MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem is barely given the chance to play anymore, and the Miami Heat wanted him back anyway.That's how much they value his presence.A person with knowledge of the negotiations said Haslem and the Heat have agreed on a one-year, $2.4 million contract that will keep him with his hometown team for a 16th season. The person spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed, though that last detail is now merely a formality."When players come in and we talk to them about what it means to be a Miami Heat player, we point them at Udonis Haslem," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this offseason.Haslem is one of the team's captains, and he and Dwyane Wade are the only two players to appear on all three of Miami's NBA champion teams. Haslem becomes the 19th player under contract going into training camp, one shy of the preseason maximum — and the Heat are waiting to see if Wade will take that last available spot.Haslem's... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — If Dwyane Wade plays this season, it will be in a Miami Heat uniform.It's still a significant "if."Wade, speaking Saturday night during an appearance at the Jr. NBA World Championship, told reporters that he doesn't have a timetable for when he'll make a decision on whether to return to the heat this season.He did make clear, however, that the Heat are the only team he's considering.Wade and Udonis Haslem, both of whom would be entering their 16th seasons if they continue, remain unsigned with about six weeks left before the start of training camp. Haslem has spent his entire NBA career with the Heat.Wade said there is "no clock" on his decision. The Heat have indicated repeatedly they would like both Wade and Haslem back.

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade's future remains a mystery.The Miami Heat guard wouldn't say Monday if he has decided whether to play this season, which would be his 16th in the NBA. His future has been the source of much speculation for several weeks, with retirement a possibility."In due time," Wade said. "Time will tell."Wade briefly addressed the issue while on a call promoting his role as an ambassador for the upcoming Jr. NBA World Championship that starts Aug. 7 in Orlando, Florida.Wade has become heavily involved in youth basketball in recent years, primarily because of his sponsorship of an AAU team and his son Zaire's involvement on elite-level squads."This is the purest form of basketball, to be able to be around kids at this age, before it becomes a business," Wade said.Heat President Pat Riley said last week the team will be patient while awaiting Wade's decision, with the hope of an answer by mid-August.Wade spent his first 13 seasons with Miami, then left for Chicago and eventually Cleveland before he was traded back to the Heat in February. Wade appeared in 26 regular-season and playoff games with Miami after the trade, all off the bench, averaging 12.9 points.He is averaging 22.5 points for his career, and was part of all three Heat championship teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — When it comes to Dwyane Wade, it's clear that the Miami Heat want him back and they're willing to be patient while he figures out his plan.What's unclear is this: How much they'll have to pay.Heat President Pat Riley said Friday that he will have talks with managing general partner Micky Arison in the coming days about Wade's future. Realistically, there's only two contract options for Miami to present Wade — the $5.3 million exception, or the $2.4 million veteran minimum. The potential luxury tax implications Miami could face next year would rise in either case, and that's what the Heat are trying to avoid."That's the abyss that we all deal with in the NBA," Riley said.Riley said Miami has had talks with Wade and his agent Leon Rose over the summer, though no real detail about those conversations has been revealed by either side.Wade said at the end of last season that he wasn't certain about playing for a 16th NBA season in 2018-19, and hasn't offered anything in the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has a new contract — with his shoe company.Wade and the Chinese apparel company Li-Ning announced that the three-time NBA champion has signed a lifetime contract with the brand, which he has represented since 2012. The finalizing of that deal coincided with Wade and the company revealing his latest shoe, the "Way of Wade 7," at an event in Beijing on Wednesday.Wade appeared at the event with the company's CEO and namesake Li Ning, who is still revered in China for his gymnastics success."This was something I needed to do from the standpoint of building something," Wade told The Associated Press in a phone interview from China. "That's what I set out to do. This word we all talk about, legacy, I tried to set out to build a legacy for myself and my family. And after six years of that, it's cool to be here today."Financial details of the contract were not revealed, though it's believed the total value to Wade could reach tens of millions of dollars.Wade's relationship... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has a new contract — with his shoe company.Wade and the Chinese apparel company Li-Ning announced that the three-time NBA champion has signed a lifetime contract with the brand, which he has represented since 2012. The finalizing of that deal coincided with Wade and the company revealing his latest shoe, the "Way of Wade 7," at an event in Beijing on Wednesday.Wade appeared at the event with the company's CEO and namesake Li Ning, who is still revered in China for his gymnastics success."This was something I needed to do from the standpoint of building something," Wade told The Associated Press in a phone interview from China. "That's what I set out to do. This word we all talk about, legacy, I tried to set out to build a legacy for myself and my family. And after six years of that, it's cool to be here today."Financial details of the contract were not revealed, though it's believed the total value to Wade could reach tens of millions of dollars.Wade's relationship... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has signed a lifetime contract with Chinese apparel company Li-Ning.Wade made the deal official at an event in Beijing on Wednesday with the company's CEO and namesake Li Ning, who is revered in China for his gymnastics success.Wade's relationship with Li-Ning began in 2012, after he previously was an endorser for Converse and Jordan Brand. In addition to the continued production of basketball and lifestyle apparel, the new deal calls for Wade to take "a greater role" in youth developmental camps and basketball clinics in China and other parts of the world over the coming years.Wade finished last season with the Miami Heat. He has not decided if he will return to the Heat next season, which would be his 16th in the NBA.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Wayne Ellington is returning to the Miami Heat, after nearly two weeks of waiting and wondering if he would get his wish to be back with the club for a third season.A person with direct knowledge of the terms said Thursday night that Ellington accepted a $6.3 million, one-year offer that exactly matches his salary from last season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed.Keeping Ellington was a top priority for the Heat this summer, and the veteran guard made clear that he wanted to be back in Miami. On Day 12 of free agency, a deal finally got struck."I feel great here in Miami," Ellington said. "I've built very strong relationships with a lot of people. These guys that I go to war with every night, we've gone from strangers to teammates to brothers. This is where I wanted to be."Ellington set a Heat record with 227 3-pointers last season, and established career highs of 11.2 points and 26.5 minutes per... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Maybe it was poetic LeBron James had a supporting cast on his injured right hand.He was missing one in the NBA Finals.For the second time in a career still ascending after 15 years, James was on the wrong side of a sweep as the Golden State Warriors, a team with no apparent weaknesses and as many as four of the league's 10 best players on its roster, transformed into a dynasty in Cleveland late Friday.After what may have been his final game with the Cavaliers, James revealed he hurt himself in a fit of frustration following a Game 1 overtime loss.He displayed a soft cast on his hand during his postgame news conference and then rounded up his children and some of their friends, and along with his wife, and the usual support group of handlers and security personnel, drove home to Akron.His next stop is unknown.Another suspenseful summer of "Where will LeBron go next?" is off and running.In the next few weeks, James is expected to decline his $35.6 million contract option... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA offseason has arrived, which means nothing will happen for the next four months other than a draft, three summer leagues, free agency, the creation of a new schedule, coaching hires, trades, roster reworkings and possibly movement toward letting high school graduates jump directly into the league again.It all adds up to very little downtime.There is no shortage of questions about what will happen this summer — leading off, of course, with yet another decision to be made by LeBron James about his future and where he'll play next season as he resumes his quest for more championships.Here are some non-James topics heading into the offseason:KAWHI LEONARDThe mystery of the 2017-18 NBA season is the mystery of the offseason as well. Leonard played in only nine games for the Spurs this season while dealing with a leg injury, the specifics of which are a closely guarded secret even by San Antonio's notoriously tight-lipped standards. He could get a supermax deal, he could... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love's arms are lined with finger-nail scratches, discolored bruises and abrasions, hard-earned mementos from months battling under the basket against other NBA big men.Some of the surface wounds are healing, some are fresh.Other marks are hidden.On the eve of his fourth straight NBA Finals with Cleveland, and while recovering from a concussion suffered last week against Boston that could keep him out of Game 1, Love has persisted and prevailed during a season in which he revealed dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for much of his life.It's been an emotionally straining — but ultimately rewarding — journey for the 29-year-old All-Star, who laughed when told it feels like he's been with the Cavaliers much longer than four seasons."I've been through enough for a guy who has been here for 12 years," he told the AP following a recent practice. "It's been well worth it."Love, though, has had to pay a price for his new-found peace.Almost since the moment he arrived... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love's arms are lined with finger-nail scratches, discolored bruises and abrasions, hard-earned mementos from months battling under the basket against other NBA big men.Some of the surface wounds are healing, some are fresh.Other marks are hidden.On the eve of his fourth straight NBA Finals with Cleveland, and while recovering from a concussion suffered last week against Boston, Love has persisted and prevailed during a season in which he revealed dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for much of his life.It's been an emotionally straining — but ultimately rewarding — journey for the 29-year-old All-Star, who laughed when told it feels like he's been with the Cavaliers much longer than four seasons."I've been through enough for a guy who has been here for 12 years," he told the AP following a recent practice. "It's been well worth it."Love, though, has had to pay a price for his new-found peace.Almost since the moment he arrived in a trade from Minnesota in 2014... [More]

Brad Stevens' first opportunity to become an NBA head coach was presented to him by Boston. Same goes for Tyronn Lue, with Cleveland. Same goes for Steve Kerr, with Golden State.Hiring rookies worked out just fine for those clubs.Phoenix and Atlanta are now hoping to reap the same benefits as the Celtics, Cavaliers and Warriors. The Suns introduced Igor Kokoskov on Monday, the same day that the Hawks welcomed fellow first-time head coach Lloyd Pierce to their franchise. And those moves followed Charlotte last week hiring James Borrego, whose only head-coaching experience was a 30-game interim stint.There are plenty of established head coaches who don't have jobs right now. But even with the market flooded with experienced coaches, the Suns, Hawks and Hornets went down roads less-traveled — and there's still potential for more first-timers in the NBA head-coaching fraternity by the time next season opens."Rookie coach, international coach, foreign coach," said Kokoskov, the first European-born... [More]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ray Allen has enjoyed watching former teammate LeBron James lead Cleveland through the NBA playoffs. And it's not much different than what Allen saw almost daily when the two were part of the Miami Heat's run to a NBA title in 2013."He's the main cog of what the Cavaliers are doing," Allen said Monday. "I don't see him doing anything outside of his spectrum. He's doing what he's been doing most of his career. When we start talking playoff basketball and about the players who are good, we expect them to do their jobs when it's time to do their jobs."For the two-time NBA champion in Allen, there's no higher compliment.Allen spent his stellar, 19-year career well prepared for whatever moment there was. He was a 10-time NBA all-star who helped a trophy-starved Boston to a championship in 2008, then joined James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Heat to capture the 2013 crown.Allen, the son of an Air Force veteran, starred for Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Boston playoff star Jayson Tatum and Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue are cousins. The Cavaliers and Celtics might as well be.The Eastern Conference's top two teams have been intertwined for more than a year — from a summer blockbuster trade, from opening night, from afar.Although there were long stretches this season when it seemed at least unlikely, and maybe impossible, that the Celtics and Cavs would reach the conference finals, they're back again and meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years.The series everyone wanted. The one few expected to see.And yet here they are: the odds-defying Celtics, guided by baby-faced coach Brad Stevens and prospering without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, versus the Cavs, who despite a massive roster makeover in February are rolling as 33-year-old LeBron James enhances his legend with every game."There's been a lot that's happened throughout the season with us and for them," Cavs forward Kevin Love said Thursday... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Boston playoff star Jayson Tatum and Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue are cousins. The Cavaliers and Celtics might as well be.The Eastern Conference's top two teams have been intertwined for more than a year — from a summer blockbuster trade, from opening night, from afar.Although there were long stretches this season when it seemed at least unlikely, and maybe impossible, that the Celtics and Cavs would reach the conference finals, they're back again and meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years.The series everyone wanted. The one few expected to see.And yet here they are: the odds-defying Celtics, guided by baby-faced coach Brad Stevens and prospering without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, versus the Cavs, who despite a massive roster makeover in February are rolling as 33-year-old LeBron James enhances his legend with every game."There's been a lot that's happened throughout the season with us and for them," Cavs forward Kevin Love said Thursday... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James breaks hearts, shatters dreams and delivers joy all in one breath. He carries one city, crushes the other.With mind-blowing ease, James can take over a quarter, a game, a series, a season and make it his own. His terms.After being criticized earlier in his career — it seems laughable now — for not being clutch or taking the big shot, James has become the NBA's pre-eminent closer, the player best equipped to handle pressure and produce excellence when everything is on the line.Crunch time? He's captain crunch. Tom Brady in the two-minute drill. Muhammad Ali in the 15th round. Mariano Rivera in the ninth. The fat lady.It's over when James says so.James added to his growing legacy for breathtaking finishes on Saturday night by banking in a shot high off the backboard at the buzzer to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 105-103 win in Game 3 of their semifinal series against the Toronto Raptors, who had the closest view of a moment that all but ended their season.Dribbling... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale is coming back to coaching as the latest pick of the New York Knicks to turn around their franchise.The Knicks agreed to hire Fizdale on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the details said.The former Memphis Grizzlies coach will replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after two seasons.The Knicks then conducted a lengthy search before agreeing Thursday to a deal in principle with Fizdale, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced.ESPN first reported the agreement with Fizdale.Fizdale led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his first season before being fired early last season following a clash with star center Marc Gasol.That did little to diminish the respect of Fizdale, who had been an assistant to Erik Spoelstra in Miami when the Heat won two NBA championships and developed strong relationships with superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.The Knicks will hope he will have the same... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the details says the New York Knicks have agreed to hire David Fizdale as their new coach.The former Memphis Grizzlies coach will replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after two seasons.The Knicks then conducted a lengthy search before agreeing Thursday to a deal in principle with Fizdale, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced.ESPN first reported the agreement with Fizdale.Fizdale led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his first season before being fired early last season following a clash with star center Marc Gasol.That did little to diminish the respect of Fizdale, who had been an assistant to Erik Spoelstra in Miami when the Heat won two NBA championships and developed strong relationships with superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.The Knicks will hope he will have the same effect on their young team, which has missed the playoffs the past five seasons and could struggle again next season while All-Star Kristaps Porzingis recovers from a torn knee ligament.Fizdale went 43-39 and led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his lone full season in Memphis. He lasted just 19 games into the following season, when Gasol publicly objected to being left on the bench in the fourth quarter of a game.Fizdale now becomes the 11th Knicks coach since Jeff Van Gundy resigned in the 2001-02 season.

MIAMI (AP) — Here's what Pat Riley is not going to do this summer: quit.Everything else is on the table.The Miami Heat president said Monday in his annual end-of-season assessment that no player on the team's roster will be considered untouchable this offseason — if the right deal presents itself, that is — but quickly added the caveat that the franchise is not looking for a total revamp after going 44-38 in the regular season and making the playoffs."Show me the right name, and I could be all-in on everything," Riley said. "You know me. But it's got to be the right name ... that doesn't happen very often. Our core guys, we would like to keep together, there's no doubt. We would like to keep them together and we'd like to add something to it, but that's going to be a challenge."He also was clear on his own future: The 73-year-old Riley, who has spent a half-century in the NBA as a player, coach and executive, isn't going anywhere until managing general partner Micky Arison tells him it's... [More]