The Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to trade All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a package led by fellow All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas on Tuesday.The teams confirmed the Celtics also sent forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first round pick to the Cavaliers."Kyrie is one of the best scorers in the NBA," Celtics president Danny Ainge said in a prepared statement. "He has proven that on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals, the last three years. He's been an NBA Champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and a four-time All-Star. For all he's accomplished, we think his best years are ahead of him."Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman said in a statement, "This trade needed to include both players and assets that we felt strongly could help us continue to compete for championships, and we believe it does. We look forward to Isaiah, Jae and Ante joining us and also felt that the unprotected first-round pick in the deal... [More]

The Toronto Raptors signed forward K.J. McDaniels to a contract, the team announced Tuesday.Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the club for McDaniels, who split last season between the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets.McDaniels averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 49 games in 2016-17.A second-round selection by Philadelphia in the 2014 draft, McDaniels has averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 148 games with the 76ers, Rockets and Nets.

The NBA is investigating the Los Angeles Lakers for alleged tampering involving Paul George after the Indiana Pacers filed a formal complaint.The league released a statement Sunday from Mike Bass, executive vice president of communications."At the request of the Indiana Pacers, the NBA opened an investigation into alleged tampering by the Los Angeles Lakers," the NBA statement said. "The independent investigation is being conducted by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. The Lakers have been cooperative and, at this point, no findings have been made. We have asked both teams to refrain from commenting while the investigation is ongoing." Peter Vecsey on Patreon reported Saturday that Lakers president Magic Johnson, general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss were contacted by an investigator for the NBA and asked to provide "any correspondence pertaining to" George, his agent and his parents."As the NBA's statement made clear, we cannot comment about the specifics of any... [More]

The Miami Heat signed former Boston Celtics forward Jordan Mickey on Sunday.Terms were not disclosed, but the deal is worth the $1.5 million guaranteed veteran minimum, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel.Mickey, 23, split last season between the Celtics and the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. He appeared in 12 games (all starts) with the Red Claws, averaging 20.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.75 blocks, 1.6 assists and 32.6 minutes while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 75.6 percent from the foul line.Mickey appeared in 25 games (one start) with the Celtics last season and averaged 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.6 minutes of action while shooting 44.1 percent from the field.The 6-foot-8, 238-pound Mickey, a former second-round pick (33rd overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft out of LSU, also appeared in four postseason games with the Celtics over the last two seasons, including two games in the Eastern Conference finals last season where he totaled four points, five rebounds and a block in 18 minutes.Mickey averaged a nation's best 3.64 blocks in his final season at LSU, blocking at least 100 shots in consecutive seasons to become just the second player in school history to reject at least 100 shots during a single season, joining Shaquille O'Neal.

G/F Paul Pierce's No. 34 will be retired by the Boston Celtics during the season next year, cementing his 15-year legacy with the franchise. The Celtics announced Friday they will honor Pierce after a midseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Feb. 11. A 10-time All-Star, Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with the Celtics, helping the club to the NBA title in 2008. Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.44 steals and 36.6 minutes in his 1,102 career games with the Celtics.

F Kevin Durant said he would not visit with President Donald Trump to celebrate the team's 2017 championship if the Golden State Warriors are invited to White House. Durant was honored in his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Md. and the 2017 Finals MVP told ESPN he will not attend any possible ceremony with Trump. "Nah, I won't do that," Durant told ESPN. "I don't respect who's in office right now." Durant and the Warriors are scheduled to visit the Washington Wizards Feb. 28. The Warriors have not been invited officially by the Trump administration.

