NEW ORLEANS (AP) — After Anthony Davis found out he wouldn't be traded Thursday, the six-time All-Star learned the New Orleans Pelicans will let him suit up for the remainder of the season.While Davis had stated publicly that he's ready to move on from New Orleans, he also had said he was prepared to play for the Pelicans as long as he remained under contract with them."Ultimately, Anthony made it clear to us that he wants to play and he gives our team the best opportunity to win games. Moreover, the Pelicans want to preserve the integrity of the game and align our organization with NBA policies," Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said in a statement. "We believe Anthony playing upholds the values that are in the best interest of the NBA and its fans. We look forward to seeing Anthony in a Pelicans uniform again soon."The Pelicans initially appeared inclined to move on without Davis and focus on the players who might help them going forward. Davis' image has been removed from promotional... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — After Anthony Davis found out he wouldn't be traded this season, the six-time All-Star learned the New Orleans Pelicans will let him suit up for the remainder of the season.While Davis had stated publicly that he's ready to move on from New Orleans, he also had said he was prepared to play for the Pelicans as long as he remained under contract with them."Ultimately, Anthony made it clear to us that he wants to play and he gives our team the best opportunity to win games. Moreover, the Pelicans want to preserve the integrity of the game and align our organization with NBA policies," the Pelicans said in a statement Thursday night. "We believe Anthony playing upholds the values that are in the best interest of the NBA and its fans. We look forward to seeing Anthony in a Pelicans uniform again soon."The Pelicans initially appeared inclined to move on without Davis and focus on the players who might help them going forward. Davis' image has been removed from promotional materials,... [More]

LeBron James finally has Anthony Davis as a teammate.For one game.His Los Angeles Lakers were unable to swing a deal for Davis, but James drafted the New Orleans Pelicans star on Thursday when he and fellow captain Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down to choose their teams for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in Charlotte.Davis told the Pelicans he wanted a trade, and James has made it clear that he'd love to play with him. But the Pelicans kept Davis as the trade deadline passed, so for now, their time as teammates will be limited to All-Star weekend and James pounced at the chance to grab him with the second pick of the reserve round."I'm very sure of that," James said, when asked by TNT host Ernie Johnson if he was sure he wanted Davis as a teammate."Isn't that tampering?" Antetokounmpo asked.Responded James, as both players laughed: "Tampering rules do not apply on All-Star weekend," a thinly veiled reference to the reaction James got when he listed Davis as one of many players he would like the... [More]

LeBron James finally has Anthony Davis as a teammate.For one game.His Los Angeles Lakers were unable to swing a deal for Davis, but James drafted the New Orleans Pelicans star on Thursday when he and fellow captain Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down to choose their teams for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in Charlotte.Davis told the Pelicans he wanted a trade, and James has made it clear that he'd love to play with him. But for now, their time as teammates will be limited to All-Star weekend.James chose Kevin Durant with the No. 1 overall pick, as he did last year in the All-Star draft, to be one of his starters. They'll be joined in the Team LeBron starting five by Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Team Giannis, in addition to Antetokounmpo, will start Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Paul George and hometown favorite Kemba Walker.Antetokounmpo took his Milwaukee teammate Khris Middleton with the first pick in the reserve round, along with Nikola Jokic, Ben Simmons, Blake Griffin, D'Angelo... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls insist they remain committed to keeping coach Jim Boylen beyond this season and that he is delivering the way they anticipated despite their poor record.Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said the Bulls "absolutely" plan to retain him. He said Boylen is "doing the right things" and is "promoting the right message to our players."The front office also took the blame Thursday for signing Jabari Parker last summer in a failed experiment. He was traded along with Bobby Portis and a protected 2023 second-round draft pick to Washington for Otto Porter Jr. on Wednesday."We thought at the time it was worth the roll of the dice given where we were at," Paxson said. "It didn't work out for either party."The Bulls have lost 16 of 18 games and own one of the worst records in the NBA at 12-42.There have been few signs of progress in a season where they hoped to show some. They were hit hard by injuries and have been stumbling all season.That... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls insist they remain committed to keeping coach Jim Boylen beyond this season and that he is delivering the way they anticipated despite their poor record.Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson says the Bulls "absolutely" plan to retain him. He says Boylen is doing the right things and is "promoting the right message to our players."The front office also took the blame for signing Jabari Parker last summer in a failed experiment. He was traded along with Bobby Portis and a protected 2023 second-round draft pick to Washington for Otto Porter Jr. on Wednesday.Paxson says signing Parker "didn't work out for either party."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have waived Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews, allowing them to sign with other teams for a playoff run.The Knicks were unable to find a trade before Thursday's deadline for Kanter, their former starting center who had fallen out of the rotation altogether with New York having the worst record in the league and focusing on its younger players.The center from Turkey was acquired from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then any spot at all in recent weeks.General manager Scott Perry says Kanter "passionately embraced our franchise and our city," adding that "he is a courageous individual and we thank him for his many contributions both on the court and in the community."Matthews was acquired last week from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade and played in two games. The veteran swingman is averaging 12.8 points this season.Players on an NBA roster have to be waived by March 1 in order to be eligible to sign with another team an appear in the postseason.

