MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The remaking of the Memphis Grizzlies began the day after last season ended for them in April. That's when a new front office staff began making moves at an almost dizzying pace.Shipping off the popular and well-paid Mike Conley to Utah was the biggest of the seven trades Memphis made to overhaul the roster, stockpile draft picks and start creating salary cap space."Who knew you could make so many trades?" Zach Kleiman, the executive vice president of basketball operations, asked rhetorically Monday during the Grizzlies' media day.And Kleiman is not done yet.The Andre Iguodala situation has to be resolved. He is technically on the Grizzlies' roster, even though both Memphis and Iguodala have agreed he will stay away during training camp.The Grizzlies now are much younger with their future in the hands of Jaren Jackson Jr., the No. 4 pick overall of 2018; Ja Morant, the second overall pick in June; and first-time head coach Taylor Jenkins who led Memphis to the Summer... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Expectations for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have never been higher.After leading the Bucks to a league-best 60 wins in the regular season and losing to the NBA champion Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year, Antetokounmpo is putting his league MVP trophy on the shelf and focusing solely on taking Milwaukee to the next level."We gotta focus on ourselves, which is getting better each day, competing in practice so you can carry over to the game, and just build that winning culture, the great habits that we built last year," Antetokounmpo said. "If we do that, we're going to be one of the teams that will be the last one standing. That's our goal."Antetokounmpo, who is entering his seventh season with the Bucks, had the busiest offseason of this career. He had new press obligations after winning the MVP, launched his signature shoe with Nike, and played on the Greek national team in the FIBA World Cup. Somewhere along the way, Antetokounmpo... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Entering the preseason with backcourt mate John Wall sidelined due to injury, Bradley Beal insists most of the pressure to be the Washington Wizards' leader is coming from within."It's no problem," Beal said Monday at the team's media day. "I think I would probably say I force myself into that role versus maybe a coach or the team. It's definitely going to be harder. But John's still going to be around. He'll still have a voice. I'll have a voice."Beal already has spent much of the past two seasons without Wall while Wall dealt with numerous injuries. The most recent and serious was a ruptured Achilles, with recovery expected to keep the point guard out until at least February.Although the Wizards — who were hit with other injuries as well — fell short of the postseason last year, Beal thrived, averaging 25.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5 rebounds while playing all 82 games.Coach Scott Brooks believes the two-time All-Star is capable of even more as a distributor."I think... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Hornets center Cody Zeller got proactive when NBA free agency arrived, posting a picture of himself on social media selling lemonade for 25 cents a glass with all proceeds going to "Keep Kemba in Charlotte."That didn't work out.Hornets owner Michael Jordan had no intention of paying Kemba Walker, a three-time All-Star and the franchise's all-time leading scorer, a $221 million supermax contract. Walker wound up going to the Celtics for $140 million over four years.With Walker's departure, the Hornets are in a youth movement that leaves them as one of the favorites to land the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA draft."We have been so close to getting over the hump (and making the playoffs), so it felt like if we gave it another shot or two we could get over that hump," Zeller said. "But I think Kemba is going to be good in Boston. ... At the end of the day you want what is best for him, but it sucks for me a little bit."And the Hornets, too.Walker had become the... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Free agency was only a few hours old when the New York Knicks acknowledged their fans' disappointment.Three months later, the Knicks have changed their tune.Not only was free agency a success, they say, but fans are going to forget about who the Knicks didn't get because they're going to love who they did."These are guys that our fans are going to like, the toughness that they bring every day when they come to the court to play for the Knicks," team President Steve Mills said Monday.The Knicks signed seven new players in free agency, adding Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock. But by that time, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had already committed to Brooklyn in the early hours of free agency, and Mills released a statement that night saying he understood that fans could be disappointed but that the team remained confident in its plans.And though the Knicks had enough money to afford two top free... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — New Warriors big man Willie Cauley-Stein will be sidelined for training camp with a left foot injury, while Klay Thompson is making progress from a July 2 surgery for a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.General manager Bob Myers said at Monday's media day that Cauley-Stein strained his foot last week while scrimmaging. Cauley-Stein is scheduled to be reevaluated in about a month with an update on his status expected at the end of October."Other than that, we're healthy," Myers said at new Chase Center, where the Warriors will begin training camp Tuesday.The No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft, Cauley-Stein averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds with the Sacramento Kings.Golden State doesn't have its usual depth at center, but re-signed Kevon Looney to a three-year contract.The Warriors have reached five straight NBA Finals but two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant departed for the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra bounded into his first Miami Heat news conference of the season looking tanned and relaxed, the benefit of having nearly six months off.He's hoping next summer is much shorter.Even without the now-retired Dwyane Wade and after a season where Miami didn't make the playoffs, Spoelstra said Monday at Heat media day that there's no reason for his team to not see big opportunities this season. The Heat landed four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in July, and go to camp starting Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida with Spoelstra insisting that his expectations will be at their usual lofty level."Feels good to be back," said Spoelstra, entering his 12th season as Heat coach. "We've had plenty of time this offseason to reset, recalibrate and reorganize to get ready for this season. It's been 172 days. I think that is probably 70some days too many for this organization to have during the offseason. ... We're excited. Feels like a new team, a new opportunity."There are new... [More]

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A sweat-stained jersey LeBron James wore while playing Ohio high school basketball and during his first Sports Illustrated magazine cover shoot as a teenager in 2002 is being auctioned.The online auction listing says the gold mesh jersey from the NBA star's days with the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish in Akron features green lettering with the word "Irish" and number 23, the same number he'd later wear for the Cleveland Cavaliers.Goldin Auctions says James gave the jersey to its current owner, an unidentified seller who attended the school.The auction house says 5% of the proceeds will go to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.The auction runs until Oct. 19. Early bidding reached $37,000.James now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A sweat-stained jersey LeBron James wore while playing Ohio high school basketball and during his first Sports Illustrated magazine cover shoot as a teenager in 2002 is being auctioned.The online auction listing says the gold mesh jersey from the NBA star's days with the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish in Akron features green lettering with the word "Irish" and number 23, the same number he'd later wear for the Cleveland Cavaliers.Goldin Auctions says James gave the jersey to its current owner, an unidentified seller who attended the school.The auction house says 5% of the proceeds will go to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.The auction runs until Oct. 19. Early bidding reached $37,000.James now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard has moved on and Danny Green is gone, but the Toronto Raptors still have an NBA title to defend.This season, a group led by All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, breakout talent Pascal Siakam and defensive standout Marc Gasol is turning "We the North" into "We Want More.""If I had to express it in one word, I would say 'hungry,'" Gasol said Saturday when asked what he expects of the new-look Raptors. "I think it's a very hungry team. We all understand what Kawhi meant to the team and how well he played in the playoffs. But we also understand how good we can be as a team, and we're all going to invest everything in it to be that team."Leonard signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers after leading Toronto to six-game NBA Finals victory over Golden State in his lone season north of the border. Once Leonard passed on returning to the Raptors, Green did the same, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.General manager Masai Ujiri, who traded franchise icon DeMar DeRozan... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sacramento Kings first-year coach Luke Walton says he is focused on his team and not worried about a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.Walton spoke publicly Friday at Kings media day for the first time since a former sportscaster filed a civil suit against him in April accusing him of the assault."I'm here to do my job and focus on the Kings," Walton said. "The rest will take care of itself."Walton was hired by the Kings in April, soon after being fired following three seasons as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was sued shortly after being hired by Kelli Tennant, a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2014 when he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and harassing her after that during his tenure with the Lakers.The Kings and the NBA investigated the charges but took no action against Walton when "investigators determined that there was not a sufficient basis to support the allegations."... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sacramento Kings first-year coach Luke Walton says he is focused on his team and not worried about a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.Walton spoke publicly Friday at Kings media day for the first time since being a former sportscaster filed a civil suit against him in April accusing him of the assault."I'm here to do my job and focus on the Kings," Walton said. "The rest will take care of itself."Walton was hired by the Kings in April, soon after being fired following three seasons as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was sued shortly after being hired by Kelli Tennant, a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2014 when he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and harassing her after that during his tenure with the Lakers.The Kings and the NBA investigated the charges but took action against Walton when "investigators determined that there was not a sufficient basis to support the allegations."... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — From the Warner Bros. soundstages to a private workout retreat in Las Vegas, LeBron James and Anthony Davis spent a whole lot of their long summer together.The Los Angeles Lakers superstars say they've already formed a bond before they hit the court as teammates. That offseason work is the foundation for their efforts to build an immediate contender together with this long-struggling franchise.When the Lakers reported to their training complex Friday, LeBron and AD were the center of attention amid the revamped roster they helped to create. They posed for photos, joked easily with themselves and their teammates, and generally looked like they've been together for years."It's exciting to have such a beautiful young mind, a beautiful player, but also a great leader as well," James said. "I think it's a great opportunity for this franchise to have such an all-around great person. The basketball will speak for itself."Although Davis has one year left on his contract... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — As the Atlanta Hawks head into the third year of a massive overhaul, there are definite signs of hope.They might even have a shot at the playoffs in the wide-open Eastern Conference.But, as the team prepares to open training camp with an intriguing core of young players, those in charge aren't in any hurry to rush the process."We haven't done anything," coach Lloyd Pierce said Friday. "I don't want any our guys thinking we've accomplished anything just yet."Indeed, the Hawks won just 29 games a season ago, so this is still very much a long-term project.But general manager Travis Schlenk has taken major strides in constructing a totally new roster, one that follows the blueprint laid out by his former employer, the three-time champion Golden State Warriors.Trae Young and John Collins have already established themselves as two of the NBA's brightest young prospects. Kevin Huerter made big strides during his rookie season. De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Bruno Fernando were... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden isn't listening to anyone who is worried about how things will work in Houston with the addition of Russell Westbrook.The Beard is convinced things will be great and believes the move is not only good for the Rockets as they chase their first title since 1995, but that it also is a positive change for Westbrook after being the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder for more than a decade."He just comes to entirely different chapter in his life to go out there and just play and doesn't have to go out there and worry about the pressure of carrying an entire organization," Harden said. "I'm excited for him."Questions about how these two ball-dominate guards will coexist in Houston have swirled since the Rockets shipped Chris Paul to Oklahoma City this summer in exchange for Westbrook. Only time will tell if the pairing of these two MVPs will be the push this team needs to finally win another championship.Until then everyone in the organization insists that it will work... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden isn't listening to anyone who is worried about how things will work in Houston with the addition of Russell Westbrook.The Beard is convinced things will be great and believes the move is not only good for the Rockets as they chase their first title since 1995, but that it also is a positive change for Westbrook after being the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder for more than a decade."He just comes to entirely different chapter in his life to go out there and just play and doesn't have to go out there and worry about the pressure of carrying an entire organization," Harden said. "I'm excited for him."Questions about how these two ball-dominate guards will coexist in Houston have swirled since the Rockets shipped Chris Paul to Oklahoma City this summer in exchange for Westbrook. Only time will tell if the pairing of these two MVPs will be the push this team needs to finally win another championship.Until then everyone in the organization insists that it will work... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo spends most of his summers playing basketball and working on skills.Over the past few months, he's been working on his mind.The Indiana Pacers' two-time All-Star believes it will make him a stronger player when he returns from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee."Rehab is pretty strategic," Oladipo said Friday at the team's annual media day. "But the mind is another muscle that you need to work on and so that's what I'm trying to do because that can help with the healing process and the overall process."While neither Oladipo nor team officials have established a target date for his return, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in June he was hopeful Oladipo could be playing again by December or January. Center Myles Turners, last season's league champion in blocked shots, believes Oladipo could be back even sooner."I just know how Vic's wired," Turner said. "He's been attacking the whole process. He's already doing stuff on the court.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers rookie swingman Dylan Windler could miss six weeks with an injured left leg.Windler, who was selected by Cleveland in the first round of this year's NBA draft, experienced discomfort in his leg following some recent team workouts. The Cavs said imaging tests revealed a tibial stress reaction, which is a precursor to a fracture.He'll begin treatment and the Cavs say he'll be out at least one month. That could put him in jeopardy of missing the start of the regular season.The 6-foot-8 Windler averaged 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds as a senior at Belmont. The Cavs liked his versatility and range — he made 43 percent of his 3-pointers last season — and selected him with the No. 26 overall pick.Cleveland opens training camp Tuesday under new coach John Beilein, who was previously at Michigan. The Cavs' first preseason game is Oct. 7.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler once said he would never wear a Miami Heat uniform. That was when he was in Chicago, part of a Bulls team that disliked the Heat.He remembers saying those words.And now he wants every opponent to keep hating Miami.Butler held his introductory news conference in Miami on Friday, almost three months after he officially became part of the Heat. He is the new centerpiece of a team that will have to adjust to the retirement of Dwyane Wade in its effort to find a way back to the postseason. The four-time All-Star said he already understands the demands that the Heat put on players, and that's the selling point he enjoyed most."It's the culture that I hear about all the time," Butler said. "The work that you put in every single day. The winning habits, the winning ways. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of that. I was excited to have an opportunity to come here, to be here, but when I keep hearing about this culture I was like, 'I need that in my life.'"Miami has... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving won't allow anyone to rush Kevin Durant back to the court this time.Irving said Friday that Durant wasn't ready to play when he returned in the NBA Finals, where he was quickly injured again. Irving said his new teammate's health wasn't valued enough, and that won't be the case now that they are together on the Brooklyn Nets."We all know K was not ready to play in that environment. We all know that, whether people want to admit it or not," Irving said. "He was out 31 days and we put him on the national stage in the finals to end up selling a product that came before the person, Kevin. And now, I'm here to protect that."Durant injured a calf playing for Golden State during the second round of the playoffs and missed a little more than a month before returning for Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto. He lasted just 12 minutes before going down with a ruptured Achilles tendon that required surgery.The Nets expect Durant to miss the season, though Durant said he... [More]