ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon figures it is time to take on some new responsibility now that is starting the season with a new coach and a new long-term contract.After signing a four-year, $76 million contract in July, the 23-year-old forward says the responsibility for turning around the fortunes of the Orlando Magic is on him as much as anyone."I'm here to spearhead, to make sure it's all-systems-go and make sure everybody is fighting every single night," Gordon said Monday at the team's media day. "I feel like I need to set the tempo, the energy. Energy is very contagious, and I know if my energy is low, then the next person's energy is low, and that's not how it's going to be."The Magic have had six straight losing seasons, four of them since drafting Gordon fourth overall in 2014. They are a long way from NBA respectability, but Gordon believes they can get there under new coach Steve Clifford."That's why I came back," he said. "It's to win with this franchise... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has progressed in his recovery from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon and is doing light shooting and other skill work on the court and will be able to do some noncontact work as the Warriors' training camp begins.Golden State general manager Bob Myers said anyone who thinks the two-time defending champions plan to "save DeMarcus for the playoffs, I think that's inaccurate, when he can play he'll play."That doesn't mean Cousins will be pushed to return too soon. He was re-examined last week by Dr. Richard Ferkel, the surgeon who performed his procedure, and all was positive. Myers said Cousins would be evaluated again in four weeks."We won't rush him but we also won't hold him back," Myers said at Monday's media day.Cousins injured his Achilles in late January and it prematurely ended his season with the Pelicans. Before the injury, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games.He said he's encouraged to be running... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The debates have been so lively inside the Denver Nuggets locker room recently that coach Michael Malone wanders in to make sure everything's all right.Just the enthusiasm of guard Isaiah Thomas bubbling to the surface. He's turning up the intensity with his booming voice in what's been a rather quiet room.Think he's chatty now, wait until he's fully cleared after undergoing hip surgery in March. That's when he will do his real talking — with his play.Thomas hopes to provide another spark to a Nuggets team that hasn't reached the postseason since 2012-13. Last season, the team went down to the wire, with the Nuggets losing out on the No. 8 seed to Minnesota in the final game — a stinging 112-106 overtime defeat."We just have to be more consistent and take things more serious and I think that's what I'm here for," said Thomas, who signed a $2 million, one-year deal in the offseason to prove his hip is healthy and worth a more lucrative contract. "I'm not saying I'm the guy... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo was all smiles but had no jokes.The Milwaukee Bucks' All-Star forward was more business this time around: While he didn't indulge reporters by opening his media day session on Monday with a gag, as he had done in previous years, Antetokounmpo still flashed an infectious grin.Things are looking up for the Milwaukee Bucks as they move into a new arena this fall, with a new coach leading a team headlined by one of the NBA's bright, young stars.The organization once had billboards around the city that read "Own the Future." That future is here."You could make an argument that we're number 1, 2, 3, or 4" in the Eastern Conference, co-owner Marc Lasry said when asked about where the Bucks might fit in the conference picture. "I mean I think if we stay healthy and we play to our potential, we'd be one of the top two or three teams, so I think we're there."The Bucks have made slow, steady progress since an ownership group including Lasry bought the team in... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies want to make very clear that what happened last season was an aberration.Conley and the rest of the Grizzlies — yes even oft-injured Chandler Parsons — are reporting for training camp healthy and ready to erase the memories of that painful and ugly 60-loss season."Now we're back both feet planted, and we give ourselves just as good of a shot as anybody," Conley said Monday.The Grizzlies have been through a whirlwind of changes since wrapping up that 22-60 season.J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over on an interim basis after David Fizdale was fired last November, starts training camp Tuesday as a head coach at the beginning of a season for the first time in his career. Conley has been cleared with no restrictions with his sore left heel finally fixed surgically after limiting him to just 12 games last season.Memphis also has a handful of new faces on the roster trying to keep pace in an ever tougher Western Conference.The Grizzlies drafted... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dwight Howard joked Monday about the sore back that's expected to keep him out for the start of training camp with the Washington Wizards.Coach Scott Brooks downplayed the significance of the injury, too. Still, it's not ideal that the team needs to put off incorporating its one offseason addition to the starting lineup."I've been having to do a lot of traveling with shoe companies and stuff like that in China. So just from training, traveling — and airplanes weren't made for tall people. ... It kind of sucks to fly 15 hours curled up in the fetal position," said Howard, a 6-foot-11 center entering his 15th NBA season."So just a minor setback. It shouldn't take that long for me to get back on the court," he added. "I've been feeling great all summer. Just something that we'll have to deal with, and it shouldn't keep me out too long."The Wizards traded away starting center Marcin Gortat to the Los Angeles Clippers and added Howard, who'll turn 33 in December, on a two-year,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard spoke publicly in his first appearance as a Toronto Raptor and said he is physically ready to play.Leonard joined the Raptors in a summertime blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. How long he stays in Toronto is unclear but the former NBA Finals MVP and two-time defensive player of the year who was limited to nine games last season because of a right quadriceps injury insists he is ready to go as the team gets ready for training camp in Vancouver, British Columbia.Sharing a podium with Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who pulled the trigger on the trade that included acquiring forward Danny Green and losing DeMar DeRozan, Leonard addressed the biggest question about him: His health."Right now I'm feeling great, ready to play basketball." Leonard said. "Throughout the summer I worked on my body. Took it step-by-step, just getting fully healthy, getting ready to make this extra step this season."The usually reserved Leonard also attempted to offer the crowded... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has progressed in his recovery from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon and is doing light shooting and other skill work on the court and will be able to do some noncontact work as the Warriors' training camp begins.Golden State general manager Bob Myers said anyone who thinks the two-time defending champions plan to "save DeMarcus for the playoffs, I think that's inaccurate, when he can play he'll play."That doesn't mean Cousins will be pushed to return too soon. He was re-examined last week by Dr. Richard Ferkel, the surgeon who performed his procedure, and all was positive. Myers said Cousins would be evaluated again in four weeks."We won't rush him but we also won't hold him back," Myers said at Monday's media day.Cousins injured his Achilles in late January and it prematurely ended his season with the Pelicans. Before the injury, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games.He said he's encouraged to be running... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis is a one-of-a-kind player, a 7-foot-3 package strong enough to pound in the paint but with plenty of speed and shooting to play on the perimeter.That's ideal for the basketball court.Not so much for rehabbing a serious knee injury.Porzingis said Monday his size has necessitated a slow recovery from a torn left ACL and prevents him or the New York Knicks from establishing a timetable for his return to action."We've done things differently because there is no protocol for a 7-3 guy," Porzingis said. "There is no timetable for my type of body, my size and all that. So we've done things differently. We've been really conservative and at the same time I've been killing myself working, so we're just going to have to keep moving forward and keep progressing and then see when is the right time for me to be back."Porzingis was injured after a dunk in a Feb. 6 loss to Milwaukee, just before he was set to play in his first All-Star Game. He is doing light... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana point guard Darren Collison made his position clear: The Pacers haven't done anything yet.Sure, they surprised everyone last season by posting a winning record, making the playoffs and forcing eventual Eastern Conference champion Cleveland to a seven-game series. They also think others around the league believe it could have been a fluke."I guess you'd kind of say we're still going under the radar," Collison said during the team's annual media day Monday. "People still think we haven't really accomplished anything yet, and we haven't, really. We made the playoffs, which is a good plus for a team that just got together. But at the same time, to have some success you've got to go further in the playoffs and I think that's where we're at right now."All-Star guard Victor Oladipo and promising center Myles Turner understand questions remain, too. Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has even heard similar sentiments expressed during chats with... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade doesn't know how this whole notion of his final season being called "The Last Dance" even started.Fun fact: He can't dance.But the three-time champion and 12-time All-Star can still play, and the Miami Heat are hoping — and expecting — Wade to still be extremely valuable in this, his 16th and last season in the NBA. And at Heat media day Monday, Wade said that even he doesn't know what to fully expect from what will be the last months of his playing career."I have no idea what I want out of this year," Wade said. "We're going to be able to figure this thing out as the year goes on. It's going to take on a life of its own. ... To me, that is the beauty of it, is that I do not know and we do not know."Starting Tuesday, the story starts getting told.Wade and the Heat head about 45 minutes north to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida for training camp — five straight days of workouts preceding Sunday's preseason opener at San Antonio. Decisions will have... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tony Parker is excited about finishing his impressive NBA career with the Hornets after 17 seasons with the Spurs. Kemba Walker said he wants to stay in Charlotte, too.The two point guards are at vastly different stages of their careers, but both share the same goal — to make Charlotte a perennial playoff team.Parker expects no less.He's already told his new teammates, "Don't mess with my playoff streak."The 36-year-old Parker has never missed the playoffs, winning four NBA championships along the way. Walker has become a two-time All-Star despite playing on a Hornets team that hasn't won a playoff series since Parker's rookie season in 2001-02.Walker, 28, will become a highly sought after free agent next season but said he emphatically Monday that he has no desire to join a so-called super team."I don't want to be nowhere else," said Walker, the Hornets' all-time leading scorer. "You see guys who are on elite teams. I don't want to do that. I want to create something... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade doesn't know how this whole notion of his final season being called "The Last Dance" even started.Fun fact: He can't dance.But the three-time champion and 12-time All-Star can still play, and the Miami Heat are hoping — and expecting — Wade to still be extremely valuable in this, his 16th and last season in the NBA. And at Heat media day Monday, Wade said that even he doesn't know what to fully expect from what will be the last months of his playing career."I have no idea what I want out of this year," Wade said. "We're going to be able to figure this thing out as the year goes on. It's going to take on a life of its own. ... To me, that is the beauty of it, is that I do not know and we do not know."Starting Tuesday, the story starts getting told.Wade and the Heat head about 45 minutes north to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida for training camp — five straight days of workouts preceding Sunday's preseason opener at San Antonio. Decisions will have... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — This time last year, Miami's Goran Dragic was already tired and the season was just getting started.It's very different now.When the Heat hold their first practice of the season Tuesday, Dragic expects to be as rested and ready as he's been for any training camp in years. The point guard who went to his first All-Star Game last season wore down as the year went along, in part because of the grind he put himself through last summer while leading his native Slovenia to the European championship.This summer, he played less — and is hoping that pays off this season."I feel amazing. I feel great," Dragic said. "I think one of the smartest moves I made was retiring from the national team, because I feel energized and pumped for this season. I always kind of hit a wall toward the end of a season, but I feel like this season is going to be a totally different story."At 32, Dragic is Miami's third-oldest player — among those in the Heat locker room, only Udonis Haslem (38) and the entering-his-final-season... [More]

Karl-Anthony Towns is getting a new deal from the Minnesota Timberwolves.Jimmy Butler is still waiting to get a new address.Towns announced Saturday night that he is recommitting to the Timberwolves, securing his future there while Butler's remains a mystery. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Towns will be signing a five-year super-max extension worth $190 million.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Towns publicly revealed the financial terms of the deal. Towns posted a video to social media with the wording "5 More" — a clear nod to the length of the contract."On June 25th, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves," Towns wrote in an Instagram post. "On September 22nd, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015."Towns is going into his fourth season, was an All-Star for the first time a year ago and was the Timberwolves'... [More]

Karl-Anthony Towns announced Saturday night that he is recommitting to the Minnesota Timberwolves, securing his future there while Jimmy Butler's remains a mystery.A person with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed that Towns will be signing a five-year super-max extension worth $190 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Towns revealed the financial terms of the deal.Towns announced part of the deal through social media, saying "5 More" — a clear nod to the length of the contract.Butler told the Timberwolves several days ago that he would like to be traded and will not be signing an extension to stay with them after this season.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — First, his right forearm cramped turning his arm into the shape of a V as his hand bent back, and Jordan Bell could not move it for several minutes as he sat in the bathtub as he recovered post-workout. He yelled for his girlfriend's help. The cramp briefly released, then quickly returned. Soon, his quads, calves, hamstrings, biceps, hands and feet followed suit.Then, Bell blacked out. He came to and his girlfriend got him into bed, and he doesn't remember anything but waking up there."I just got cramps everywhere, all at once," he recalled after a workout at Warriors headquarters this week. "The pain was just so much, I blacked out."It was terrifying — "very," Bell said. He realized he had pushed his body to the brink of physical exhaustion after one especially grueling mid-August day with far from enough food and fuel. He did his cycle class, weights and conditioning, then a couple hours of open gym in Los Angeles — his regular routine all summer to get ready for... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — DeAndre Jordan took off his warmup jacket, tossed it aside and declared that his decision to join the Dallas Mavericks didn't mean he also would be playing for his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.Humor was the center's way of easing into all the questions about his infamous jilting of the Mavericks in free agency three years ago, when he agreed to play for Dallas and changed his mind before contracts could be signed.When it was pointed out to him that folks in Dallas hadn't seen the fun-loving side of the native Texan before Mavericks media day Friday, Jordan did what he had done for most of his 15 minutes with reporters. He smiled."You haven't seen this side?" Jordan asked, repeating the observation. "You guys hated me the past three years so I probably wasn't very open in interviews. You know what I mean? I'm excited to get to know all of you guys."Jordan wanted to get one thing straight before agreeing again to sign with the Mavericks, this time after opting out of... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Magic Johnson can already see LeBron James' impact on the young Los Angeles Lakers before they've even had a regular practice together.After just a few weeks of unusually competitive offseason scrimmages, the Lakers' basketball boss can't wait to see how James' leadership will translate into real success.Magic and general manager Rob Pelinka on Thursday pronounced themselves thrilled with the offseason progress made by their revamped roster and James, their prize free-agent acquisition. The Lakers have been working out together informally at the club's training complex ahead of the start of training camp Tuesday, and Johnson likes what he sees so far."Just to see all of them together playing a pickup game, oh my goodness," Johnson said. "It's something to watch. I've watched LeBron from afar. I've been at many of his games. But to watch him in the gym is a whole different thing. How much he makes everybody better, but also how he raises everybody's level of play.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — There is almost certainly pain coming for the Hawks, or at least their fans, yet first-time NBA head coach Lloyd Pierce and second-year general manager Travis Schlenk refuse to notarize that word while in charge of Atlanta's only woebegone pro team.Training camp begins Tuesday for the team that last season lost more games than any other in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks were 24-58, and their offseason moves are not likely to move them closer to playoff contention.They're going to be painfully young outside of their two potential marquee players. Vince Carter, though, is 41 years old ahead of his 20th NBA season. And Jeremy Lin, 30, signed over the summer too, joining his seventh NBA team. Oh, and they signed 30-year-old center Cole Aldrich last week.Still, the brass is excited for training camp to open next Tuesday.The NBA, after all, is as much about massive rebuilds these days as it is assembling super teams. The Hawks qualify for the former, and Pierce knows that game... [More]