NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Restricted free agent Brandon Ingram has agreed to a five-year, $158 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the contract, first reported by ESPN, has not been announced. Ingram is the NBA’s reigning most improved player after averaging a team-high 23.8 points in his first season with the Pelicans. The 23-year-old Ingram, a 2016 second overall draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers, was dealt to New Orleans during the 2019 offseason as part of a blockbuster trade that sent perennial All-Star Anthony Davis to the Lakers. New Orleans also received guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, as well as multiple draft picks in that deal. The 6-foot-7 Ingram this season developed into an effective scorer from the perimeter as well as on dribble drives. He shot a career best 39.1% from 3-point range but also routinely finished above the rim in the free-flowing,... [More]

Fred VanVleet hasn’t been back to Toronto since March and isn’t sure when he’ll be back to the city that he’ll technically be calling home for at least the next four years. In the interim, warm weather will suit him just fine. VanVleet — the guard who finalized his four-year, $85 million contract to remain with the Raptors on Tuesday — said he’s excited for the team’s looming temporary move to Tampa, Florida. Toronto will play its home games for at least the first part of this season in Tampa because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how the U.S-Canada border remains closed to non-essential travel. “Toronto has turned into my second home, so obviously we miss the city but I think we’ve got to be excited about what’s ahead of us,” VanVleet said. “I can’t not be excited. It won’t make the experience that great. So, we were in Florida for a while with the bubble in Orlando and right back there in Tampa, so hopefully it’s a good experience.” For the second time this year, the Sunshine... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo once worried about money. Never again. Adebayo and the Miami Heat agreed on a five-year extension that will be worth at least $163 million, the team and Adebayo's agent Alex Saratsis said Tuesday. The contract has not been signed and won't be until Adebayo completes a physical, something that is likely to occur in the next few days. Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million for the 2021-22 season. And if he makes an All-NBA team this season, something he narrowly missed doing this past season, his annual salary would only rise more. Adebayo was expected to speak about the extension later Tuesday night at a charity event he is hosting. The Heat had until Dec. 21 to agree with Adebayo on an extension this season, or else would have had to table the matter until next summer. Miami has said the team's intention was to give Adebayo... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Restricted free agent Brandon Ingram has agreed to a five-year, $158 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been ann Ingram is the NBA’s reigning most improved player after averaging a team-high 23.8 points in his first season with the Pelicans. The 23-year-old Ingram, a 2016 second overall draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers, was dealt to New Orleans during the 2019 offseason as part of a blockbuster trade that sent perennial All-Star Anthony Davis to the Lakers. New Orleans also received guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, as well as multiple draft picks in that deal. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed veteran Spanish center Marc Gasol. The NBA champions confirmed the latest step in their roster reconfiguration Tuesday by announcing the addition of the 35-year-old Gasol, who spent the last 1 1/2 seasons with the Toronto Raptors and won a championship ring in 2019. The Lakers traded starting center JaVale McGee to Cleveland to make room under the salary cap to sign Gasol, who will be expected to provide his usual sturdy defense along with strong passing skills and 3-point shooting. Gasol struggled with injuries last season while scoring a career-low 7.5 points per game along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The Lakers still beat out several interested suitors for Gasol, whose NBA career is coming full circle as he joins the team that drafted him in 2007. Gasol will suit up for the Lakers nearly 13 years after the franchise acquired his older brother, Pau, by trading Marc's draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2008 while... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Restricted free agent Brandon Ingram has agreed to a five-year, $158 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been ann Ingram is the NBA’s reigning most improved player after averaging a team-high 23.8 points in his first season with the Pelicans. The 23-year-old Ingram, a 2016 second overall draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers, was dealt to New Orleans during the 2019 offseason as part of a blockbuster trade that sent perennial All-Star Anthony Davis to the Lakers. New Orleans also received guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, as well as multiple draft picks in that deal. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed veteran Spanish center Marc Gasol. The NBA champions confirmed the latest step in their roster reconfiguration Tuesday by announcing the addition of the 35-year-old Gasol, who spent the last 1 1/2 seasons with the Toronto Raptors and won a championship ring in 2019. The Lakers traded starting center JaVale McGee to Cleveland to make room under the salary cap to sign Gasol, who will be expected to provide his usual sturdy defense along with strong passing skills and 3-point shooting. Gasol struggled with injuries last season while scoring a career-low 7.5 points per game along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The Lakers still beat out several interested suitors for Gasol, whose NBA career is coming full circle as he joins the team that drafted him in 2007. Gasol will suit up for the Lakers nearly 13 years after the franchise acquired his older brother, Pau, by trading Marc's draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2008 while... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Free agent guard Brad Wanamaker has signed with the Golden State Warriors, giving the team additional depth in the wake of Klay Thompson's Achilles injury that will sideline him all season. The Warriors announced the deal Tuesday, two days after acquiring guard Kelly Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade for draft picks. Thompson will miss the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon while playing a pickup game in Southern California last Wednesday. He already sat out the coronavirus-shortened season recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he injured during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Wanamaker spent the past two seasons with Boston. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds while playing 19.3 minutes in 71 games with one start for the Celtics during 2019-20. He shot an NBA-best 92.6% from the free-throw line, making 126 of 136 shots. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat are working on a contract extension, the team said Tuesday. Once the deal is finalized, Adebayo — when factoring in his current salary — would be guaranteed at least $168 million over the next six seasons and perhaps as much as $200 million in that span. Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million for the 2021-22 season. And if he makes an All-NBA team this season, something he narrowly missed doing this past season, his annual salary would only rise more. The Heat had until Dec. 21 to agree with Adebayo on an extension this season, or else would have had to table the matter until next summer. Miami has said the team's intention was to give Adebayo a new deal — the question was only when. By waiting until next summer, the Heat would have had more salary-cap flexibility. Adebayo is coming off, by far, the best season... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat are working on a contract extension, the team said Tuesday. Once the deal is finalized it will likely guarantee Adebayo at least $168 million over the next six seasons and perhaps as much as $200 million in that span. Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million for the 2021-22 season. And if he makes an All-NBA team this season, something he narrowly missed doing this past season, his annual salary would only rise more. The Heat had until Dec. 21 to agree with Adebayo on an extension this season, or else would have had to table the matter until next summer. Miami has said the team's intention was to give Adebayo a new deal — the question was only when. By waiting until next summer, the Heat would have had more salary-cap flexibility. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports By doing it now, the Heat will have to get more creative if they intend to add a max-level free agent in 2021 to play alongside a core that includes Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Adebayo.

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have traded center Tony Bradley to Philadelphia for guard Zhaire Smith. The Pistons announced the deal with the 76ers on Monday. Detroit acquired Bradley in a recent trade with Utah. Bradley appeared in a career-high 58 games last season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Smith was a first-round draft pick in 2018 by Phoenix and was dealt to Philadelphia. He played in 13 games over the past two seasons for the 76ers, averaging 3.7 points. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers have found either a temporary replacement for Tristan Thompson or an asset to bring in other talent. Cleveland announced Monday it has acquired center JaVale McGee and a 2026 second-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell. The teams agreed to the deal on Sunday but needed league approval before finalizing it. Also, the team has a worked out an agreement with free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, one of the Cavs' most popular players. McGee, who won NBA titles during two seasons with Golden State before two in Los Angeles, gives the Cavaliers a proven front-line player who can protect the rim and give starting center Andre Drummond a break. The 30-year-old McGee also has an expiring contract, which makes him appealing to teams looking to create salary-cap space. The Lakers needed to move McGee to make room for free agent center Marc Gasol. Thompson left the Cavs last week, agreeing to a two-year free agent... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Montrezl Harrell did not make the trip lightly when he moved down the Staples Center hallway last weekend to join the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year realizes the gravity of his decision to leave the Los Angeles Clippers after three seasons — and to leave them for their bigger, more successful intra-city rivals, no less. The decision turned out to be surprisingly simple, though. According to Harrell, the NBA champion Lakers made it clear they badly wanted him in the opening minutes of free agency. The Clippers did not. “If you spend your career in any place long enough, you're going to want to continue playing there and growing there,” Harrell said Monday. “Of course, I still have great respect for those guys and for that organization. But as far as if they wanted me back? Obviously, it just doesn't seem that way, does it?” The tenacious forward who plays much bigger than his 6-foot-7 frame agreed to a two-year deal during the Lakers' impressive... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard dropped by point guard John Wall’s workout Monday and they chatted. About their kids. About Thanksgiving Day plans. About their favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys. What they didn’t discuss, according to Sheppard, was the possibility of Washington dealing Wall elsewhere. “There’s no plans to trade John,” were the first words spoken by Sheppard during a video conference Monday, when most questions from reporters were about the five-time All-Star who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. Wall missed all of last season, and most of 2018-19, too, with injuries to his left heel, then Achilles tendon, and reports surfaced in recent days that he requested a trade. Sheppard downplayed that with training camp set to begin next week, saying Wall “didn’t request” to be moved when they spoke Monday. He said he and Wall speak “pretty much every other day” and characterized their relationship as “very, very close.” “There’s... [More]

CLEVEAND (AP) — Looking to replace Tristan Thompson, the Cavaliers have acquired center JaVale McGee and a future draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The Cavs will get a second-round pick in 2026 from the Lakers, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the swap. On Saturday, Thompson, who played nine seasons with the Cavs and helped them win a championship in 2016, agreed to a two-year, free-agent deal with the Boston Celtics. The 32-year-old McGee spent the past two seasons with Los Angeles after two with Golden State. The 7-footer averaged 6.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the NBA champions this past season. The Lakers needed to move McGee in order to open up salary space after getting Marc Gasol to agree to a two-year contract. McGee will likely serve as a backup to Cleveland center Andre Drummond, who picked up his $28 million player option last week to stay with the Cavs. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVEAND (AP) — Looking to replace Tristan Thompson, the Cavaliers have acquired center JaVale McGee and a future draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The Cavs will get a second-round pick in 2026 from the Lakers, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the swap. On Saturday, Thompson, who played nine seasons with the Cavs and helped them win a championship in 2016, agreed to a two-year, free-agent deal with the Boston Celtics. The 32-year-old McGee spent the past two seasons with Los Angeles after two with Golden State. The 7-footer averaged 6.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the NBA champions this past season. The Lakers needed to move McGee in order to open up salary space after getting Marc Gasol to agree to a two-year contract. McGee will likely serve as a backup to Cleveland center Andre Drummond, who picked up his $28 million player option last week to stay with the Cavs. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Guard Kelly Oubre is joining the Golden State Warriors to give the team backcourt depth in the wake of Klay Thompson's latest injury, with Oubre acquired Sunday in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors will send a conditional 2021 first-round draft pick and a 2021 second-round selection — via Denver — to Oklahoma City in the swap. Thompson will miss the season after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon playing a pickup game in Southern California on Wednesday. He already sat out the coronavirus-shortened season recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he hurt in the Raptors' clinching Game 6 victory of the 2019 NBA Finals. “We’ve got to look hard and look fast,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Thursday when Golden State introduced No. 2 overall draft pick James Wiseman and second-rounder Nico Mannion at Chase Center. “But I’ve got some great guys I work with that are working right now on what we can do. And so we’ve got to... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Justin Holiday will continue playing for the Indiana Pacers next season after agreeing to a new deal Sunday. Terms of the deal were not immediately announced but the decision means Holiday and one of his two NBA-playing brothers, Aaron, will be teammates again next season. Both played primarily as backups but held key roles in helping the Pacers make the playoffs. Justin Holiday averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a team-high 1.2 steals last season while shooting a career-high 40.5% on 3-pointers. He finished 19th in the NBA in 3-point percentage. “Re-signing Justin was one of our main priorities going into free agency,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement released by the team. “His contributions last season were tremendous. He can play multiple positions and is extremely versatile. He also represents this franchise as a true professional, on and off the court.” Previously, Holiday played for Memphis, Chicago, Atlanta, Golden State, Philadelphia and the New York Knicks. His other brother, Jrue, is heading to Central Division rival Milwaukee in a trade. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Justin Holiday will continue playing for the Indiana Pacers next season after agreeing to a new deal Sunday. Terms of the deal were not immediately announced but the decision means Holiday and one of his two NBA-playing brothers, Aaron, will be teammates again next season. Both played primarily as backups but held key roles in helping the Pacers make the playoffs. Justin Holiday averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a team-high 1.2 steals last season while shooting a career-high 40.5% on 3-pointers. He finished 19th in the NBA in 3-point percentage. “Re-signing Justin was one of our main priorities going into free agency,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement released by the team. “His contributions last season were tremendous. He can play multiple positions and is extremely versatile. He also represents this franchise as a true professional, on and off the court.” Previously, Holiday played for Memphis, Chicago, Atlanta, Golden State, Philadelphia and the New York Knicks. His other brother, Jrue, is heading to Central Division rival Milwaukee in a trade. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trevor Ariza is on the move for the third time this week, going to Oklahoma City from Detroit along with Dallas' Justin Jackson in a three-team trade. Also in the deal, the Mavericks sent Delon Wright to the Pistons for James Johnson, a person with knowledge of the details said early Saturday. Ariza was sent from Portland to Houston two days before the draft, then shipped to the Pistons on draft night Wednesday. The 35-year-old has already played for 10 teams. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. It was first reported by the New York Times. The Mavericks added Johnson to provide some toughness around young stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas was defensive-minded on draft night, taking Arizona's Josh Green in the first round and trading for Philadelphia's Josh Richardson. Point guard Trey Burke and the Mavericks agreed on a $10 million, three-year contract for the free agent to return after a strong showing... [More]