INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says free agent guard Justin Holiday has agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.8 million with the Indiana Pacers.Holiday joins his younger brother, Aaron, with the Pacers, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move had not yet been announced.Justin Holiday started last season in Chicago, where he started 38 games and averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals. He finished the season in Memphis, starting 39 of 44 games while averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals.The six-year veteran adds depth on a team that expects injured All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo to miss at least the first two months.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry has undergone surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his left thumb, an injury he played through during the last two rounds of Toronto's run to the NBA championship.The Raptors say Friday that Lowry had the surgery in New York at the Hospital for Special Surgery.The All-Star point guard was hurt May 12 during Game 7 of a victory over Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He continued to play and helped Toronto win its first title when he finished with 26 points and 10 assists in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Golden State.Lowry averaged 15 points and 6.6 assists in 24 postseason games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have finalized contracts with Marcus Morris and Reggie Bullock, two of their offseason additions.The forwards join Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington as free agents who the Knicks hope will improve what was the NBA's worst team last season.Morris averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games last season for Boston, his fifth straight season scoring more than 10 points per game.Bullock averaged 11.3 points while playing for Detroit and the Los Angeles Lakers.Terms of the deals announced Tuesday were not disclosed.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent forward Richaun Holmes.General manager Vlade Divac announced the deal to add depth to his frontcourt on Tuesday. The Athletic reported Holmes will be paid $10 million over two seasons in Sacramento.Holmes averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game last season for Phoenix. He also shot 60.8% from the field.Holmes has played four seasons with Philadelphia and the Suns. He has a career average of 7.7 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. re-signed with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.The team said it was a multiyear deal.Oubre was acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards for veteran Trevor Ariza last December. He averaged 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 40 games with the Suns to go with his energy on defense. The four-year pro led the NBA in steals per game with 2.1 after the All-Star break, to go with 20.2 points and 5.7 rebounds."Right now I'm a Phoenix Sun, and I'm excited to get better every day with the group of guys that we have," the 23-year-old Oubre said. "At the end of the day, I'm super excited about where we're going and where we're going to be. The sky's the limit for us."The numbers don't lie," he added. "You see how my game evolved when I got here and it happened the right way. Nothing was given to me."Oubre returns to a new-look roster that includes star Devin Booker and second-year center Deandre Ayton, plus point guard Ricky Rubio. The Suns also added power forward... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram says he's "pretty close" to resuming normal workouts as he continues to recover from surgery to address a blood clot in his right arm.Ingram says he has not resumed shooting, but has worked on his shooting form while also conducting ball-handling and passing drills, as well as lower-body workouts.Ingram did not give a specific timeline for his return to full basketball activities with the Pelicans, the team to which the Lakers traded him this offseason as part of a multi-player and multi-draft pick deal for six-time All-Star Anthony Davis.Ingram spoke about his health on Tuesday during formal introductions at Pelicans headquarters for him and three other new players: guard Lonzo Ball, swing player Josh Hart, and center Derrick Favors.Ball and Hart also were part of the Davis trade. Favors was traded by Utah to New Orleans.Ingram was averaging 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds last season before he was diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis in early March.___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]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks announced Tuesday that they have signed free agent forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Bucks forward and NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.Thanasis Antetokounmpo joins Milwaukee on a guaranteed two-year, minimum contract, according to Giannis' agent, Alex Saratsis."Thanasis is a young player with great experience at the top level overseas," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. "He brings toughness, athleticism, character and a high IQ. We are thrilled to have him join the Bucks."Antetokounmpo spent the last two seasons with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League, where he helped the team to two straight league titles.The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 55 games (13 starts) in both Greek Basket League and EuroLeague In 2018-19. He was named the Greek Basket League Most Spectacular Player for the 2017-18 season. Prior to that,Antetokounmpo, 26, played one season with Andorra of Spain's Liga ACB where he averaged... [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]

