CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA trading deadline came and went. Andre Drummond didn't move. Unable to find a trade partner Thursday for the benched center, the Cavaliers will try to structure a contract buyout for the two-time All-Star, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. Drummond hasn't played since Feb. 12 and could wind up on a contending team after being pushed aside in Cleveland. The sides can agree to any financial figure for the buyout, and Drummond will likely get a prorated portion of the $28.7 million he's due this season. When it happens, the buyout will conclude an awkward situation for Drummond and the Cavs, who took him out of the lineup so they could give Jarrett Allen more playing time after acquiring the young center from Brooklyn in January. Although he wasn't playing, Drummond remained engaged with his teammates. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff lauded the way Drummond handled things.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA trading deadline came and went. Andre Drummond didn't move. Unable to find a trade partner Thursday for the benched center, the Cavaliers will try to structure a contract buyout for the two-time All-Star, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. Drummond hasn't played since Feb. 12 and could wind up on a contending team after being pushed aside in Cleveland. The sides can agree to any financial figure for the buyout, but Drummond will likely get a prorated portion of the $28.7 million he's due this season. The Cavs were expected to be busy Thursday but only made one deal, agreeing to send veteran center JaVale McGeee to the Denver Nuggets for 22-year-old center Isaiah Hartenstein and two future second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the deal told AP. The picks are in 2023 and 2027, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade must be... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets are bringing back center JaVale McGee in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The Nuggets will send power forward/center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Cavaliers along with a protected second-round pick in 2023 and another second-rounder in '27. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been announced. It's the second time the Nuggets have acquired McGee in a trade-deadline deal. They also picked him up from the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team exchange in 2012. The 33-year-old McGee averaged eight points and 5.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game for the Cavs this season. In Denver, McGee will be a backup to All-Star big man Nikola Jokic, who's inserted himself into the MVP conversation by averaging almost a triple-double (27 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists). This may be the start of a busy trade-deadline day for the Nuggets, who made it... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets are bringing back center JaVale McGee in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The Nuggets will send power forward/center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Cavaliers along with protected second-round picks in 2023 and '27. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been announced. It's the second time the Nuggets have acquired McGee in a trade-deadline deal. They also picked him up from the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team exchange in 2012. The 33-year-old McGee averaged eight points and 5.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game for the Cavs this season. In Denver, McGee will be a backup to All-Star big man Nikola Jokic. This may be the start of a busy trade-deadline day for the Nuggets, who made it to the Western Conference final inside the NBA bubble last season before being eliminated by the champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets are 26-18 and fifth... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Durant scooped up the box score on the table in front of him and quickly scanned the statistics next to Collin Sexton's name to make sure he was being accurate. There they were: 42 points, 15 coming in the second overtime when Cleveland's guard drained four 3-pointers. “He made shots,” said Durant, who also had a breakaway dunk stopped by Sexton. Outplaying Kyrie Irving, the player with whom he'll forever be linked, Sexton outscored Brooklyn by himself in the second OT and led the Cavaliers to a 147-135 win over the Nets, who will need some time to get their three superstars aligned. Sexton was back after missing five games with a sprained ankle and he outshined Irving, Durant and James Harden, Brooklyn's heralded “Big 3” who combined for 96 points in their first game together since the Nets pulled off the stunning trade that tilted the East Conference toward one of New York's boroughs. But with all eyes on the new-look Nets, Sexton stole the spotlight. The third-year... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA took tiny steps toward a return to normalcy Friday, as a small number of practice facilities reopened for workouts and at least one team received permission from the league to test players and staff for the coronavirus.Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took part in a teleconference with members of the National Basketball Players Association on Friday night. Silver, according to a person familiar with the call's details, told players that the league is still aiming to hold full best-of-seven playoff series should the season resume and that playing without fans is an obvious possibility.Silver also spoke about the well-known notion of having the season resume in a centralized location, though cautioned that no decisions may be made for another several weeks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the call were not publicly released.Cleveland and Portland were open for players who wanted to get voluntary... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA took tiny steps toward a return to normalcy Friday, as a small number of practice facilities reopened for workouts and at least one team received permission from the league to test players and staff for the coronavirus.Cleveland and Portland were open for players who wanted to get voluntary workouts in, with Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman among the first to be back on an NBA practice court since the league ordered those facilities closed seven weeks ago.“Great to be back,” Osman wrote on Instagram, as he took a selfie standing in what appeared to be an otherwise-empty practice gym.And the Orlando Magic revealed that they have been authorized by health officials in Orange County, Florida to test players and staff. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Orange County has more than enough testing resources for health-care workers and asymptomatic individuals.“With the Orange County Department of Health authorization, the NBA has advised us that we are able to have... [More]

GRAFTON, Ohio (AP) — Andre Drummond and his teammates leaned in and listened intently as if they were in a huddle during a timeout in the frantic closing seconds of a playoff game.This time, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't hear any strategy or talk of fouls or final shots. These messages were far more profound: tales of addiction, abuse, second chances and relapses, personal renewal.Sitting in a large circle along with his teammates, coaches and members of Cleveland's front office, Drummond remained riveted for an hour as prisoners at the Grafton Correctional Institution talked about how their lives were changed by bad decisions — and their determination to help themselves and others.Drummond was deeply moved.“A lot of these guys have been through so much, the trials and tribulations,” the center said afterward. “So to be here and to be open to sharing their stories of what they’ve been through and have it resonate with all of us, it touched each and every one of us.”On Friday, Drummond,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert added 20 and the Utah Jazz began a four-game trip against Eastern Conference teams with a 126-113 win on Monday night over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers, who dressed only nine players and used just seven.Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz made 20 3-pointers while staying in the fifth playoff spot out West.Collin Sexton scored a career-high 32 points and Kevin Love scored 22 for Cleveland, which dropped to 3-4 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff.Utah was flat for long stretches, and some of that may have had to do with Cleveland's poor record and depleted roster. The Jazz seemed in control while building an 18-point lead in the fourth, but the Cavs kept fighting and were still within 11 with 6 minutes left.But Bogdanovic buried a pair of 3-pointers — one coming after one of Gobert's five blocks — and Utah recorded 30 assists while winning for the second time in six games.“We’re persistent. It’s just... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert added 20 and the Utah Jazz began a four-game trip against Eastern Conference teams with a 126-113 win on Monday night over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers, who dressed only nine players and used just seven.Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz made 20 3-pointers while staying in the fifth playoff spot out West.Collin Sexton scored a career-high 32 points and Kevin Love scored 22 for Cleveland, which dropped to 3-4 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff.Utah was flat for long stretches, and some of that may have had to do with Cleveland's poor record and depleted roster. The Jazz seemed in control while building an 18-point lead in the fourth, but the Cavs kept fighting and were still within 11 with 6 minutes left.But Bogdanovic buried a pair of 3-pointers — one coming after one of Gobert's five blocks — and Utah won for the second time in six games.The Cavs were missing two starters: center Andre Drummond... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in a statement released by the team. "I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in a statement released by the team. "I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.The Cavs went just 14-40 under Beilein, who the Cavaliers signed to a five-year contract last May.The Cavs said Beilein will be reassigned to a different role within the organization.From the start there were issues in Cleveland. The Cavs didn't embrace Beilein's methods in training camp — he had his big men doing fundamental “Mikan” drills — and players grumbled that he was... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden scored 55 points — 20 in the fourth quarter — and Russell Westbrook added 23 points as the Houston Rockets withstood an unexpected scare from Cleveland and held on for a 116-110 win Wednesday night over the free-falling Cavaliers, who have lost eight straight and 14 of 15.Harden matched Kyrie Irving's arena record for points in a game, and his fourth with 50 or more this season bailed out the Rockets, who allowed the Cavs to score 24 straight points in the second half. Cleveland was still up 108-107 when Harden, who came in leading the NBA in scoring at 38 points per game, dropped a floater in the lane. After a turnover by Cavs guard Jordan Clarkson, P.J. Tucker hit a 3-pointer from the corner and Clint Capela had a dunk following another Cleveland miscue.The inexperienced Cavs crumbled in the final minute, making three turnovers.Capela added 13 rebounds for Houston, which figured to have an easy time with the Cavs, who are struggling under first-year coach... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Orlando Magic spent last season climbing back to relevance. They're at it again.Terrence Ross scored 21 points, Evan Fournier added 18 and Aaron Gordon had a big dunk in the final 20 seconds to lead the Magic to their fourth straight win, 93-87 Friday night over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers, who have dropped four in a row and 11 of 12.Orlando opened the season 2-6, but in winning five of six, the Magic, who had a 17-game improvement in 2018 after winning just 25 games the previous year, reached .500 for the first time.“It’s good we’ve gotten back there after the way we started, but time will tell how good we are,” said Ross, who made two 3-pointers early in the fourth. "We’ve got three tough games coming up that will test us.”The Magic face a brutal stretch over the next week, playing at Milwaukee and home against the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston.Collin Sexton scored 19 points and Cedi Osman 14 for Cleveland, which pulled within 90-87 on rookie Darius Garland's... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Terrence Ross scored 21 points, Evan Fournier added 18 and Aaron Gordon had a big dunk in the final 20 seconds to lead the Orlando Magic to their fourth straight win, 93-87 Friday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have dropped four in a row and 11 of 12.Orlando, which opened the season 2-6, moved to .500 for the first time.Collin Sexton scored 19 points and Cedi Osman 14 for Cleveland, which pulled within 90-87 on rookie Darius Garland's jumper with 42.5 seconds left.The Cavs needed a defensive stop on Orlando's next trip, but instead they gave up a dunk on a baseline out of bounds play with just three seconds left on the 24-second shot clock to Gordon, who managed to get free in the lane and scored over Tristan Thompson.On Cleveland's next possession, Larry Nance Jr. threw away the ball trying to hit Sexton on the opposite wing, ending the Cavs' last chance at a comeback. Cleveland was without star forward Kevin Love, who has been battling a flu bug the past few... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Koby Altman has some extra job security as he rebuilds the Cavaliers.Cleveland signed its general manager to a long-term contract extension Friday, making him the first GM since Dan Gilbert bought the team in 2005 to receive a second deal.The Cavs did not release terms.The 37-year-old Altman signed a three-year contract in 2017, not long after he took over on an interim basis when the club parted with previous GM David Griffin, who guided the Cavs to an NBA title in 2016."Koby has been a culture-driver and an innovator who has built a fresh, new foundation and environment for our front office and team that inspires everyone involved," Gilbert said. "He is a passionate leader who is executing a very dynamic, strategic plan for the future of the team and our vision for growth and success."Gilbert has had four other GMs beside Altman since he bought the Cavs from Gordon Gund 14 years ago. Altman, who started with the club as a pro personnel manager in 2012, says he is "truly... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has signed a multiyear contract extension.Details were not immediately available Friday. The 37-year-old Altman signed a three-year contract in 2017, not long after he took over when the club parted with previous GM David Griffin.Altman is the first GM to receive an extension under owner Dan Gilbert, who bought the Cavs from Gordon Gund in 2005.He will continue to oversee a rebuild that began when LeBron James left as a free agent in 2017 after leading Cleveland to its fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.The Cavs went just 19-63 during an injury-ravaged 2018-19 season. They are off to a 2-2 start this year under first-year coach John Beilein.Altman has been acquiring future draft picks. He's also orchestrated contract extensions for Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has signed a multiyear contract extension.Details were not immediately available Friday. The 37-year-old Altman signed a three-year contract in 2017, not long after he took over when the club parted with previous GM David Griffin.Altman is the first GM to receive an extension under owner Dan Gilbert, who bought the Cavs from Gordon Gund in 2005.He will continue to oversee a rebuild that began when LeBron James left as a free agent in 2017 after leading Cleveland to its fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.The Cavs went just 19-63 during an injury-ravaged 2018-19 season. They are off to a 2-2 start this year under first-year coach John Beilein.Altman has been acquiring future draft picks. He's also orchestrated contract extensions for Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]