Miami Heat shooting guard Victor Oladipo (quadriceps) has been sent to the team's G-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. He will be participating in 5-on-5 practices with the team in order to get back into game shape. Oladipo is working his way back from quadriceps surgery, which he underwent this past offseason. He remains without a timetable for a return. Whenever he does eventually return, he will likely be on a strict minutes limit, which makes him unworthy of stashing in most season-long fantasy leagues.

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing. Perhaps literally. Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers missed Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals with a knee sprain and amid concerns that it could be a far more significant injury. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving has been sidelined by a badly sprained ankle. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear. Atlanta’s Trae Young is putting heat packs on his shoulder that appear to be roughly the size of a small vehicle. Brooklyn’s James Harden came back despite an ailing hamstring. Those are big names, All-Star names, all nowhere near their best right now because of injuries, and there were plenty of other top players — the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Victor Oladipo among them — that also either limped to the finish of their seasons or saw them end prematurely because of serious injury. “This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing... [More]

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing. Perhaps literally. Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers missed Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals with a knee sprain and amid concerns that it could be a far more significant injury. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving has been sidelined by a badly sprained ankle. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear. Atlanta’s Trae Young is putting heat packs on his shoulder that appear to be roughly the size of a small vehicle. Brooklyn’s James Harden came back despite an ailing hamstring. Those are big names, All-Star names, all nowhere near their best right now because of injuries, and there were plenty of other top players — the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Victor Oladipo among them — that also either limped to the finish of their seasons or saw them end prematurely because of serious injury. “This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Not even an hour into the offseason, Jimmy Butler was already looking ahead. There was no run to the NBA Finals this year for the Miami Heat, not even a single playoff victory for the team that rolled through the Eastern Conference in the restart bubble at Walt Disney World last summer. And when it was over, when Miami’s four-game ouster by Milwaukee was complete, Butler quickly summed up the offseason plan. “We can be better,” Butler said. “We’ll be better.” The Heat don’t have a pick in this year’s draft, at least for now, and likely will have somewhere around $25 million in cap space that they can choose to use this summer. Plenty of decisions need to be made about the roster for next season, but the clear cornerstones — Butler and Bam Adebayo, whose $163 million, five-year extension begins this fall — are among the selling points to free agents. Among those who’ll likely be considered, assuming he decides to look for a new team: Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, who insists that he... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said Tuesday that he isn’t sure who will be attending the June 22 draft lottery when the team finds out where it will pick in July’s draft. But based on the luck he had in his first season as GM, he joked that he’s hoping it’s not him. “It’s definitely not me,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas chimed in. “You see our injuries this year?" After finishing at the bottom of the league’s standings at 17-55 — the third-worst record in team history and worst since the 1982-83 season — Houston has a 14% chance to secure the top pick, same as Detroit and Orlando. If Houston’s pick falls outside of the top four — about a 48% chance — Oklahoma City has the right to swap Miami’s No. 18 pick for it. Stone was noncommittal on his plans for the future, including whether or not Houston may try to package its three first-round picks for an established veteran. He was, however, adamant that the team doesn’t plan to intentionally perform poorly to accumulate... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Oladipo’s season is over, and the two-time All-Star and former All-NBA selection may be looking at another long rehabilitation before he can return to the court. The Miami Heat announced Wednesday that Oladipo has elected to have surgery on his right quadriceps tendon. There is no timetable for recovery, but such a surgery typically comes with a rehab time of several months -- meaning his status for the start of next season, at minimum, seems uncertain at best. The quad tendon is the same one that he injured in 2019 as a member of the Indiana Pacers, an injury that sidelined him for a full calendar year. Oladipo will have the surgery in New York on Thursday. He is a free agent this summer, after turning down a two-year, $45 million extension from Houston -- the maximum his former team could have offered at that time -- earlier this year, apparently with hopes of securing a longer-term and more lucrative deal this summer. He was acquired by Miami on March 25 and played... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat are losing, and their highest-paid player isn’t happy. Jimmy Butler labeled the reigning Eastern Conference champions as “soft” after a loss in Minnesota on Friday night, Miami’s third straight defeat and one that dropped the Heat to 28-28 with 16 games left in the regular season. It was Miami’s 10th loss in its last 16 games. “It’s not frustrating because we do it so often,” Butler said. “It’s almost like it’s expected, in a bad way to put it. We just think we’re such a good team, and then reality hits us, we’re humbled. And I’m glad because that’s what this game does for you. Home, away, no matter what opponent you’re playing against, you just stroll into the game thinking you’re nice, you’re good, this is what happens. “I’m glad it happened to us,” he added. “And if we don’t fix it, I hope it continues to happen to us.” Minnesota entered Friday with the NBA’s worst record. The 119-111 win allowed the Timberwolves to pass Houston and escape the league’s basement... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Oladipo will not be with the Miami Heat when they depart Saturday for a four-game West Coast trip, and more evaluation will be required before the team knows the full extent of his right-knee issue. Oladipo hurt the knee during the fourth quarter of Miami's win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. He had 18 points in 25 minutes, and appeared to do something to the knee on a dunk with 5:51 remaining. He was subbed out one possession later, left the court for evaluation and did not return. The right knee is the same one that Oladipo injured in 2019, when he ruptured a quad tendon as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He missed a full calendar year and has appeared in only 52 regular-season games since. He averaged 21.2 points in 20 games with Houston this season, and 12 points in his first four games with the Heat. “We definitely need that guy," Heat forward Jimmy Butler said Thursday night. “We want him back. Playing the way he played today, making shots, getting to the cup, getting to the line and getting everyone else involved. ... We all want that guy to be OK." Miami plays Sunday at Portland, Tuesday at Phoenix, Wednesday at Denver and Friday at Minnesota. The next home game is April 18 against Brooklyn. The reigning Eastern Conference champion Heat are 27-25 with 20 games left. They held the No. 6 spot in the East entering play Friday.

