DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have requested waivers on guard Gerald Green, whom they acquired from Houston as part of the 12-player, four-team trade with the Rockets, Timberwolves and Hawks earlier this week.Green has missed the entire season because of a foot injury in the preseason that required surgery. The 12-year veteran has played in 658 career games for eight NBA teams, posting averages of 9.7 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing 19.8 minutes a game.He was the 18th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2005 NBA draft out of Gulf Shores Academy High School in Houston.

MIAMI (AP) — In deciding whether to pursue a trade for Andre Iguodala, the Miami Heat went all-in on research. They talked to people who knew Iguodala. They watched what he did last season. They took a deep dive into the analytics.And they came to a determination.“He’s elite,” Heat President Pat Riley said.Simple as that. That’s why Iguodala is now in Heat colors, and a team that wasn’t even good enough to make the playoffs last season is thinking big as it gears up for a run at the 2020 postseason. Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill all joined the team for a game-day shootaround practice in Sacramento on Friday to get their first taste of what life with the Heat is like.“He's an elite defender, an elite team defender, elite assist-to-turnover percentage, he ranks up into the top of those areas that are real tangible,” Riley said. “You don't lose that in seven months. And probably it was a blessing in disguise that he didn't play for seven months.Iguodala last played an NBA game in... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have taken on yet another new look, with D'Angelo Russell on his way to join pal Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins heading west to the Golden State Warriors.In a swap of high scorers consummated just a few hours before the NBA deadline on Thursday, the Timberwolves acquired the dynamic point guard they'd been seeking for awhile in Russell and pulled the plug on their development of Wiggins, the mercurial first overall pick of the 2014 draft.The deal also sent two little-used Golden State players, guard Jacob Evans and forward Omari Spellman, to the Timberwolves and routed two draft picks to the Warriors. They'll get Minnesota's first-rounder and second-rounder in 2021, unless the first-rounder is in the top three. Then it would roll over to 2022.That means the Timberwolves, who overturned half of their roster this week, will have two first-round picks this summer, their own that's likely to be in the top five and another one from Brooklyn... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have taken on yet another new look, with D'Angelo Russell on his way to join pal Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins heading west to the Golden State Warriors.In a swap of high scorers consummated just a few hours before the NBA deadline on Thursday, the Timberwolves acquired the dynamic point guard they'd been seeking for awhile in Russell and pulled the plug on their development of Wiggins, the mercurial first overall pick of the 2014 draft.The deal also sent two little-used Golden State players, guard Jacob Evans and forward Omari Spellman, to the Timberwolves and routed two draft picks to the Warriors. They'll get Minnesota's first-rounder and second-rounder in 2021, unless the first-rounder is in the top three. Then it would roll over to 2022.That means the Timberwolves, who overturned half of their roster this week, will have two first-round picks this summer, their own that's likely to be in the top five and another one from Brooklyn... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the trade says the Philadelphia 76ers have acquired Glenn Robinson and Alec Burks from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for draft picks.Expected to contend for an Eastern Conference championship, the Sixers have slumped and are in sixth place in the standings entering Thursday's games. The Sixers hope to strengthen their bench with the move. They will send Golden State a 2020 second-round pick via Dallas, a 2021 second-round pick via Denver, and a 2022 second-round pick via Toronto, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not officially been announced.Robinson, in his second stint with the Sixers, averaged 12.9 points and shot 40% from 3-point range. Burks averages 16.1 points and shoots 37.5% from 3-point range. The move puts the Sixers roster at 15, meaning two players will have to go before the trade deadline to fit in Robinson and Burks.The 76ers made room at the deadline when they traded James Ennis III to the Orlando Magic for a future second-round pick, according to the person familiar with the deal. Ennis averaged 5.8 points in 49 games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In a swap of high scorers, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired D'Angelo Russell on Thursday from the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, according to a person with knowledge of the trade.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had yet to be finalized by the NBA with a few hours remaining before the deadline. ESPN first reported the trade, which also includes additional players and draft picks. Russell had been on Minnesota's radar for months, a dynamic point guard in his fifth season in the league after going as the second overall pick in the 2015 draft. The first choice that year was Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, a friend of Russell around whom the front office has been trying to rebuild the roster. Minnesota will be Russell's fourth NBA team. He averaged 23.6 points per game for the injury-wrecked Warriors, a career high after coming in an offseason trade with Brooklyn. The Wolves tried to woo him then, too,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the trade says the Philadelphia 76ers have acquired Glenn Robinson and Alec Burks from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for draft picks.Expected to contend for an Eastern Conference championship, the Sixers have slumped and are in sixth place in the standings entering Thursday's games. The Sixers hope to strengthen their bench with the move. The Sixers will send Golden State a 2020 second-round pick via Dallas, a 2021 second-round pick via Denver and a 2022 second-round pick via Toronto, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not officially been announced.Robinson, in his second stint with the Sixers, averaged 12.9 points and shot 40% from 3-point range. Burks averages 16.1 points and shoots 37.5% from 3-point range. The move puts the Sixers roster at 15, meaning two players will have to go before the trade deadline to fit