MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Justin Patton is sidelined indefinitely after injuring his right foot during a workout.The Timberwolves said Sunday that Patton will undergo surgery.The 6-foot-11 center played in one game for Minnesota last season, scoring two points and recording one steal in about four minutes on April 1 against Utah.Patton appeared in 38 games for the Iowa Wolves, averaging 12.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for Minnesota's G League affiliate.Patton was selected 16th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. The Timberwolves acquired Patton's draft rights, along with Jimmy Butler, in June 2017 from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker recalled playing on the court with the Chicago Bulls' logo as a young child.It was at the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club where his dad was a supervisor and not the nearby United Center. But it sure felt big time to him."It was like our United Center, that gym," he said.Now, the United Center is his home arena.Parker agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract with the Bulls, hoping he can get his promising career back on track after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two times in four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks."No better way to live a dream as a kid than playing down the street from where I grew up — the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club," Parker said Wednesday.The son of a former NBA player, Parker seemed destined for big things. He led Simeon Career Academy on Chicago's South Side to four state championships, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and when he committed to Duke, the announcement was televised nationally.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker and the Chicago Bulls agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract, bringing the talented and oft-injured forward to his hometown team.Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the deal shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks rescinded their qualifying offer. That made Parker an unrestricted free agent, clearing the way for him to join the rebuilding Bulls.The 23-year-old Parker led Chicago's Simeon Career Academy to four state championships and starred for one season at Duke before the Bucks drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014.The Bulls are banking on him to stay healthy after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee twice in four seasons with Milwaukee."Jabari is a 23-year-old player who is a natural fit with our young core, and is a proven scorer at the NBA level," general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back to his hometown."Parker has averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. His best season was... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker and the Chicago Bulls agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract, bringing the talented and oft-injured forward to his hometown team.Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the deal shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks rescinded their qualifying offer. That made Parker an unrestricted free agent, clearing the way for him to join the rebuilding Bulls.The 23-year-old Parker led Chicago's Simeon Career Academy to four state championships and starred for one season at Duke before the Bucks drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014.The Bulls are banking on him to stay healthy after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee twice in four seasons with Milwaukee."Jabari is a 23-year-old player who is a natural fit with our young core, and is a proven scorer at the NBA level," general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back to his hometown."Parker has averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. His best season was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Between the LeBron James guessing games and the Kawhi Leonard trade talk, it seems NBA shopping season is well underway.It's actually just about to start.Terms like salary caps and contract options have been in the news for weeks, so fans might have an understanding of what they all mean. For those who don't, here's an attempt to explain how this all works.Q: When does free agency start?A: It begins at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 1. So that's early Sunday morning for teams in the East, but Magic Johnson and the Lakers can actually start their recruiting on Saturday night.Q: When can deals start happening?A: Players and teams can agree to contracts immediately, but except for some limited exceptions, such as rookies inking their initial contracts, nothing can be signed until after the free agency moratorium period ends, which is noon EDT on July 6.Q: How is the salary cap determined?A: It's basically a formula based on basketball revenues. Last season's was $99.1 million, and... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls like to think they are one of the NBA's up-and-coming teams, one that could challenge for a playoff berth next season.They also admit there are many more boxes to check off first.Led by forward Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls return a slew of young talent but the team lacks depth and key playmakers. Much will depend on Markkanen's development along with that of swingman Zach LaVine, guards Kris Dunn, Cameron Payne and Denzel Valentine, and big men Cristiano Felicio and Bobby Portis. Like center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Chandler Hutchison, the team's first-round draft picks, all are 25 or younger.Although the Bulls are nearly $40 million below the salary cap, executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said a significant move was "unlikely" this offseason. Free agency begins this weekend."We have loads of (salary) cap space," Paxson said Monday, when Carter and Hutchison were introduced at a news conference. "What we don't have are many... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — John Paxson insisted the Chicago Bulls are in a good position. And the Bulls' top executive hopes they are never in this spot again."We did this year what we felt was in the long-term best interests of the Bulls," Paxson said Thursday. "It's not a situation that any of us want to ever be in again. It goes against everything as a competitive person that you believe in, but it's the way the system is set up. To be very honest, we believe we've done it the right way."The Bulls went 27-55, their worst record since the 2003-04 season, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. But they are staying the course after going all-in on rebuilding.Paxson, Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations, praised coach Fred Hoiberg and said he will "absolutely" return for a fourth season. He said most of the roster will be back "because we're headed in the right direction" and called this "as important a summer as we've had in a very long time."Here are some... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.While easy to spot, tanking is not so easy to stop, the NBA is finding.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season, and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York are all on track to lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.Easy to spot, the NBA is finding tanking not so easy to stop.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York should all lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated to lose — they... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.Easy to spot, the NBA is finding tanking not so easy to stop.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York should all lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated to lose — they... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 21 points, including four free throws in the final 17 seconds to stop Atlanta's comeback, and the Chicago Bulls beat the injury-depleted Hawks 129-122 on Sunday.Bobby Portis also had 21 points for Chicago.The Hawks, already playing without injured point guard Dennis Schroder, lost Kent Bazemore to a right knee sprain and Jaylen Morris to a left ankle injury in the second quarter.Taurean Prince, who led Atlanta with a career-high 38 points, sank a 3-pointer in traffic with 1:26 remaining to cut Chicago's lead to 118-115.Prince added a four-point play with 18.3 seconds remaining, again cutting the Bulls' lead to three points at 125-122 before LaVine's free throws padded the lead.Mike Muscala also set a career high with 19 points for Atlanta.Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points and Antonio Blakeney had 14 for Chicago.Bazemore hopped off the court straight into the tunnel, headed toward the team's locker room, after landing awkwardly and hurting his knee with 5:24... [More]

Golden State and Cleveland are used to looking down at the rest of the NBA, though it's Houston and Toronto enjoying that view at the All-Star break.The Rockets and Raptors are the conference leaders and will try to keep rolling when play resumes. Houston has won 10 straight to edge past the Warriors, and Toronto is two games up in the East after seven consecutive wins.So, are the Raptors the best team in the East?"I don't know. The record says we are, but for me to sit here and say we are the best team — we have confidence, but I'm not going to sit here and say we are the best team," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "Right now, we're No. 1. The numbers say that."Houston coach Mike D'Antoni says the Rockets like being in the Warriors' spot, but don't talk about them — for now."Nobody's ready for that yet," he said. "So as we go forward we'll see what we got, but yeah, we would love to be the No. 1 team without a doubt."___While Commissioner Adam Silver discussed the idea of revamping the... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Guard Kris Dunn is back in the Chicago Bulls' lineup after missing 11 games because of a concussion.The second-year pro was starting Wednesday night against the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Dunn would probably play about 20 minutes and sit the fourth quarter.Dunn is averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 assists. He was injured making a fast-break dunk against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 17. He landed awkwardly and his face slammed into the floor, resulting in a concussion and two dislocated front teeth.Dunn was acquired along with Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen from Minnesota in the draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. He is expected to compete in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls point guard Kris Dunn is out of the NBA's concussion protocol, though he will miss at least two more games for Chicago.Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson says Dunn "still has a long way to go conditioning-wise," though he is "feeling normal."The second-year pro has missed the past eight games and will not play against Minnesota or Washington on Friday and Saturday. Chicago meets Orlando on Monday.Dunn, averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 assists, was acquired along with Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen from Minnesota in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves on draft night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves were back to work on the court after some welcomed rest.Now they're headed out of town again for another meaningful test."Your margin of error is obviously smaller on the road, so I think you go in and have to eliminate all the ways in which you beat yourself," coach Tom Thibodeau said Tuesday. "That's why we always talk about defending, rebounding and keeping your turnovers down."The Wolves had Sunday and Monday off from practice after beating New Orleans 118-107 on Saturday, a rare break of that length that Thibodeau scheduled after the team played 30 games in the previous 56 days. Though they're solidly in first place in the Northwest Division, the Wolves went just 9-8 in January."It helps a lot. You get in such the grind, and it's almost like you're running in mud at some points," shooting guard Jamal Crawford said. "Even a day or two, you can feel recharged and ready to get back out there."The Timberwolves are 12-16 away from home this... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls say guard Zach LaVine will make his debut with his new team 11 months after having surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee.LaVine, who was acquired in a draft-day trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, is expected to start Saturday when the Bulls host the Pistons.John Paxon, Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations, said Tuesday that the team intends to limit LaVine to 20 minutes per game to ease him back into the rotation.LaVine averaged 18.9 points per game for Minnesota last season. He hasn't played since he tore his ACL in a Feb. 3 game against Detroit.The 22-year-old had surgery on Feb. 14 and was traded to Chicago along with Kris Dunn and the pick used to select first-rounder Lauri Markkanen.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls hope to decide on a return date for guard Zach LaVine early next week.LaVine will travel with the team to games at Dallas and Indiana on Friday and Saturday. Coach Fred Hoiberg says the two-time slam dunk champion will meet with doctors, trainers, management and coaches after the Bulls return home.LaVine averaged 18.9 points in 47 games for Minnesota last season before tearing the ACL in his left knee. The Bulls acquired him along with Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves.Hoiberg spoke before Wednesday's matchup with Toronto. The Bulls' first home game after the upcoming trip is against Houston on Monday.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Finding an identity under coach Fred Hoiberg meant trading the face of the franchise for the Chicago Bulls.All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler was relocated to the Minnesota Timberwolves after more than a year of simmering trade talks involving Butler, who reunites with former coach Tom Thibodeau. "What we've done," Bulls vice president John Paxson said, "is set a direction. We've decided to make the change and rebuild this roster. We're going to do it with young players we believe can play a system Fred is comfortable with."Last summer, the Bulls parted with Joakim Noah and traded former point guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks. Another step away from contention and into rebuilding mode was the best path, per Paxson."We understand what this means," Paxson said. "It's going to be a difficult process."Hoiberg installed a run-and-gun system predicated on successful 3-point shooting. But Butler and Dwyane Wade were the centerpieces of the offense -- one piloted by pass-first, light-shooting... [More]

Jimmy Butler is being reunited with Tom Thibodeau.Moments before the Los Angeles Lakers made Lonzo Ball the second pick of Thursday's NBA draft, multiple outlets reported Butler was going to be dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves.NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the trade later in the evening.Butler was dealt for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the rights to Lauri Markkanen. Also going to Minnesota are the rights to Justin Patton, who was picked at No. 16 by the Bulls.Butler was the 30th overall pick by the Bulls in 2011 out of Marquette. He averaged a career-high 23.9 points last season as the Bulls were 41-41 and qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.Thibodeau coached Butler from 2011 to 2015 before being fired. He joined the Timberwolves last season with the dual title of coach and head of basketball operations.Last season, the teams worked on a potential deal for Butler, but talks collapsed based on the belief that Chicago's demands were too high.... [More]

Aaron Gordon kept raising the bar. Zach LaVine kept matching it. inally, LaVine was able to top the Orlando Magic forward to repeat as the NBA All-Star Game slam-dunk contest winner on Saturday night.LaVine, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard, won the contest with a perfect 50 in a final that required two extra dunks from each competitor. In all, there were a total of seven perfect scores between the two in the contest with six of them in a row, which has never happened before in the event.LaVine joined Michael Jordan (1987-88), Jason Richardson (2002-03) and Nate Robinson (2009-10) as the only solo back-to-back winners of the contest. Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson won the 3-point shooting contest and Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns beat won the skills contest.Thompson defeated teammate Stephen Curry, the defending champion, in the 3-point shooting contest with a 27-point effort in the final round. Curry had 23 points.Towns beat out Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas win... [More]