NEW YORK (AP) — Caris LeVert is set to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets after missing nearly three months with a dislocated right foot.Coach Kenny Atkinson says LeVert "is in" for the Nets' home game on Friday against the Chicago Bulls.LeVert was leading the Nets in scoring with 18.4 points per game when he sustained a gruesome injury Nov. 12 at Minnesota. He was taken off the floor on a stretcher, but it was quickly determined the damage wasn't as bad as originally feared. LeVert returned to practice this week.Brooklyn has surprisingly surged into playoff contention during the guard's 42-game absence, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 29 wins, one more than it had all of last season.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Washington Wizards decided they needed to shake things up with All-Star point guard John Wall out for the season.Otto Porter Jr. is gone. Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis are in.Washington traded Porter to the struggling Chicago Bulls on Wednesday for Parker, Portis and a protected 2023 second-round pick."I know what he's capable of doing," the Wizards' Bradley Beal said. "He has the ability to go lead a young team now, so I know he'll do well there, or wherever he may end up. We'll welcome Bobby and Jabari and just keep moving forward."The Wizards changed up their front court in the aftermath of the news that Wall needs surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss much — if not all — of next season. Wall already was sidelined because of an operation on his left heel.The trade also ends a failed experiment for the Bulls after Parker signed a $40 million, two-year contract with his hometown team. Chicago dropped to 12-42 with Wednesday night's 125-120... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Washington Wizards decided they needed to shake things up with All-Star point guard John Wall out for the season.Otto Porter Jr. is gone. Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis are in.Washington traded Porter to the struggling Chicago Bulls on Wednesday for Parker and Portis. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.The Athletic first reported the trade.The Wizards changed up their front court in the aftermath of the news that Wall needs surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss much — if not all — of next season. Wall already was sidelined because of an operation on his left heel.The trade also ends a failed experiment for the Bulls after Parker signed a $40 million, two-year contract with his hometown team. Chicago dropped to 12-42 with Wednesday night's 125-120 loss to New Orleans.Porter had joined Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal to form a young nucleus of lottery... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Washington Wizards decided they needed to shake things up with All-Star point guard John Wall out for the season.Otto Porter Jr. is out. Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis are in.Washington traded Porter to the struggling Chicago Bulls on Wednesday for Parker and Portis. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.The Athletic first reported the trade.The Wizards changed up their front court in the aftermath of the news that Wall needs surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss much — if not all — of next season. Wall already was sidelined for the rest of this season because of an operation on his left heel.The trade also ends a failed experiment for the Bulls after Parker signed a $40 million, two-year contract with his hometown team. Chicago entered Wednesday's game against New Orleans with a 12-41 record and 15 losses in 17 games.Porter had joined Wall and shooting guard... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jamal Murray is back in the Denver Nuggets' starting lineup at Brooklyn after missing six games with a sprained left ankle.The guard last played in a victory over Phoenix on Jan. 25, when he rolled his ankle. Before that, he had missed only one game in his three-year career.Murray is second on the Nuggets with 18.5 points per game.The Nets also got starting guard Joe Harris (right hip) and backup Allen Crabbe (right knee) back for the game Wednesday.