in Robinson and Burks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says Andre Iguodala is headed to Miami after the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies agreed Wednesday night on his long-awaited trade.As part of the deal, Iguodala agreed to a two-year extension, with the second of those years being a team option, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized.The person also said Miami and Memphis were still working out complete terms of what the Heat are giving up in the deal, and that a third team may still be involved.Holding the team option for 2021-22 is a critical component for Miami, which intends to have space for two max contracts in the summer of 2021 and made clear to all teams in recent days — and even last summer — that it would not compromise those plans.Iguodala was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP for Golden State and was traded to Memphis last summer. He did not play for the Grizzlies, after he and the team agreed that it would... [More]

Books created by Kobe Bryant’s content company soared in popularity in the days following the basketball legend’s death in a helicopter crash.A trio of the books created by Bryant’s Granity Studios will occupy the top three spots on the Middle Grade Hardcover portion of The New York Times’ best-seller list for Feb. 16. “Epoca: The Tree Of Ecrof” will be No. 1 on that list, followed by “Legacy And The Queen” and “The Wizenard: Training Camp.”All three of the books were written for children between the ages of 10 and 14. Bryant, in an interview with The Associated Press in 2018, said his mission for the books was “to combine education and inspiration and build around the concepts of what kids go through when they are playing a sport."Another of Bryant’s books, “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” has also reached No. 1 on Amazon’s non-fiction sales charts this week. Bryant released that book in 2018, the same year that he won an Academy Award in the best animated short for his ode to the game... [More]

RIETI, Italy (AP) — The first Italian basketball team that Kobe Bryant’s father played for retired the Lakers superstar’s jersey to the rafters in a pregame ceremony Wednesday.“You began to play here and as an adult you made us dream. Our colors are with you in the sky,” read a huge banner in Italian that fans of NPC Rieti held up before the game against Scafati in Italy’s second division.Then a gold Lakers’ jersey with Bryant’s No. 24 was lifted to the ceiling of the PalaSojourner arena as a recording of Bryant's lineup introduction from his NBA playing days was played.Rieti was where Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, made his Italian basketball debut in 1984. Kobe was 6 at the time. Joe Bryant went on to play for three other teams in Italy and Kobe grew up in the country until moving back to Pennsylvania for high school.Kobe Bryant died last month with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. He was 41.At the start of the ceremony,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks made a big move before the trade deadline — by getting rid of the guy who would have been making their deals.They fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office at a most unusual time.General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, with the team announcing that it would begin an immediate search for a new president just two days before the trade deadline.Mills has held a number of titles at Madison Square Garden since 1999, where he came after spending 16 years at the NBA. But this was the first time his role included full control of basketball decisions, and now MSG executive chairman James Dolan will look for someone else to do it.“I will always be grateful to Jim for giving me the chance to represent this franchise and I’m disappointed we were unable to achieve success for New York," Mills said. “I would like to thank the staff and the players for their hard work during my tenure. I will always... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office just two days before the NBA's trade deadline.General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, with the team announcing that it would begin an immediate search for a new president.Mills has held a number of titles at Madison Square Garden since 1999, where he came after spending 16 years at the NBA. But this was the first time his role included full control of basketball decisions, and now MSG executive chairman James Dolan will look for someone else to do it.“I will always be grateful to Jim for giving me the chance to represent this franchise and I’m disappointed we were unable to achieve success for New York," Mills said. “I would like to thank the staff and the players for their hard work during my tenure. I will always be a Knicks fan.”Mills' firing is the second major change for the Knicks this season. They fired coach David Fizdale after just 22... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office just two days before the NBA trade deadline, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, the person said, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.Mills' firing is the second major change for the Knicks this season. They fired coach David Fizdale after just 22 games.Mills' firing was first reported by ESPN.The Knicks are 15-36 this season, Mills' third in charge after replacing Phil Jackson. They were 17-65 last season, tying the worst record in franchise history, but believed a big summer could lead to a quick improvement.However, they couldn't sign any of the top free agents despite having enough money to afford two of them, watching as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving instead went to Brooklyn. Mills then pivoted to sign veteran players to short-term... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers' first game since Kobe Bryant's death was the second-most watched regular-season NBA game on ESPN.The game Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers averaged 4.41 million viewers. The only telecast to surpass that since ESPN resumed NBA coverage in 2002-03 was a January 2003 game between the Lakers and Houston Rockets that featured the first matchup between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming (4.88 million).According to Nielsen, the Bryant pregame ceremony averaged 5.23 million viewers. The audience peaked at 6.07 million between 10:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern, which was the conclusion of the ceremony and the start of the game.By comparison, a game between Houston and the Denver Nuggets scheduled during a similar time slot last year averaged 1.6 million. The “Hoop Streams” pregame — which was streamed between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern — had a record 2.4 million views, according to the network. The show is streamed on ESPN.com and its app as well as Twitter and YouTube.