If the Golden State Warriors are invited to the White House, Kevin Durant said he will not visit with President Donald Trump to celebrate the team's 2017 championship.Durant was honored in his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Md. and the 2017 Finals MVP told ESPN he will not attend any possible ceremony with Trump."Nah, I won't do that," Durant told ESPN. "I don't respect who's in office right now."Durant and the Warriors are scheduled to visit the Washington Wizards Feb. 28. The Warriors have not been invited officially by the Trump administration."I don't agree with what he agrees with, so my voice is going to be heard by not doing that," Durant told ESPN. "That's just me personally, but if I know my guys well enough, they'll all agree with me."Durant's comments occurred as Trump is dealing with the fallout over what transpired in Charlottesville, Va., last Saturday, which has caused many sports figures to vent their frustrations.Last Saturday, 32-year-old Heather Heyer was protesting a white... [More]

Center Jonas Valanciunas and the Toronto Raptors are close to completing negotiations on a four-year contract extension that will pay Valanciunas more than $60 million, ESPN.com reported Monday.The deal is not done yet, but Valanciunas reportedly had taken a leave from his Lithuanian NT team to return to Toronto to complete the negotiations.The two sides had until Nov. 1 to get a deal done, but it appears they will reach an agreement well before that.The 23-year-old, 7-foot Valanciunas averaged 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 2014-2015, which was his third year in the NBA.

If the Golden State Warriors are invited to White House, Kevin Durant said he will not visit with President Donald Trump to celebrate the team's 2017 championship.Durant was honored in his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Md. and the 2017 Finals MVP told ESPN he will not attend any possible ceremony with Trump."Nah, I won't do that," Durant told ESPN. "I don't respect who's in office right now."Durant and the Warriors are scheduled to visit the Washington Wizards Feb. 28. The Warriors have been officially been invited by the Trump administration."I don't agree with what he agrees with, so my voice is going to be heard by not doing that," Durant told ESPN. "That's just me personally, but if I know my guys well enough, they'll all agree with me."Durant's comments occurred as Trump is dealing with the fallout over what transpired in Charlottesville, Va., last Saturday, which has caused many sports figures to vent their frustrations.Last Saturday, 32-year-old Heather Heyer was protesting a white... [More]

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James referred to President Donald Trump as the "so-called president of the United States" while calling for unity in the wake of the Charlottesville, Va., tragedy over the weekend.During his annual family reunion charitable event Tuesday night in Sandusky, Ohio, James gave an emotional speech as he held his daughter, Zhuri, in his arms and was flanked by his two sons, LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus, while standing on stage before students, parents, Cavs teammate JR Smith and pop musician Jordin Sparks.James took advantage of his first public appearance since the NBA Finals to call out Trump's actions."I know there's a lot of tragic things happening in Charlottesville," James said, via ESPN.com, before leaving the stage at Cedar Point amusement park. "I just want to speak on it right now. I have this platform and I'm somebody that has a voice of command, and the only way for us to be able to get better as a society and us to get better as people is love."And... [More]

The Toronto Raptors signed forward Kyle Wiltjer, the team announced Tuesday.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but TSN reported the contract was for one year.The 6-foot-10, 240-pound Wiltjer appeared in 14 games with the Houston Rockets last season, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a total of 44 minutes.Wiltjer was productive for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, averaging 20.5 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range in 22 games.At Gonzaga, Wiltjer was a first-team All-West Coast Conference selection in his final two seasons while averaging a team-leading 20.4 points as a senior. He began his college career at Kentucky.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed guard Briante Weber on Monday, the team announced.Although terms of the contract were not announced, multiple media outlets reported last week that it would be a one-year deal. Weber, 24, appeared in 20 games last season with the Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors, averaging a combined 3.1 points and 1.1 assists.The 6-foot-2, 165-pound Weber appeared in 27 games with the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Warriors and Hornets in his two NBA seasons, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 assists.An NBA D-League All-Star selection in 2017, Weber was a three-time Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Virginia Commonwealth.

F Kevin Durant of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors issued an apology for comments he claims were "taken out of context" regarding the development of basketball in India. In a Q&A with Durant that appeared in The Athletic earlier this week, he was quoted as saying that the country is "20 years behind in terms of knowledge and experience." In a statement on Twitter, Durant said: "Sorry that my comments about India were taken out of context, I'm grateful for the time I've got to spend there and I'm really pissed about how my comments came off, that's my fault, should've worded that better."

PG is reportedly highly interested in being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Irving, who asked the Cleveland Cavaliers for a trade in July after he grew sour of playing alongside LeBron James, has his sights set on the Los Angeles Clippers as a team he would like to play for if traded. Irving's reported list of preferred destinations also includes the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves.