NEW YORK (AP) — In hoops, Giannis Antetokounmpo is court royalty. But in baseball, he's a complete rookie.In fact, the 24-year-old from Greece said he'd never even touched a baseball before he did so Monday night at Yankee Stadium.The reigning NBA MVP was shocked."It was really heavy," Antetokounmpo told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be lighter."The Milwaukee Bucks star went on to take a few swings in the batting cage beneath the stands before the Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays. The 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo got some coaching, with limited results — he swung and missed once with the ball on a tee, and made light contact on two other tries."I would be a terrible baseball player," he said.The "Greek Freak" was in the Bronx with his three brothers to promote his new signature sneaker and signed a pair for a fan — Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia.Antetokounmpo watched the Yankees take batting practice, which reinforced his notion that he wasn't destined for the diamond."I saw Aaron Judge hitting the ball into the stands. That's amazing. You've got to be really strong to do that," he said.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bob Myers has accepted Kevin Durant's departure for the Brooklyn Nets with an appreciation for all the superstar forward accomplished with the franchise, even if the Golden State general manager would have loved to keep KD around a little longer."I have a peace about it," Myers said Monday as he discussed the Warriors' flurry of moves in free agency.And Myers doesn't think he would do anything differently in an attempt to keep Durant, who told Myers he was ready for a new chapter after winning championships with the Warriors in 2017 and '18 as NBA Finals MVP both years."You do the best you can," Myers said. "I think all along, to me it was a blessing that he came, that he wanted to be a part of this. This is a guy who can move in whatever direction he wants because of his talent. He came and he delivered. In my opinion he was everything we could have asked for. He represented us on the court, he represented us off the court. He still has a great relationship with... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the Philadelphia 76ers and star guard Ben Simmons have agreed to a $170 million, five-year contract extension. The max deal is the latest big commitment by the team.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the contract is not official.Simmons will make about $8.1 million this season, the last of his four-year rookie deal. His salary for the next season should jump to about $29.3 million and rise to nearly $39 million in 2024-25.The deal solidifies the 76ers' core for the next few seasons. All-Star Joel Embiid and Al Horford are under contract though 2023, Tobias Harris through 2024 and now Simmons through 2025.Simmons was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2016. He made his NBA debut in the 2017-18 season and was Rookie of the Year. He was an All-Star for the first time last season. He has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists in his two on-court seasons.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gave the Brooklyn Nets two big victories in one night."They hit the Mega Millions and the Powerball," former NBA star Charles Oakley said.In the first hours of free agency, the Nets added two of the best players available to a young roster that made the playoffs, giving them hope of not only contention for an NBA title, but to be the biggest basketball team in New York.The Nets have gone after both before and gotten neither.There was the 2012 acquisition of Joe Johnson to play with point guard Deron Williams, a pairing that was touted as "Brooklyn's Backcourt."Then there was the trade the next year for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, a megadeal that landed the Nets the cover of "Sports Illustrated."It didn't get them anywhere close to a title, though.So it would be easy to mix caution in with optimism, but former Nets who were back at Barclays Center on Sunday to play in the BIG3 think things can be different this time."I think they're going... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Davis' year of uncertainty finally felt finished when he stood in the Los Angeles Lakers' training complex and proudly held up his new gold jersey while LeBron James looked on approvingly.After months of upheaval around his departure from New Orleans, the superstar forward is looking forward to years of success and stability on the West Coast.Sure, Davis knows the Lakers are rarely stable, and championships are the only success this franchise understands.The six-time All-Star can't wait for the challenge of winning big in the Hollywood spotlight."The most difficult part for me was just not knowing," Davis said Saturday. "When it was announced that I was being traded, I don't want to say it was a relief, (but) it was something that I'd thought about for a long time. Obviously it was tough to leave the city I'd been playing in for seven years, but I think it was best for me."When I found out I'd been traded to the Lakers, I realized it was an unbelievable... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward/center Jordan Bell, who left Golden State during the Warriors' offseason transformation.Bell spent two seasons with the Warriors and was their starter at center in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But he was one of a number of Warriors who won't be returning after Golden State's loss to Toronto.The 6-foot-9 Bell averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game over 125 games.Terms of the deal were not announced Friday.

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have officially re-signed Kristaps Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 All-Star selection who still hasn't played a game for them since being acquired in a big deal before the trade deadline last season.The Mavericks announced Friday that the deal was done.Porzingis and the Mavericks agreed earlier this month on a $158 million, five-year maximum contract — the last season being a player option. That will pair the Latvian standout with fellow young Euro star Luka Doncic, the 20-year-old from Slovania who was the NBA's Rookie of the Year last season when he averaged 21.2 points.Dallas sent a pair of first-round picks and Dennis Smith Jr., the ninth overall selection in the 2017 draft, to the New York Knicks for Porzingis in a seven-player trade last Jan. 31.Porzingis, who turns 24 on Aug. 2, sat out all of last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Feb 6, 2018, in what turned out to be his last game for the Knicks. The injury happened not long after Porzingis was named an All-Star.In 186 games over three seasons with the Knicks after being the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Porzingis averaged 17.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. He averaged 22.7 points through 48 games in 2017-18 before the injury that has since kept him out of NBA games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]