DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have signed point guard Jamal Murray to the five-year, $170 million extension that the sides agreed to last month. The deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season, was announced Wednesday by President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly.Murray, a 22-year-old native of Kitchener, Ontario, in Canada is coming off his best season in his three years in the NBA.The seventh overall selection of the 2016 draft out of Kentucky, Murray set career highs in points (18.2), assists (4.8) and rebounds (4.2) while helping the Nuggets to 54 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.He averaged 21.3 points in the playoffs, helping Denver reach the second round for the first time in a decade.In a statement, Murray thanked the team "for believing in a kid from a small unheard-of town in Canada, and finally to Nuggets fans, I can't wait to shoot more arrows for you all."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George laughed and cheered along with the crowd when the multibillionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers waved his arms, stomped his feet and screamed his new players' praises in a cracking voice."Pretty cool! Pretty cool!" Steve Ballmer shouted with glee.Leonard and George are already loving the Clippers' unique vibe, and they see their future together as limitless.Nearly three weeks after these native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to play together in LA, the Clippers' new dynamic duo finally made its first public appearance Wednesday in a south Los Angeles community center gym."I think we've got something special," said Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto. "We can make history here. We've got the right team to do it."In explaining their decision to team up with the Clippers, Leonard and George both mentioned the importance of playing near their friends and family.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are officially home, and the Los Angeles Clippers will never be the same.Nearly three weeks after the native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to team up in LA, the Clippers' new dynamic duo made its first public appearance Wednesday at a community gym renovated by the franchise in south LA.Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto, says he was thrilled by the chance to "make history" for a franchise that hasn't won a title.They were joined by coach Doc Rivers and billionaire owner Steve Ballmer, who riled up the crowd of Clippers fans and kids with his trademark brand of unabashed, screaming enthusiasm.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have signed free agent Boban Marjanovic, bringing the 7-foot-3 center back to Texas three years after he spent his rookie season with the rival San Antonio Spurs.Marjanovic was sent to Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Clippers before the trading deadline last season and averaged a career-high 8.1 points along with 5.1 rebounds in 22 regular-season games before helping the 76ers reach the second round of the playoffs. Philadelphia lost to eventual champion Toronto in seven games.In four seasons, the 30-year-old Serbian has averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds. Marjanovic began his second season with Detroit and went to the Clippers in the blockbuster trade that sent Blake Griffin to the Pistons.Marjanovic played professionally in Serbia, Russia and Lithuania before coming to the NBA. He will be one of two 7-3 Europeans with the Mavericks alongside Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have signed big man Cheick Diallo to a multiyear contract.Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed.The 22-year-old Diallo played the past three seasons with New Orleans, averaging 6.0 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 62%. He played in seven playoff games during the Pelicans' run to the 2018 Western Conference semifinals.Diallo was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Kansas with the 33rd overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward/center was acquired by New Orleans in a draft night trade.Born in Mali, Diallo began playing basketball at 13 and moved to the United States at 15 to attend school and play in New York.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have been awarded the rights to Kostas Antetokounmpo on a waiver claim.The Lakers announced the move Monday to acquire the 21-year-old brother of Milwaukee Bucks star and league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.Kostas Antetokounmpo played in two games for Dallas last season. The Mavericks acquired him in a draft-night trade last summer after Philadelphia chose him with the 60th and final pick. The 6-foot-10 forward played 40 games for the Mavs' G League affiliate last year, when he averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.The Mavericks waived him Friday.Antetokounmpo attended high school in suburban Milwaukee while his older brother began his NBA career. He then spent two seasons at the University of Dayton.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have been awarded the rights to Kostas Antetokounmpo on a waiver claim.The Lakers announced the move Monday to acquire the 21-year-old brother of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.Kostas Antetokounmpo played in two games last season for Dallas. The Mavericks acquired him in a draft-night trade last summer after Philadelphia chose him with the 60th and final pick. The 6-foot-10 forward played 40 games for the Mavs' G League affiliate last year, when he averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.The Mavericks waived him Friday.Antetokounmpo attended high school in suburban Milwaukee while his brother began his NBA career. He then spent two seasons at the University of Dayton.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says free agent guard Justin Holiday has agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.8 million with the Indiana Pacers.Holiday joins his younger brother, Aaron, with the Pacers, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move had not yet been announced.Justin Holiday started last season in Chicago, where he started 38 games and averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals. He finished the season in Memphis, starting 39 of 44 games while averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals.The six-year veteran adds depth on a team that expects injured All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo to miss at least the first two months.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry has undergone surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his left thumb, an injury he played through during the last two rounds of Toronto's run to the NBA championship.The Raptors say Friday that Lowry had the surgery in New York at the Hospital for Special Surgery.The All-Star point guard was hurt May 12 during Game 7 of a victory over Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He continued to play and helped Toronto win its first title when he finished with 26 points and 10 assists in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Golden State.Lowry averaged 15 points and 6.6 assists in 24 postseason games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie center Naz Reid to a multiyear contract, upgrading the two-way deal they initially gave him before a strong performance for the team's entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.The new contract, completed Thursday, all but ensures that Reid will be on the regular-season roster, after going undrafted out of LSU.The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Reid averaged 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes over seven summer league games against other clubs largely composed of rookies and second-year players. The Timberwolves' team reached the championship game.Reid averaged 13.6 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds in his lone season at LSU, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Enes Kanter took a playful swipe at him.Kemba Walker will try to replace him.Kyrie Irving is no longer with the Celtics, but his brief flameout in Boston is still on the minds of fans in the city and even, apparently, players who have yet to play a minute for the team.On the day that the Celtics introduced Walker as their point guard of the future, Kanter said he chose the No. 11 last worn in Boston by Irving in part because it was his number in Oklahoma City in 2016-17. But he also quoted a commercial in which Irving aspired to have the number retired in his honor."I want to be the reason no one else wears it," Kanter said, cracking up himself and the media at the introductory news conference he shared with Walker. "I had to say it."Irving was the Celtics' big free agency splash two summers ago, when he asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him and they shipped him to Boston for the immensely popular Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics, who had just lost to Cleveland in the conference... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have finalized contracts with Marcus Morris and Reggie Bullock, two of their offseason additions.The forwards join Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington as free agents who the Knicks hope will improve what was the NBA's worst team last season.Morris averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games last season for Boston, his fifth straight season scoring more than 10 points per game.Bullock averaged 11.3 points while playing for Detroit and the Los Angeles Lakers.Terms of the deals announced Tuesday were not disclosed.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent forward Richaun Holmes.General manager Vlade Divac announced the deal to add depth to his frontcourt on Tuesday. The Athletic reported Holmes will be paid $10 million over two seasons in Sacramento.Holmes averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game last season for Phoenix. He also shot 60.8% from the field.Holmes has played four seasons with Philadelphia and the Suns. He has a career average of 7.7 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. re-signed with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.The team said it was a multiyear deal.Oubre was acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards for veteran Trevor Ariza last December. He averaged 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 40 games with the Suns to go with his energy on defense. The four-year pro led the NBA in steals per game with 2.1 after the All-Star break, to go with 20.2 points and 5.7 rebounds."Right now I'm a Phoenix Sun, and I'm excited to get better every day with the group of guys that we have," the 23-year-old Oubre said. "At the end of the day, I'm super excited about where we're going and where we're going to be. The sky's the limit for us."The numbers don't lie," he added. "You see how my game evolved when I got here and it happened the right way. Nothing was given to me."Oubre returns to a new-look roster that includes star Devin Booker and second-year center Deandre Ayton, plus point guard Ricky Rubio. The Suns also added power forward... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram says he's "pretty close" to resuming normal workouts as he continues to recover from surgery to address a blood clot in his right arm.Ingram says he has not resumed shooting, but has worked on his shooting form while also conducting ball-handling and passing drills, as well as lower-body workouts.Ingram did not give a specific timeline for his return to full basketball activities with the Pelicans, the team to which the Lakers traded him this offseason as part of a multi-player and multi-draft pick deal for six-time All-Star Anthony Davis.Ingram spoke about his health on Tuesday during formal introductions at Pelicans headquarters for him and three other new players: guard Lonzo Ball, swing player Josh Hart, and center Derrick Favors.Ball and Hart also were part of the Davis trade. Favors was traded by Utah to New Orleans.Ingram was averaging 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds last season before he was diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis in early March.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Yosef Maaroof wanted one more Russell Westbrook memory in Oklahoma City.When he learned Thursday night the Thunder were planning to send Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, the 20-year-old Tulsa resident planned to make the two-hour drive to Oklahoma City with friends. They wanted to take videos and photos in front of the large images of Thunder players that adorn Chesapeake Energy Arena during the season, hoping Westbrook's photo would still be up on Friday morning.It wasn't, so Maaroof came up with a different tribute. In a video he posted on Twitter, he put on the Westbrook jerseys he's collected since 2012 , took them off one by one and laid them side by side in front of the arena. He wore 18 in the video, which has been viewed more than 85,000 times.Maaroof said Westbrook has always been his favorite player. And the next addition to his collection will be a Rockets jersey."He was never perfect, but just the emotion he showed — he was... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks announced Tuesday that they have signed free agent forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Bucks forward and NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.Thanasis Antetokounmpo joins Milwaukee on a guaranteed two-year, minimum contract, according to Giannis' agent, Alex Saratsis."Thanasis is a young player with great experience at the top level overseas," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. "He brings toughness, athleticism, character and a high IQ. We are thrilled to have him join the Bucks."Antetokounmpo spent the last two seasons with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League, where he helped the team to two straight league titles.The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 55 games (13 starts) in both Greek Basket League and EuroLeague In 2018-19. He was named the Greek Basket League Most Spectacular Player for the 2017-18 season. Prior to that,Antetokounmpo, 26, played one season with Andorra of Spain's Liga ACB where he averaged... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Yosef Maaroof wanted one more Russell Westbrook memory in Oklahoma City.When he learned Thursday night the Thunder were planning to send Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, the 20-year-old Tulsa resident planned to make the two-hour drive to Oklahoma City with friends. They wanted to take videos and photos in front of the large images of Thunder players that adorn Chesapeake Energy Arena during the season, hoping Westbrook's photo would still be up on Friday morning.It wasn't, so Maaroof came up with a different tribute. In a video he posted on Twitter, he put on the Westbrook jerseys he's collected since 2012 , took them off one by one and laid them side by side in front of the arena. He wore 18 in the video, which has been viewed more than 85,000 times.Maaroof said Westbrook has always been his favorite player. And the next addition to his collection will be a Rockets jersey."He was never perfect, but just the emotion he showed — he was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — In hoops, Giannis Antetokounmpo is court royalty. But in baseball, he's a complete rookie.In fact, the 24-year-old from Greece said he'd never even touched a baseball before he did so Monday night at Yankee Stadium.The reigning NBA MVP was shocked."It was really heavy," Antetokounmpo told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be lighter."The Milwaukee Bucks star went on to take a few swings in the batting cage beneath the stands before the Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays. The 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo got some coaching, with limited results — he swung and missed once with the ball on a tee, and made light contact on two other tries."I would be a terrible baseball player," he said.The "Greek Freak" was in the Bronx with his three brothers to promote his new signature sneaker and signed a pair for a fan — Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia.Antetokounmpo watched the Yankees take batting practice, which reinforced his notion that he wasn't destined for the diamond."I saw Aaron Judge hitting the ball into the stands. That's amazing. You've got to be really strong to do that," he said.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports