NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to trade guard Allen Crabbe, the first step into what they hope can be a big summer.The Nets will deal him along with two first-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that will clear additional salary cap space, possibly putting themselves in position to afford two top free agents.The Nets will get forward Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick in the deal, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot become official until July 6.Brooklyn will hope to have secured at least one high-profile commitment in free agency by then. The Nets were already in position to be able to afford a max player and by moving Crabbe's $18.5 million salary for 2019-20, more money will become available to them.Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving are among the headline names in the class, and the Nets also have to decide if they want to re-sign point... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Toronto star Kawhi Leonard filed a federal lawsuit against Nike on Monday, saying the footwear and apparel giant is blocking him from using a logo that he believes he owns.The suit was filed on a travel day for the NBA Finals; Leonard and the Raptors flew to Oakland, California on Monday to begin preparing for Game 3 of the title series against the Golden State Warriors, a game that will be played Wednesday night.It was filed in California because Leonard maintains a home in San Diego, the suit said.Leonard was a Nike endorser until 2018. He now endorses New Balance. A Nike spokesman declined comment Monday, saying the company does not discuss pending litigation. Leonard is scheduled to speak with reporters on Tuesday when practice resumes at the NBA Finals.In the lawsuit, Leonard said Nike filed a copyright application for a logo that he designed and did so "unbeknownst to Leonard and without his consent." Nike told Leonard earlier this year to stop using the logo,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are paying a price, because Doc Rivers paid Toronto star Kawhi Leonard a compliment.The NBA fined the Clippers $50,000 on Friday for violating the league's anti-tampering rule. The league did not specifically say what comments were determined to be fine-worthy, other than saying it was in response to what Rivers — the Clippers' coach — said about Leonard "in a recent television appearance."Rivers appeared on an NBA Finals preview show on ESPN earlier in the week and compared Leonard to Michael Jordan. The NBA has regularly warned teams about the perils of saying anything that could be construed as lobbying for a player who is under contract to one team to join another."I would just say Doc has been at this a long time," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday at an NBA Cares event in Toronto, not long after the fine was announced. "It's not a fun part of my job ever fining anyone. And I understand the competing interest of the media in hearing a... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years. That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing."It was pretty cool," Lowry said. "It was pretty good."And it was most definitely worth the wait.Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals — and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line — seven points, six rebounds and nine assists — as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories."I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years. That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing."It was pretty cool," Lowry said. "It was pretty good."And it was most definitely worth the wait.Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals — and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line — seven points, six rebounds and nine assists — as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories."I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.... [More]

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

This is what the Toronto Raptors had in mind all along.When they went all-in with the trade for Kawhi Leonard, they knew his time in the Great North was likely to be short.But this one-and-done gamble will certainly be worth it if Leonard can lift his team to five more wins.Don't bet against him.Leonard is playing better than anyone on the planet at the moment, essentially taking the Raptors on his sturdy shoulders and carrying them to the brink of the first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history.After falling behind 0-2 against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, Team Kawhi has won three straight to set up a possible clinching game at home on Saturday night."I'm in the moment right now," Leonard said after another dazzling performance in Game 5.Indeed, these are the moments he lives for, essentially treating the regular season as a six-month tuneup for the games that really matter. When he captured his first title with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014, he was MVP of the NBA Finals against... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mired in their worst skid of the season at the worst possible time, the Milwaukee Bucks need an answer in the Eastern Conference finals.A lineup change didn't provide one, so the Bucks have to come up with something else in Toronto.The Bucks returned to the starting five they used most of the season in Game 5, the lineup that helped them to the NBA's best record. But they were left with the same result as the third and fourth games and now face elimination when the series resumes Saturday.Guard Malcolm Brogdon finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Thursday in his first start since returning from a foot injury in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. But his first career postseason double-double wasn't enough as Milwaukee lost 105-99 to the Raptors.The top-seeded Bucks need a win in Toronto after falling there twice already in the series."You know, we've been a resilient group all year," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden got the most votes, and Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker also were big winners when the All-NBA teams were announced.Those guards can cash in with supermax contracts based on their selections to one of the three All-NBA teams that were announced Thursday.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic, who was Denver's first All-NBA selection since Carmelo Anthony in 2010.Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections, receiving all 100 votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters who had to choose two guards, two forwards and one center for each of the three teams.Walker was the final selection but all that matters is that he made it. By doing so, he became eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte, a reward the NBA put... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and MVP finalists Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George were the leading vote-getters for the All-Defensive first team.Boston's Marcus Smart and Milwaukee's Eric Bledsoe rounded out the first team that was announced Wednesday.Gobert finished with 97 first-team points and 196 points, giving the Utah center his third straight first-team selection. George had 96 first-team votes and 195 points, followed by Antetokounmpo (94, 193).Smart and Bledsoe both earned their first All-Defensive team selections.The second team included Golden State's Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who earned his first selection. They were joined by Toronto's Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday.The teams were selected by a panel of 100 writers and broadcasters.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have gone through coaches like tear-away racing visors, the count up to five in five years.The instability has hurt them on the court, the run of playoff-less appearances stretching to nine straight seasons with this year's 19-63 finish.Monty Williams, the man GM James Jones hired to coach the Suns, hopes to change the trend."Continuity, having a staff here for a while and putting in a system that the players can rely upon, but ultimately it will come down to James, myself and the players pushing this thing forward," Williams said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. "The players are going to have to embrace a level of work and commitment that it takes to be a champion."Williams was hired on May 3 to replace Igor Kokoskov, who was fired after one season in the desert.Williams's arrival in Phoenix was delayed while he finished out the playoffs as an assistant to Philadelphia coach Brett Brown. The 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last week... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have gone through coaches like tear-away racing visors, the count up to five in five years.The instability has hurt them on the court, the run of playoff-less appearances stretching to nine straight seasons with this year's 19-63 finish.Monty Williams, the man GM James Jones hired to coach the Suns, hopes to change the trend."Continuity, having a staff here for a while and putting in a system that the players can rely upon, but ultimately it will come down to James, myself and the players pushing this thing forward," Williams said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. "The players are going to have to embrace a level of work and commitment that it takes to be a champion."Williams was hired on May 3 to replace Igor Kokoskov, who was fired after one season in the desert.Williams's arrival in Phoenix was delayed while he finished out the playoffs as an assistant to Philadelphia coach Brett Brown. The 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last week... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Frank Vogel's determination to build "organizational togetherness" within the Los Angeles Lakers met the reality of the team's current dysfunction Monday.Vogel's introduction as the Lakers' coach was almost overshadowed by comments made earlier by Magic Johnson. The former Lakers great appeared on ESPN's "First Take" and said general manager Rob Pelinka "betrayed" him, which was one of the reasons he resigned as president of basketball operations. That put the GM in the position of using most of Vogel's 26-minute news conference to respond.Pelinka said he has talked to Johnson several times since his resignation on April 9 and said Johnson's comments surprised him."It's saddening and disheartening to think he believes things are a misperception," Pelinka said. "I think all of us in life probably have been through things where maybe there's third party whispers or 'he said, she said' things that aren't true."LeBron James watched the news conference from the back... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Harris is a billionaire and he if wants to shuttle between New York and the Philadelphia 76ers headquarters in New Jersey on a helicopter, the team owner can do it with ease. If Harris wants to pay $45 million for his luxury home, he can spend pocket change on a new pad, too. And he if really wanted to silence speculation that Brett Brown was coaching for his Sixers career during the playoffs, well, all Harris had to say was that he had his guy.Harris instead settled for a milquetoast endorsement before the Brooklyn series, saying Brown was a "great coach" but offering no assurance he would return for another season if the Sixers failed to make a deep run in the playoffs."We think he's the right leader to take us where we need to go in the playoffs," Harris said. "I'm focused on the Brooklyn Nets."Harris let Brown twist through the Brooklyn and Toronto series, the sixth-year coach's fate seemingly hinging on the outcome of four bounces of Kawhi Leonard's jumper... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brett Brown survived a 10-win season to steer the Philadelphia 76ers toward the top of the Eastern Conference. He'll get another chance to try and finish the championship chase.The 76ers called a 9 a.m. press conference Tuesday at their complex in Camden, New Jersey, with owner Josh Harris and general manager Elton Brand where they'll discuss their plans for the offseason, and how Brown fits in for the future. ESPN reported Monday night Brown will return as coach next season.Brown could have his most talented team yet.But first, the agony of a postseason lingered for one more day at the Sixers complex.The Sixers — who rebuilt their roster with two blockbuster trades — were knocked out of the Eastern Conference semifinal for the second straight season.Kawhi Leonard sank the first Game 7-ending buzzer-beater in NBA history and Toronto struck its biggest dagger in the sports heart of Philadelphia since Joe Carter went deep for the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series.Joel... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brett Brown survived a 10-win season to steer the Philadelphia 76ers toward the top of the Eastern Conference. Brown's chances of returning for a seventh season as coach are on the rocks following back-to-back 50-win campaigns.So it goes in Philly, where patience with the Process has worn thin. The Sixers — who rebuilt their roster with two blockbuster trades — were knocked out of the Eastern Conference semifinal for the second straight season.Kawhi Leonard sank the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history and Toronto struck its biggest dagger in the sports heart of Philadelphia since Joe Carter went deep for the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series.Joel Embiid walked off in tears, his girlfriend cradling the face of the crestfallen 7-footer.Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and JJ Redick are headed into free agency, a max contract likely looming for Butler.Brown appears in limbo, and the should-he-stay-should-he-go decision will be the most crucial one yet for first-year... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — For the second time in four seasons, the Toronto Raptors are headed to the Eastern Conference final.While the Raptors won't have to deal with playoff nemesis LeBron James this time, they will face a tough task in controlling Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the NBA's highest-scoring offense.Of course, Toronto will counter with Kawhi Leonard.He hit the game-winning buzzer-beater Sunday to help Toronto edge Philadelphia 92-90 in Game 7 of its Eastern Conference semifinal series, setting up a showdown between the East's top teams during the regular season.Leonard's shot bounced around the rim four times before dropping through the basket."It was great," Leonard said. "That's something I never experienced before, Game 7, a game-winning shot. It was a blessing to be able to get to that point and make that shot and feel that moment."Leonard and the Raptors will have a few hours to enjoy it; the conference final begin Wednesday night in Milwaukee. In... [More]

Kyle Lowry was talking in Toronto on Saturday, discussing any number of topics, offering eloquent answers to every question that came his way. His last sentence was all that really needed to be said."Nothing matters," the Raptors guard said, "but Game 7."There may be nothing better in sports than a Game 7 — and the second round of these NBA playoffs ends Sunday with a pair of deciders: third-seeded Philadelphia at second-seeded Toronto in an Eastern Conference semifinal; third-seeded Portland at second-seeded Denver in a Western Conference semifinal.The Portland-Denver winner will visit top-seeded Golden State in Game 1 of the West finals Tuesday. The Philadelphia-Toronto winner goes to top-seeded Milwaukee for Game 1 of the East finals Wednesday."I've been fortunate to be in a few Game 7s and they're very unique," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. "They're special. They are a life lesson, a life opportunity."There have been 133 Game 7s in NBA history — home teams have won 105, or 79%.... [More]

It begins.When the buzzer sounded in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, the question immediately became this: Has Kyrie Irving played his last game for the Boston Celtics?It's very possible.Welcome to free agency, Kyrie.He's now in the place that other big names like Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson all will be whenever their respective seasons end, whether that happens with a playoff defeat, or with an injury — Durant left Game 5 of Golden State's Western Conference semifinal series against Houston on Wednesday night with a right calf strain — or with their fingerprints smudging the golden surface of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.They will all hear some version of the question that Irving got.Free agency doesn't technically start until July 1, but in actuality it began for the superstar point guard with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 — when he checked out for the last time in what capped Boston's ousting from the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Milwaukee... [More]