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Oladipo got swept out of the first round of the playoffs last season by Miami, and when that series concluded he had no doubt the Heat would end up in the NBA Finals. He was right. And now, he’s got a chance to help them make this season’s playoff push. Oladipo has been an offseason Miami resident, and now, he’s finally an in-season one as well. He started in his Heat debut Thursday night, helping Miami get over the .500 mark with a 116-109 win over the Golden State Warriors. “He’s a veteran guy, he’s played in good programs on good teams, so he knows how to fit in,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think defensively, it’s extremely natural, the fit. And offensively, he gives us that downhill attack, another guy that can make plays, another guy that can put pressure on opposing defenses in the paint.” It’s a fit that has been a long time coming. Oladipo is close with Miami legend Dwayne Wade — Oladipo played at Indiana for Tom Crean, Wade’s coach at Marquette — and... [More]

Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. Vucevic is the only player from this season's All-Star Game to be traded at the deadline. It was a steep price; Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu went to the Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell... [More]

Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. The Magic traded three of their four leading scorers; in addition to the Vucevic move, Evan Fournier was sent to Boston and Aaron Gordon is headed to Denver. Acquiring Gordon was... [More]

Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — considered perhaps the biggest prize who was on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry, who they may still target as a free agent later this year, and wound up adding Oladipo from the Houston Rockets. That move didn’t cost Miami much: Kelly Olynyk was on an expiring deal, and Avery Bradley has barely played for the Heat this season because of COVID-19 and then a calf injury. The deal also included a pick swap in 2022, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal needed league approval. Oladipo has wanted to be in... [More]

Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — perhaps the biggest prize on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry, who they may still target as a free agent later this year, wound up adding Oladipo from the Houston Rockets. It didn’t cost Miami much: Kelly Olynyk was on an expiring deal, and Avery Bradley has barely played for the Heat this season because of COVID-19 and then a calf injury. The deal also included pick swap in 2022, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal needed league approval. Oladipo has wanted to be in Miami for some time, and the Rockets... [More]

Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — perhaps the biggest prize on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry, who they may still target as a free agent later this year, wound up adding Oladipo from the Houston Rockets. It didn’t cost Miami much: Kelly Olynyk was on an expiring deal, and Avery Bradley has barely played for the Heat this season because of COVID-19 and then a calf injury. The deal also included pick swap in 2022, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal needed league approval. Oladipo has wanted to be in Miami for some time, and the Rockets... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Houston Rockets say they are attempting to trade disgruntled forward P.J. Tucker. Tucker traveled with the Rockets to Sacramento for their game against the Kings on Thursday night but did not play and was on his way back to Houston before the game ended. “I was under the assumption that he was going to be playing tonight,” coach Stephen Silas said following the Rockets’ 125-105. “Before the game I found out that he was not going to be playing. At some point there was some mutual agreement with P.J., his agent, (Rockets general manager Rafael Stone) and the organization that P.J. will not be with the team anymore.” Tucker, 35, is in the final season of a $31.8 million, four-year deal. The veteran forward has been pushing for a trade for the past few weeks and had grown increasingly frustrated by the organization’s apparent lack of attempts to make a deal happen. With Tucker averaging career lows in scoring (4.4 points) and shooting percentage (36.6), the Rockets... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Coronavirus protocols forced the Toronto Raptors to play Friday night without most of their coaching staff and forward Pascal Siakam. But they had two coaches ready to take over on an interim basis, and one of them was on the floor. Kyle Lowry had a triple-double — 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists — in a 122-111 victory over the Houston Rockets. The veteran guard added his share of input to assistant coach Sergio Scariolo, who took over as coach in the absence of head coach Nick Nurse. “We undestood the situation, and we didn't want to make it overcomplicated. Me and and Freddy (VanVleet) are always coaches on the floor anyway," said Lowry, who played 33 minutes and made four of five 3-point shots. “I like the kind of players who are challenging you in a positive way,” Scariolo said. “It's different from the view a coach can have from the sideline.” Norman Powell scored 30 points and Nick Van Vleet added 25 for the Raptors. Victor Oladipo led the Rockets with 27... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry had a triple-double and the depleted Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rockets 122-111 on Friday night. The Raptors were without head coach Nick Norse, five assistant coaches and starting forward Pascal Siakam in accordance with the NBA’s health and safety protocols regarding the coronavirus. Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo directed the team. He had been away from the Raptors while coaching Spain in FIBA’s EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers and just cleared quarantine Friday. Scariolo has extensive experience as a head coach, winning championships of leagues in Italy, Spain and Russia, plus has been Spain’s national coach — helping that team win medals at the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio de Janiero Olympics, plus capture the Basketball World Cup title in 2019. Siakam was listed as out about two hours before the game, indicating that he either has a testing issue or a contact tracing issue. He played Wednesday night in Miami in the Raptors'... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers assistant coach Bill Bayno resigned Monday, citing personal and health reasons. The 58-year-old Bayno was hired by former coach Nate McMillan in 2016 and was kept on staff by new coach Nate Bjorkgren following McMillan's firing last summer. “I appreciate the impact coach Bayno has had on our players and the Pacers organization over the last five years,” Bjorkgren said in a statement released by the team. “All of us at the Pacers wish him the very best as he transitions to his next chapter.” Bayno recently took a leave of absence, telling The Indianapolis Star he was struggling with the recent deaths of both his parents as well as issues involving the recent social unrest. The midseason resignation is the latest twist in a Pacers season that already has included the prolonged absence of T.J. Warren, last season's leading scorer, because of foot surgery, the trade of two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo to Houston and the subsequent diagnosis of a cancerous... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to treat a cancerous growth on his left kidney. Team officials made the announcement Tuesday and said the 26-year-old LeVert is expected to make a full recovery. The Pacers said no additional treatment is needed. Doctors found the small mass during a routine, post-trade physical and immediately conducted additional tests. LeVert was part of the blockbuster deal that sent James Harden from Houston to Brooklyn then was dealt by the Rockets to Indiana for Victor Oladipo. The Pacers said LeVert was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma and had surgery Monday at a local hospital. “It’s definitely been some trying times for myself and my family," LeVert said during his introductory news conference last week. “I'm just very grateful for the support I’ve received not only from the players but from the front office and the fans. It’s going to be a crazy recovery as well, but I think myself and the... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caris LeVert arrived in Indianapolis last week feeling perfectly fine. He was eager to meet his new teammates, join the starting lineup and make his Pacers debut. Then came the shocking news from Indiana's team doctors: They found a small mass on LeVert's left kidney. Suddenly everything went on hold and now, as LeVert awaits test results to find out if the growth is cancerous, the 6-foot-6 guard realizes just how fortunate he was to be included in last week's blockbuster trade. “I hadn't missed any games this season yet. I was 100% healthy," he said during a video call Tuesday. “In a way this trade showed and revealed what was going on in my body. So I’m definitely looking at it from that side and definitely humbled to know that that this trade could have saved me in the long run." If he hadn't gone from Brooklyn to Houston in the James Harden deal, then from the Rockets to Indiana in exchange for Victor Oladipo last Wednesday, it's unclear when — or if — the mass would... [More]