DETROIT (AP) — Last season, the Detroit Pistons acquired Blake Griffin in a blockbuster deal shortly before the trade deadline.So far, their moves this time around have been a lot more mild.The Pistons traded Reggie Bullock to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday for rookie guard Svi Mykhailiuk and a future second-round draft pick. Detroit also agreed to send forward Stanley Johnson to Milwaukee for center Thon Maker, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that deal had not been announced publicly.The Pistons have been mediocre for a while, stuck between contending and rebuilding. For that reason, almost anything seemed possible as Thursday's trade deadline approached. Last year, Griffin came to Detroit in the middle of the season, but that wasn't enough to put the Pistons in the playoffs, and the franchise eventually parted with Stan Van Gundy, its coach and team president.This season hasn't been much different under new coach... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris drove the lane, tossed up a runner and buried the winner in what turned out to be his final shot for the Los Angeles Clippers.His packed bags needed a new destination. Next stop, Philadelphia.The 26-year-old Harris is headed to the 76ers as part of a late-night deal that suddenly gives the team the best starting five in the Eastern Conference and stamped them as legitimate title contenders.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Sixers can only hope this trade turns into a story all about how the East got flipped-turned upside down.They paid a steep price for the free agent: Sensational rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks are headed to the Clippers. Philadelphia traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles, too.The Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Reggie Bullock from the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday for rookie guard Svi Mykhailiuk and a future second-round draft pick.Bullock is a sixth-year pro who began his NBA career across town with the Clippers. He is averaging 12.1 points per game and hitting 38.8 percent of his 3-point attempts this season while starting 44 games for Detroit.Bullock played his way into a starting role with the Pistons over the past two seasons. He is a career 39.8 percent shooter from 3-point range.His outside shooting will fill a major need for the Lakers, who are the NBA's second-worst 3-point shooting team at 33.4 percent. He is in the final season of a contract paying him $2.5 million, keeping the Lakers' payroll flexible for summer moves.Bullock also is a close friend of Lakers swingman Brandon Ingram. They are both from tiny Kinston, North Carolina.Mykhailiuk was a second-round pick by the Lakers out of Kansas, and he impressed the team enough to earn a regular role on the NBA roster. The Ukrainian shooter averaged 3.2 points in 39 games.Los Angeles has lost six of eight heading into a game at Boston on Thursday night, a few hours after the trade deadline passes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are worth $4 billion, making them the most valuable NBA team for the fourth straight year, according to Forbes . That's despite having the worst record among the league's 30 teams.In its annual rankings, Forbes said the Knicks' value increased 11 percent from last year because of a $1 billion renovation of Madison Square Garden, completed in 2013, that has produced a series of new revenue streams.The Knicks, who feature a starting lineup with three new players acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, lost at home Tuesday night for a franchise-record 15th straight game. They began Wednesday with a 10-43 record.Forbes says the Los Angeles Lakers remain in second place with a value of $3.7 billion, up 12 percent.Rounding out the top five are the Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), Chicago Bulls ($2.9 billion) and Boston Celtics ($2.8 billion).The average NBA team is worth $1.9 billion, up 13 percent from last year.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/NBA and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Devin Booker is ready to take on the Curry brothers.The Phoenix Suns guard will look to defend his NBA All-Star 3-point championship from a year ago against brothers Stephen and Seth Curry on Feb. 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephen Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, won the event in 2015 while brother Seth, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is competing in his first 3-point contest.Charlotte's Kemba Walker, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Portland's Damian Lillard, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Toronto's Danny Green, Brooklyn's Joe Harris and Sacramento's Buddy Hield round out the 10-player field.The 3-point contest will held on the same night as the dunk contest and the skills challenge at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.The dunk contest features Charlotte's Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo, Atlanta's John Collins and New York Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr.The skill challenge includes first-time NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokic... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris drove the lane, tossed up a runner and buried the winner in what turned out to be his final shot for the Los Angeles Clippers.His packed bags needed a new destination. Next stop, Philadelphia.The 26-year-old Harris is headed to the 76ers as part of a late-night deal that suddenly gives the team the best starting five in the Eastern Conference and stamped them as legitimate title contenders.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Sixers can only hope this trade turns into a story all about how the East got flipped-turned upside down.They paid a steep price for the free agent: Sensational rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks are headed to the Clippers. Philadelphia also traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles.A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns will look to defend his 3-point contest title at the NBA All-Star game against brothers Stephen and Seth Curry on Feb. 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Charlotte's Kemba Walker, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Portland's Damian Lillard, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Toronto's Danny Green, Brooklyn's Joe Harris and Sacramento's Buddy Hield round out the 10-player field.The dunk contest features Charlotte's Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo, Atlanta's John Collins and New York Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr.The skill challenge includes first-time NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Nikola Vucevic of the Magic and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks. Atlanta's Trae Young, Memphis' Mike Conley, Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox, Los Angele Lakers' Kyle Kuzma and Boston's Jayson Tatum will also compete.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/NBA and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Orlando Magic reserve center Mo Bamba will be out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left leg.The team made the announcement in a news release before the Magic were set to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Bamba also missed Saturday's game against the Brooklyn Nets.Bamba, a rookie from Texas, is averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.36 blocks per game. The team said the injury was caught early, so he will be treated without surgery. His return will depend on how he responds to rest, non-operative treatment and rehabilitation.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball