard has teamed with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Davis joined LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook is again playing alongside James Harden but this time in Houston. Utah traded for Mike Conley to pair with Donovan Mitchell.The Spurs' offseason consisted of adding DeMarre... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder general manager Sam Presti took on a new look during the summer, just like the team he runs.The normally clean-shaven Presti returned from a summer trip with a neatly groomed beard."I went to Vermont and let it go for a little bit, and then when I got back, nobody seemed to have a problem with it," he said. "So I just kind of let it roll for a little while. I can't tell you this is something that's going to be around that much longer, but that is really the story behind it. So thanks, Vermont."If only the changes for the Thunder were as simple.Paul George's surprise trade request accelerated the end of an era. The Thunder sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers, then traded former MVP and scoring champion Russell Westbrook to Houston and rising star Jerami Grant to Denver. Now, for the first time, the Thunder enter a season with no players who were part of the team that debuted in Oklahoma City in 2008.The Thunder got a slew of draft picks in the deals and some... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same name, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself and be the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same game, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself, the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has star... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers unveiled the first renderings Thursday for the lavish arena complex they hope to build in Inglewood.While significant hurdles remain, the Clippers are hoping to break ground by 2021 on an 18,500-seat arena and a surrounding 26-acre, billion-dollar development project. They hope to be finished by 2024, when their lease expires at Staples Center.The team claims the complex will be funded entirely by owner Steve Ballmer and will require no public money or additional public infrastructure. The Microsoft billionaire is the wealthiest owner in U.S. team sports, and Ballmer said he wants his "Clippers to have the best home in all of sports.""What that means to me is an unparalleled environment for players, for fans, for sponsors and for the community of Inglewood," Ballmer added in a statement. "Our goal is to build a facility that re-sets fans' expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home."The Clippers hope to build... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The words rebuilding and tanking don't sit well with Thunder general manager Sam Presti.He prefers the terms repositioning and replenishing.No matter what he calls it, he has quite a task in front of him after trading Oklahoma City's two best players __ All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook __ and a rising star in Jerami Grant.It's the start of a new era, a transformation that began abruptly when George made a trade request, leading Westbrook to seek another destination, too. George joined Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Westbrook is now partnered with former Thunder teammate James Harden in Houston.Presti publicly thanked Westbrook and George on Thursday, then said he is looking forward to the challenges ahead. Oklahoma City has stocked up on future first-round draft picks, and Presti believes the deals netted some good players in Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander."I think our focus right now is on the team that we have,"... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George laughed and cheered along with the crowd when the multibillionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers waved his arms, stomped his feet and screamed his new players' praises in a cracking voice."Pretty cool! Pretty cool!" Steve Ballmer shouted with glee.Leonard and George are already loving the Clippers' unique vibe, and they see their future together as limitless.Nearly three weeks after these native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to play together in LA, the Clippers' new dynamic duo finally made its first public appearance Wednesday in a south Los Angeles community center gym."I think we've got something special," said Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto. "We can make history here. We've got the right team to do it."In explaining their decision to team up with the Clippers, Leonard and George both mentioned the importance of playing near their friends and family.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are officially home, and the Los Angeles Clippers will never be the same.Nearly three weeks after the native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to team up in LA, the Clippers' new dynamic duo made its first public appearance Wednesday at a community gym renovated by the franchise in south LA.Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto, says he was thrilled by the chance to "make history" for a franchise that hasn't won a title.They were joined by coach Doc Rivers and billionaire owner Steve Ballmer, who riled up the crowd of Clippers fans and kids with his trademark brand of unabashed, screaming enthusiasm.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Yosef Maaroof wanted one more Russell Westbrook memory in Oklahoma City.When he learned Thursday night the Thunder were planning to send Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, the 20-year-old Tulsa resident planned to make the two-hour drive to Oklahoma City with friends. They wanted to take videos and photos in front of the large images of Thunder players that adorn Chesapeake Energy Arena during the season, hoping Westbrook's photo would still be up on Friday morning.It wasn't, so Maaroof came up with a different tribute. In a video he posted on Twitter, he put on the Westbrook jerseys he's collected since 2012 , took them off one by one and laid them side by side in front of the arena. He wore 18 in the video, which has been viewed more than 85,000 times.Maaroof said Westbrook has always been his favorite player. And the next addition to his collection will be a Rockets jersey."He was never perfect, but just the emotion he showed — he was... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Yosef Maaroof wanted one more Russell Westbrook memory in Oklahoma City.When he learned Thursday night the Thunder were planning to send Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, the 20-year-old Tulsa resident planned to make the two-hour drive to Oklahoma City with friends. They wanted to take videos and photos in front of the large images of Thunder players that adorn Chesapeake Energy Arena during the season, hoping Westbrook's photo would still be up on Friday morning.It wasn't, so Maaroof came up with a different tribute. In a video he posted on Twitter, he put on the Westbrook jerseys he's collected since 2012 , took them off one by one and laid them side by side in front of the arena. He wore 18 in the video, which has been viewed more than 85,000 times.Maaroof said Westbrook has always been his favorite player. And the next addition to his collection will be a Rockets jersey."He was never perfect, but just the emotion he showed — he was... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Everyone knows that Russell Westbrook and James Harden played together before, which automatically makes their reunion in Houston seem like the right fit.It won't be that easy.They've both changed since those days.But here they are, together again after the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to trade Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and another load of draft picks that Sam Presti is collecting in the same way that sneakerheads hoard vintage pairs of Jordans. On the surface, it's a shiny move for Houston — two of the last three NBA MVPs, the two guys with the most points over the last five seasons, in the same backcourt.Per NBA rules, there will only be one ball in play, however.The term they use is "ball dominant," a fancy way of saying certain players need the ball in their hands more than others. Westbrook and Harden are two of those guys. Harden held the ball for nearly 6½ seconds — a league high — and took nearly six dribbles, on average, every time he touched... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Everyone knows that Russell Westbrook and James Harden played together before, which automatically makes their reunion in Houston seem like the right fit.It won't be that easy.They've both changed since those days.But here they are, together again after the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to trade Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and another load of draft picks that Sam Presti is collecting in the same way that sneakerheads hoard vintage pairs of Jordans. On the surface, it's a shiny move for Houston — two of the last three NBA MVPs, the two guys with the most points over the last five seasons, in the same backcourt.Per NBA rules, there will only be one ball in play, however.The term they use is "ball dominant," a fancy way of saying certain players need the ball in their hands more than others. Westbrook and Harden are two of those guys. Harden held the ball for nearly 6½ seconds — a league high — and took nearly six dribbles, on average, every time he touched... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul in a swapping of top point guards. The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced.ESPN first reported the agreement.Paul is a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook an eight-time selection. Paul has 9,181 career assists, the most among active players. Westbrook has 138 triple-doubles, tied with Magic Johnson for second-most in NBA history behind only Oscar Robertson's 181. Both members of Houston's new glitzy backcourt are recent MVPs: Westbrook won it in 2017, Harden won it in 2018. And the trade means that the NBA's two highest scorers... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul in a swapping of top point guards. The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced.ESPN first reported the agreement.Paul is a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook an eight-time selection. Paul has 9,181 career assists, the most among active players. Westbrook has 138 triple-doubles, tied with Magic Johnson for second-most in NBA history behind only Oscar Robertson's 181. Both members of Houston's new glitzy backcourt are recent MVPs: Westbrook won it in 2017, Harden won it in 2018. And the trade means that the NBA's two highest scorers... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul in a swapping of top point guards. The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced.ESPN first reported the agreement.Paul is a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook an eight-time selection. Paul has 9,181 career assists, the most among active players. Westbrook has 138 triple-doubles, tied with Magic Johnson for second-most in NBA history behind only Oscar Robertson's 181.Westbrook and Harden were Thunder teammates for three seasons, the last of those in 2011-12 when that duo and Kevin Durant took Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals. They... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, a shake up of top point guards and a move that reunites Westbrook with James Harden.The Thunder also are getting first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-rounders in two other seasons, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the trade has not been announced.ESPN first reported the agreement.It is part of a massive shake up by Oklahoma City, which traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers and now sends Westbrook — its franchise player — to another West rival while adding to an enormous stockpiling of draft picks. The Thunder got five first-rounders in the trade with the Clippers for George.And it splits up the pairing of Paul and Harden in Houston, a team with title aspirations. Westbrook and Harden were Thunder teammates, part of a team along with Kevin Durant that went to the 2012 NBA Finals and lost to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Jerami Grant gives Denver another power forward who can do a little bit of everything.The Oklahoma City Thunder obtained yet another first-round pick, which allows them to do a little bit of anything.The Nuggets bolstered their front court by acquiring the 25-year-old Grant from the Thunder on Monday for a 2020 first-round pick. ESPN first reported the deal.It's an additional first-round selection for the Thunder, who are in line for at least four more assuming the blockbuster deal that sends Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers goes through. It would also give Oklahoma City the rights to as many as 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts.The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Grant is coming off a breakout season that saw him set career highs in points (13.6) and rebounds (5.2). He shot 49.7% from the field and 39.2% from 3-point range. On the defensive end, he displayed his versatility by blocking 100 shots and recording 61 steals.Originally a second-round pick by Philadelphia... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Jerami Grant gives Denver another power forward who can do a little bit of everything.The Oklahoma City Thunder obtained yet another first-round pick, which allows them to do a little bit of anything.The Nuggets bolstered their front court by acquiring the 25-year-old Grant from the Thunder on Monday for a 2020 first-round pick, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade hasn't been approved by league officials. ESPN first reported the deal.It's an additional first-round selection for the Thunder, who are in line for at least four more assuming the blockbuster deal that sends Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers goes through. It would also give Oklahoma City the rights to as many as 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts.The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Grant is coming off a breakout season that saw him set career highs in points (13.6) and rebounds (5.2). He shot 49.7% from the field and 39.2% from 3-point... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Two people familiar with the situation say the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded forward Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets for a 2020 first-round draft pick.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the trade hasn't been approved by league officials. ESPN first reported the deal. It's another first-round selection for the Thunder, who are in line for at least four more assuming the blockbuster deal that sends Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers goes through.It would also give Oklahoma City the rights to as many as 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts.Grant is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.___AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt contributed to this report.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers made a huge decision.That meant Kawhi Leonard could finally make his.The Clippers will be landing Leonard as a free agent after they acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a massive trade for players and draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations said.George will be traded for at least four first-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity early Saturday because none of the moves have been finalized. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said.ESPN, which first reported the trade, also said the Thunder were getting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the Clippers.Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the... [More]