New Orleans has an All-Star for the sixth straight year.That is, unless he gets traded first.Pelicans standout Anthony Davis — only three days removed from having his trade request made known publicly — was one of the 14 players announced Thursday as reserves for the All-Star Game in Charlotte. Davis wants to be swapped out of New Orleans by the Feb. 7 trade deadline, so it remains unclear if his uniform for the All-Star contest on Feb. 17 will bear a Pelicans logo or not.The other Western Conference reserves were Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Denver's Nikola Jokic, Portland's Damian Lillard, Golden State's Klay Thompson, San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge and Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns.Indiana's Victor Oladipo was selected as one of the Eastern Conference reserves, even though his season is over because of injury. The other reserves from the East were Toronto's Kyle Lowry, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, Washington's Bradley Beal, Detroit's Blake Griffin... [More]

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is a captain and an All-Star starter — again.Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will choose his own teammates as the other captain.And Hornets guard Kemba Walker is about to make his first All-Star start, on his home floor in Charlotte.While there were perhaps mild surprises, there were no real stunners during Thursday night's unveiling of the starters for the NBA All-Star Game that will be played in Charlotte on Feb. 17. James and Antetokounmpo are captains, their perk for being the leading vote-getters out of the Western and Eastern Conferences, and nine of this year's 10 starters have been chosen to begin All-Star Games in the past.Walker is the lone exception, and broke into a smile when realizing he was a pick."It's kind of surreal," Walker told TNT during the broadcast to announce the starters.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Walker. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard... [More]

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are the captains for this year's NBA All-Star Game.James and Antetokounmpo were the leading vote-getters from each conference, making them the players who will choose who plays on which team for the Feb. 17 matchup at Charlotte.They will draft their teams on Feb. 7. As the leading overall vote-getter, James will have the first pick — just as he did last year, when the captain's-choice format was used for the All-Star rosters for the first time.James extended his NBA record by being chosen as a starter for the 15th straight time. Antetokounmpo is now a three-time All-Star.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Charlotte's Kemba Walker — who'll get to start on his home floor. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. From the West, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP James Harden were the picks at guard, with James, Golden... [More]

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are the captains for this year's NBA All-Star Game.James and Antetokounmpo were the leading vote-getters from each conference, making them the players who will choose who plays on which team for the Feb. 17 matchup at Charlotte.They will draft their teams on Feb. 7. As the leading overall vote-getter, James will have the first pick — just as he did last year, when the captain's-choice format was used for the All-Star rosters for the first time.James extended his NBA record by being chosen as a starter for the 15th straight time. Antetokounmpo is now a three-time All-Star.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Charlotte's Kemba Walker — who'll get to start on his home floor. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. From the West, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP James Harden were the picks at guard, with James, Golden... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo's season is over. The Indiana Pacers intend to make sure his injury doesn't derail theirs, too.After learning the All-Star guard faces season-ending surgery for a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee, Oladipo's teammates quickly banded together in hopes of surprising the NBA again."It's very, very tough to see this happen to a guy who is so positive and means so much to this team," co-captain Thaddeus Young said Thursday. "But we can't just go be sad. We have to go out and grind out wins and stay together through thick and thin."Young and his teammates demonstrated what that might look like Wednesday night after Oladipo crumpled to the ground awkwardly as he tried to defend an outlet pass against Toronto. He was taken off the court on a stretcher with 4:05 left in the first half. Team officials announced during the game it was a "serious injury" to his right knee but waited until Thursday's MRI to provide more details.Even without their leader, Indiana... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana All-Star guard Victor Oladipo is out for the season with a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee.Oladipo was injured during Wednesday night's 110-106 victory over Toronto and left the court on a stretcher with 4:05 left in the first half.Team officials acknowledged during the game that the injury was serious but waited until after the results of Thursday's MRI returned to announce how much time he would miss. Coach Nate McMillan said he was unsure when Oladipo would have surgery or whether he would be ready for the start of next season."It's unfortunate. He's a special player and a special person," McMillan said. "It will be tough but we have to continue to move on."Losing Oladipo is an enormous blow to the Pacers' postseason hopes. He led the Pacers in scoring at 19.2 points per game, was a first-team all-NBA defensive selection last season and is a co-captain of the teamIndiana currently holds the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference but the Pacers face a... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers lost All-Star guard Victor Oladipo to a serious right knee injury in the second quarter of Wednesday night's game against Toronto.Oladipo's leg bent awkwardly as he fell to the floor while trying to disrupt an outlet pass to the Raptors' Pascal Siakam. The team announced that Oladipo will undergo an MRI on Thursday.The magnitude of the injury was obvious quickly.Trainers placed a towel over the leg, and players from both teams surrounded Oladipo. Fans gave him a standing ovation as he was carted off the floor on a stretcher and reporters were detoured from their normal path to the media work room while Oladipo apparently was being evaluated in the hallway."There's no other choice but business as usual," assistant coach Dan Burke told Fox Sports Indiana at halftime. "For 24 minutes, we have to have our focus right here. Our hearts and thoughts might be somewhere else, but we have to focus."The Pacers held on to beat Toronto 110-106. It was clear, though,... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers lost All-Star guard Victor Oladipo to a serious right knee injury in the second quarter of Wednesday night's game against Toronto.Oladipo's leg bent awkwardly as he fell to the floor while trying to disrupt an outlet pass to the Raptors' Pascal Siakam. The team announced that Oladipo will undergo an MRI on Thursday.The magnitude of the injury was obvious quickly.Trainers placed a towel over the leg, and players from both teams surrounded Oladipo. Fans gave him a standing ovation as he was carted off the floor on a stretcher and reporters were detoured from their normal path to the media work room while Oladipo apparently was being evaluated in the hallway."There's no other choice but business as usual," assistant coach Dan Burke told Fox Sports Indiana at halftime. "For 24 minutes, we have to have our focus right here. Our hearts and thoughts might be somewhere else, but we have to focus."It was clear, though, that the injury was going to overshadow... [More]

James Harden and the Houston Rockets were one half away from the NBA Finals last time they played at Oracle Arena.The way the Rockets are rolling now, they might just get another shot at the champs this postseason.The Rockets try to wrap up a perfect month at home Monday against Memphis, then visit Golden State for the first time since the Western Conference finals, having recovered from a rough start thanks to Harden's torrid stretch.He has scored 40 points in three straight games and 35 or more in seven straight, the longest streak since LeBron James did it in nine in a row in 2006. The NBA scoring leader's quest to repeat as MVP is clearly on track.And after a poor start, so are the Rockets (20-15). They have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games overall, and are 8-0 at home in December after dropping their first four games at the Toyota Center.Just like Game 6 of the West finals, when they blew a double-digit lead, they will play at Golden State for Thursday's nationally... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler is in Philadelphia, and upon his arrival he immediately began talking about winning a championship."The Process" has a whole new meaning.Butler, a four-time All-Star forward, is now officially a member of the 76ers, after they and the Minnesota Timberwolves received approval from the league office Monday on the terms of the trade that was agreed to over the weekend.The deal gives Philadelphia a legitimate "Big Three," with Butler joining All-Star forward Joel Embiid and reigning rookie of the year Ben Simmons on a team that already was expected to be a major Eastern Conference contender this season. Butler flew into Philadelphia on Monday and told NBC Sports Philadelphia that fans should expect "a guy who wants to win.""We want a championship," Butler said as he signed a couple of autographs before he was driven away from the airport. "And I think the core group of guys that we have will figure out a way to get it done."Butler and Justin Patton were traded to Philadelphia... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — All-Star forward Jimmy Butler is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, after they and the Minnesota Timberwolves received approval from the league office Monday on the terms of the trade that was agreed to over the weekend.Butler and Justin Patton were traded for Philadelphia, in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless along with a 2022 second-round draft pick.Butler will be introduced by the 76ers on Tuesday and is expected to debut with his new club Wednesday at Orlando. Philadelphia is playing at Miami on Monday.The deal gives Philadelphia a legitimate "Big Three" with Butler joining All-Star forward Joel Embiid and reigning rookie of the year Ben Simmons on a team that already was expected to be a major Eastern Conference contender this season."We have a championship window that's centered around the continued progression of our talented young core, as well as our ability to add elite players who elevate our program," 76ers general manager Elton... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George is back, and so are the high hopes be brought when he joined the Thunder.Oklahoma City acquired George last year in the deal that sent rising star Victor Oladipo to the Indiana Pacers. It was thought by many that Oklahoma might be just a detour on George's road home to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. Instead, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder made a winning sales pitch. George, an All-Star and one of the league's best two-way players, shocked many by staying instead of leaving in free agency."I just developed these really good relationships here, almost feeling like I've been here for a while," George said. "And then just over the course of the whole season, it just steamrolled, just got better and better, and here I am."George's return is fueling hopes that Oklahoma City can improve on a disappointing, inconsistent season that ended with a first-round playoff exit."I just think we worked through a lot in one year, and people expected us to be a lot... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder defensive stopper Andre Roberson is inching closer to being able to play.The Oklahoma City swingman missed the second half of last season with a ruptured left patellar tendon. He expects to be cleared for contact soon and back to full speed "around December.""There's a return to basketball and there's a return to performance, being back to my elite self on the defensive end and me just being cleared to play basketball is two different things," he said Monday at media day. "And it's going to be a process to kind of get back to where I was, just me being comfortable with my leg again and me getting back into the rhythm of basketball sitting out so long."General manager Sam Presti shied away from a timetable when asked about Roberson last week."I can't tell you exactly when that's going to be," Presti said. "We don't think we're going to be without him very long, but again, this is medicine. This is human performance. This is body. So sitting up here saying, 'This... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler knows that NBA players can force their way into trades.Forcing their way into a trade that suits the player, that's an entirely different story.Butler has told the Minnesota Timberwolves that he has no intentions of re-signing with the club next summer, his way of saying "trade me now" or "lose me for nothing later." The Athletic first reported Butler's decision.It's a power move that players can make.Thing is, it comes with risk — because what happens next is not up to Butler.This was the lesson learned from the Kawhi Leonard situation, from the Kyrie Irving situation, from the Paul George situation. Leonard supposedly was hoping for a trade from San Antonio to the Los Angeles Clippers. Irving wanted to be sent by Cleveland to either San Antonio and Miami. George was widely assumed to leave Indiana for the Los Angeles Lakers.Leonard is in Toronto , at least for one season.Irving got sent to Boston , and is a free agent next summer.George landed in Oklahoma City,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Elton Brand is in charge of the Philadelphia 76ers.A person familiar with the situation says the Sixers have made Brand their new general manager, replacing Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo resigned in June as the 76ers' president of basketball operations after what an investigation concluded was "careless and in some instances reckless" sharing of sensitive team information on Twitter.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the move had not been officially announced. Brand is expected to be introduced at a news conference on Thursday.Brand had worked for the Sixers as vice president of operations and also served as the general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers' G League affiliate.Brand was the No. 1 pick of the 1999 draft by the Chicago Bulls and played two stints with the Sixers.Sixers coach Brett Brown had served as Philadelphia's interim GM and said earlier Tuesday he wasn't interested in holding both jobs. Brown pledged... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Elton Brand is in charge of the Philadelphia 76ers.A person familiar with the situation says the Sixers have made Brand their new general manager, replacing Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo resigned in June as the 76ers' president of basketball operations after what an investigation concluded was "careless and in some instances reckless" sharing of sensitive team information on Twitter.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the move had not been officially announced. Brand is expected to be introduced at a news conference on Thursday.Brand had worked for the Sixers as vice president of operations and also served as the general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers' G League affiliate.Brand was the No. 1 pick of the 1999 draft by the Chicago Bulls and played two stints with the Sixers.Sixers coach Brett Brown had served as Philadelphia's interim GM and said earlier Tuesday he wasn't interested in holding both jobs.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers will hire a general manager to replace Bryan Colangelo before the start of the season, coach Brett Brown said Tuesday.Colangelo resigned in June as the 76ers' president of basketball operations after what an investigation concluded was "careless and in some instances reckless" sharing of sensitive team information on Twitter.Brown took the GM role on an interim basis, and the search for a new general manager has only recently heated up. Brown, entering his sixth season, said he had no interest in holding both jobs."That is my expectation, that we will have a general manager before the season starts," Brown said. "This is not something that interests me. I do not believe in the role that I have as a head coach that it's tenable. ... We will have, to the best of my knowledge, a general manager appointed, announced by the start of the season. And it's not me. It was never going to be."The Sixers have reportedly interviewed Utah Jazz assistant general... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will open the 2018-19 season Oct. 17 at home against Memphis and will appear on national television 12 times.League officials announced the regular season schedule Friday afternoon.Other big home games include Feb. 5 against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers and March 14 against Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Defending champion Golden State visits Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Jan. 28, and San Antonio makes its only appearance in Indianapolis on Nov. 23 — the traditional night after Thanksgiving game.Indiana also will make three four-game road trips and one five-game road trip during the season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is done in Oklahoma City.A person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press the Thunder are sending Anthony and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Hawks guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala. Anthony will be waived by the Hawks, clearing the way for him to sign as a free agent elsewhere. The person spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.ESPN, which first reported the trade, said the Thunder will send Muscala to the Philadelphia 76ers for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Philadelphia's Justin Anderson will be sent to Atlanta.Schroder, a speedy 6-foot-1 guard, averaged a career-high 19.4 points last season for the Hawks in 67 games, all starts.Anthony's lone season in Oklahoma City was largely a bust. He averaged 16.2 points and struggled at times in his new role alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The 10-time All-Star posted career lows... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is done in Oklahoma City.A person with knowledge of the details tells The Associated Press the Thunder are sending the veteran NBA forward and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Hawks guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala. Anthony will be waived, clearing the way for him to sign as a free agent elsewhere. The person spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.ESPN, which first reported the trade, said the Thunder will send Muscala to the Philadelphia 76ers for Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Philadelphia's Justin Anderson will be sent to Atlanta.Schroder averaged a career-high 19.4 points per game last season for the Hawks in 67 games, all starts. The speedy 6-foot-1 guard averaged 17.9 points the year before that.Anthony's lone season in Oklahoma City was largely a bust. He averaged 16.2 points per game last season and struggled at times in his new role alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The 10-time All-Star posted career lows in scoring average and field goal percentage, and the Thunder were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Utah.___AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.