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving will miss at least a week with a sprained medial ligament in his right knee.The Brooklyn Nets star had an MRI exam Sunday that confirmed the team's diagnosis after he was injured Saturday in Washington.Irving got hurt in the fourth quarter of a 113-107 loss, when he and Wizards guard Bradley Beal got tangled battling for a loose ball and Irving's knee twisted as he landed on the court. He stayed down for a couple minutes before remaining in the game for the jump ball — in which he didn't jump — and then left the court and went to the locker room.Irving had his highest-scoring game of the season the previous night, scoring 54 points in a victory over Chicago.The Nets said Irving will be re-evaluated in a week. He will miss at least home games against Phoenix and Golden State — whose point guard, D'Angelo Russell, he replaced on the Nets — as well as a game at Toronto.Irving previously missed 26 games in his first season in Brooklyn with a right shoulder injury. He also sat out one after returning with hamstring tightness and didn't play last Sunday after learning of Kobe Bryant's death while preparing to face the New York Knicks.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami got 24 points from Jimmy Butler and a big boost from rookie Tyler Herro on Saturday night. But it was a big game from center Meyers Leonard that put the Heat over the top in a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic."Tonight it just happened to be a night where the ball was finding my energy on both ends of the floor, I guess," said Leonard, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game.Herro came off the bench with six 3-pointers and 23 points. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range to help the Heat beat Orlando for the second time this week and stretch their lead in the Southeast Division to 12 1/2 games."Everyone in the locker room wants Meyers to be more aggressive," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “He really worked on it the last couple of days in practice, letting it fly, almost past his comfort zone. I'm talking about shooting it every time he touched it.”The 7-foot Leonard... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami got 24 points from Jimmy Butler and a big boost from rookie Tyler Herro on Saturday night. But it was a big game from center Meyers Leonard that put the Heat over the top in a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic."Tonight it just happened to be a night where the ball was finding my energy on both ends of the floor, I guess," said Leonard, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game.Herro came off the bench with six 3-pointers and 23 points. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range to help the Heat beat Orlando for the second time this week and stretch their lead in the Southeast Division to 12 1/2 games."Everyone in the locker room wants Meyers to be more aggressive," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “He really worked on it the last couple of days in practice, letting it fly, almost past his comfort zone. I'm talking about shooting it every time he touched it.”The 7-foot Leonard... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and rookie Tyler Herro came off the bench with 23 on Saturday night to lead the Miami Heat to a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic.Meyers Leonard had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range.Aaron Gordon scored 24 for the Magic, who lost their fifth straight. Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and nine rebounds.Miami led 57-49 at halftime despite a big first half by Gordon, who was 4 of 6 on 3s and scored 16 points.Herro, bumped out of the starting lineup by the return of fellow rookie Kendrick Nunn, hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the first half.Back-to-back 3-pointers by Leonard stretched Miami's lead to double digits early in the second half, and the Heat led 73-60 when Butler converted a three-point play late in the third quarter.After the Magic closed the gap to six early in the fourth,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is making progress in his comeback from a broken left hand and could return in March.Curry was injured Oct. 30 in the fourth game of the season and had surgery two days later."He's made some big strides," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Saturday's game against Cleveland. "I guess the word is a month away from having another evaluation. We're really hopeful that around that time he'll be able to play. We'll determine that around March 1."Kerr said that Curry has been participating in non-contact and individual drills while also working on his conditioning."He needs to progress over the next month to lot of action, one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on five," Kerr said. "That's all part of the plan."Golden State (10-39) has the NBA's worst record without the two-time MVP, who led the Warriors to three titles and five straight Finals appearances. Curry averages 23.5 points in 11 seasons. "It's good to see Steph on the floor and on the sidelines with the team and traveling," Kerr said. "The mood is brighter when Steph is around. He's giving the young guys a lot of words of wisdom."The Warriors and Cavaliers met in the Finals every year from 2015-18, but both have struggled all season. Golden State has lost five in a row overall and 10 straight on the road. Cleveland has lost nine straight at home and 14 of 17 overall.

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Kobe Bryant's high school jersey spent more time in China of late than it did hanging on the wall of the gym named in honor of the school's career leading scorer.Bryant's retired No. 33 jersey was stolen in 2017 from Lower Merion High School's campus and eventually bought by a collector in China. Suspicious the jersey was stolen, the Kobe collector contacted the school and helped return the keepsake to suburban Philadelphia, a process already underway before Bryant was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash.The uniform was at last back Saturday where it belonged — unveiled under a spotlight by Bryant's cousin, his old high school coach, and a former teammate at Bryant Gymnasium."Good timing," Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer said. "That was kind of an iconic moment when the spotlight went on that jersey. It was just tremendous. It was major irony, almost, how we've been waiting for that jersey for a long time. For a long time we didn't know where it was. To have it back,... [More]