F Carmelo Anthony could still join the Rockets after the team reportedly revived trade talks with the Knicks for the 10-time All-Star. Anthony will only waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Rockets, refusing to include more teams on his list of potential destinations, league sources told ESPN. Houston is reportedly trying to find a third team to make the deal possible, and finding a way to include forward Ryan Anderson, who has three years left on his $60 million deal, is viewed as an obstacle. Anthony, 33, averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 74 games last season.

Carmelo Anthony could still join the Houston Rockets after all.After initial talks between the New York Knicks and Rockets about an Anthony trade stalled, the teams have re-engaged in discussions to send the 10-time All-Star to the Magnolia City, according to an ESPN report on Friday.Anthony will only waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Rockets, refusing to include more teams on his list of potential destinations, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.Houston is reportedly trying to find a third team to make the deal possible, and finding a way to include forward Ryan Anderson, who has three years left on his $60 million deal, is viewed as an obstacle.--LeBron James might be considering whether to bring his talents to Los Angeles next season, and there's a chance Kyrie Irving could be going with him. In a manner of speaking.Irving, who asked the Cleveland Cavaliers for a trade in July after he grew sour of playing alongside James, has his sights set on the Los Angeles Clippers... [More]

LeBron James might be considering whether to bring his talents to Los Angeles next season, and there's a chance Kyrie Irving could be going with him.In a manner of speaking.Irving, who asked the Cleveland Cavaliers for a trade in July after he grew sour of playing alongside James, has his sights set on the Los Angeles Clippers as a team he would like to play for if traded."(Irving) loves L.A. and he's been working out there a lot this summer," veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey of Patreon.com said.James, who owns a home in Los Angeles, is rumored to be considering teaming up with Los Angeles-area native Paul George on the Lakers next summer.The Clippers may be looking to rebuild after trading All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets earlier this offseason, but they did retain the services of All-Star forward Blake Griffin.Building around the 25-year-old Irving would be a great start, but Vecsey does not believe the Clippers have the assets to pull off a trade."Do they have the assets they get him? I don't see how," Vecsey said. "But they also have (consultant) Jerry West and he's been able to figure out before ... the Lakers didn't have the assets to get Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) and he wheeled and dealed and figured out and they got him ... he was able to get Kobe (Bryant) for (Vlade) Divac in the draft."Irving's reported list of preferred destinations also includes the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves.

F Zach Randolph was arrested on a felony charge of marijuana possession with intent to sell by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday night. he arrest was part of a disturbance that resulted in damage to five Los Angeles Police Department vehicles and one sheriff's vehicle, according to ABC-7 in Los Angeles. Officers reportedly encountered a group drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and playing loud music while blocking the street in the Nickerson Gardens area in Los Angeles. The disturbance escalated with Randolph being arrested at 11 p.m. PT and booked 5 1/2 hours later with bail being set for $20,000, according to police reports.

F Patrick Patterson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Thursday, the team announced. Patterson, who will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, is expected to start at power forward for Oklahoma City after agreeing to a three-year, $16.4 million contract in July. The 28-year-old is the second significant offseason addition for Oklahoma City, which picked up Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers. That deal saw another forward, Domantas Sabonis, exit the Thunder for the Pacers. Patterson averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 65 games (eight starts) for the Toronto Raptors last season. He produced 3.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 10 playoff games.

The highly anticipated debuts of Chris Paul with the Houston Rockets and Gordon Hayward with the Boston Celtics will highlight the opening night of the NBA season, the league announced Thursday.Paul and the Rockets will visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday Oct. 17 as the second part of a doubleheader on TNT. Paul, a nine-time All-Star point guard, spent the past six seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Warriors will be receiving NBA championship rings for the second time in the past three seasons.In the opener, Hayward and the Celtics will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference finals. Hayward joined Boston as a free agent during the summer after seven seasons with the Utah Jazz, including making his first All-Star appearance last season.Cleveland once again will have LeBron James on the floor but the status of guard Kyrie Irving remains unclear after he asked to be traded.The NBA also announced its five Christmas Day matchups with... [More]