NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden won't play Thursday night against Charlotte after leaving Brooklyn's game a night earlier with right hamstring tightness. He joins fellow All-Star Kevin Durant, who has missed a month and a half with his own hamstring injury, on the injured list for the Eastern Conference leaders. Harden sat out the fourth quarter of the Nets' 120-108 victory over Houston on Wednesday. He finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Coach Steve Nash said Harden had a scan Thursday morning that came back clear and said he would be considered day to day, adding that the Eastern Conference player of the month would be back "in the next few games for sure.” But the wait will continue for Durant, who last played Feb. 13. Nash said the forward is still progressing but probably wouldn't play in either of the Nets' back-to-back games Sunday at Chicago or home Monday against New York. The Nets also said Blake Griffin, signed last month, would sit out Thursday to rest his knee. LaMarcus Aldridge was available and expected to make his debut after signing with Brooklyn last week. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden won't play Thursday night against Charlotte after leaving Brooklyn's game a night earlier with right hamstring tightness. He joins fellow All-Star Kevin Durant, who has missed a month and a half with his own hamstring injury, on the injured list for the Eastern Conference leaders. Harden sat out the fourth quarter of the Nets' 120-108 victory over Houston on Wednesday. He finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Coach Steve Nash said after the game he didn't believe Harden's injury would be a long-term concern. The Nets also said Blake Griffin, signed last month, would sit out the second half of the back-to-back to rest his knee.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Drummond is joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push. The Lakers announced the signing of the two-time All-Star center less than an hour before Sunday night's game against the Orlando Magic. Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account earlier in the day, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform. Drummond agreed to a buyout Friday from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired the four-time NBA rebounding champion last year after nearly eight seasons in Detroit. He had to clear waivers before he could join a team of his choosing, and Drummond chose to link up with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending NBA champions. “We’re all thrilled. He’s one of the best centers in the league and someone every defensive coordinator is going to have to account for while trying to slow down LeBron, AD and our guards when we get going," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said after Sunday's 96-93 victory over the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Drummond is joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push. The Lakers announced the signing of the two-time All-Star center less than an hour before Sunday night's game against the Orlando Magic. Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account earlier in the day, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform. “Andre Drummond gives us powerful, anchor-point skills on both ends of the court,” general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We feel extremely fortunate to add a player of his caliber and magnitude to our core group at this stage of our journey to defend the NBA title.” Drummond agreed to a buyout Friday from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired the four-time NBA rebounding champion last year after nearly eight seasons in Detroit. He had to clear waivers before he could join a team of his choosing, and Drummond chose to link up with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending NBA champions.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Drummond says he's joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push. Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account Sunday, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform. Coach Frank Vogel said Sunday night before the Lakers' home game against Orlando that he could not comment on the signing of the two-time All-Star center because it wasn't oficial yet. Drummond agreed to a buyout Friday from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired the four-time NBA rebounding champion last year after nearly eight seasons in Detroit. He had to clear waivers before he could join a team of his choosing, and Drummond chose to link up with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending NBA champions. Drummond is almost certain to get his first significant NBA postseason playing time with the Lakers after appearing in only eight playoff games — and losing all eight — in two postseason trips with the Pistons. When Drummond gets... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Drummond says he's joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push. Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account Sunday, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform. The defending NBA champions didn't immediately confirm the signing of the two-time All-Star center several hours before a home game against Orlando. Drummond agreed to a buyout Friday from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired the four-time NBA rebounding champion last year after nearly eight seasons in Detroit. He had to clear waivers before he could join a team of his choosing, and Drummond chose to link up with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers. Drummond is almost certain to get his first significant NBA postseason playing time with the Lakers after appearing in only eight playoff games — and losing all eight — in two postseason trips with the Pistons. When Drummond gets up to playing speed after sitting out the past six weeks,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge plans to sign with the Brooklyn Nets for the remainder of the season, a person with knowledge of the details said Saturday. After reaching a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, the veteran forward quickly became a coveted free agent for contending teams. He decided to become the latest big name on the Brooklyn roster, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the signing wasn't official. ESPN first reported Aldridge's intentions. Aldridge averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 5 1/2 seasons for the Spurs, before they removed him from the rotation earlier this season. He was an All-Star in three of his seasons in San Antonio. He joins a Nets team that has current All-Stars Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, and added a former one earlier this month when it signed Blake Griffin.

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is expected to make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night against Washington. The Nets signed the six-time All-Star on March 8 but wanted to gradually prepare him to play after he had been inactive during his final weeks in Detroit. Griffin has been working out with the Nets but has sat out five games due to what the team called left knee injury management. The Nets upgraded Griffin from probable to available on the injury report before the game. He said Sunday he went through the Nets' morning shootaround and felt great, adding that he expected to be on a minutes restriction. Griffin played in 20 games for the Detroit Pistons this season but none since Feb. 12. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in early March and he signed in Brooklyn after clearing waivers. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is expected to make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night against Washington. The Nets signed the six-time All-Star on March 8 but wanted to gradually prepare him to play after he had been inactive during his final weeks in Detroit. Griffin has been working out with the Nets but has sat out five games due to what the team called left knee injury management. But Griffin is listed as probable on the injury report for the game and said Sunday he went through the Nets' morning shootaround and felt great. He said if he does play, he expects to be on a minutes restriction. Griffin played in 20 games for the Detroit Pistons this season but none since Feb. 12. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in early March and he signed in Brooklyn after clearing waivers. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have agreed to trade Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Hamidou Diallo, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday night because the deal had not been announced. The 22-year-old Diallo is averaging a career-best 11.9 points this season. The 6-foot-7 Mykhailiuk, who is 23, is averaging 6.9 points. It's another step in a drastic roster overhaul for Detroit under new general manager Troy Weaver, who was previously an executive for the Thunder. Only one player who appeared in a game for the Pistons last season is still on the roster — 20-year-old Sekou Doumbouya. Detroit recently traded Derrick Rose and bought out Blake Griffin. ESPN first reported Friday's deal. ___ Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant will remain out for the rest of this week and it is unclear when he will return to the Brooklyn Nets lineup, meaning he will miss more than a month with a strained left hamstring. Blake Griffin also will be sidelined when the Nets open the second half Thursday against Boston, though he stressed he's not injured. He and the Nets think it's smart to take their time increasing his workload after signing Monday. Durant hasn't played since Feb. 13 at Golden State. The Nets hoped at first the injury wouldn't be serious, but announced on Feb. 26 that a follow-up MRI showed a clearer picture of the injury and would keep Durant sidelined through the All-Star break. “I think when we got the second scan we knew this was going to be longer,” coach Steve Nash said Wednesday. “The first scan there was bleeding and the imaging wasn’t as clear. So I think we realized the second scan that this was type of timeline we were looking at and we’ll see, that could change. But we were... [More]

While LeBron James was largely resting through the All-Star Game, the Brooklyn Nets were adding another piece for a run at his title. With James still near the top of his game and the Nets on top of the league in scoring, it's easy to envision a coast-to-coast NBA Finals when a champion is crowned in July. But, when most teams resume play Thursday — the same date last season was suspended — the leaders in the Eastern Conference might be doing so without their two best players. As proven again when Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had to sit out the All-Star Game, the coronavirus might still have a say on this season, making uncertainty a sizable obstacle in the title chase. “You’re playing every other day. You don’t know when you’re going to have practice time. You don’t know as far as what the restrictions and with COVID and things of that nature if you’re going to have all your guys," James said. "So it’s very challenging for all teams, not just us.” The bigger problem for the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is joining the collection of stars in Brooklyn. The six-time All-Star agreed to sign with the Nets, a person with knowledge of the details said Sunday. Griffin became a free agent Friday when he completed a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. He cleared waivers Sunday and was eligible to sign with any team. The often-injured forward decided to join All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in Brooklyn, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no announcement. “I’m sure he wants to win. If he passed up more money (from) Detroit, he wants to win, and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes. I’m assuming that’s one of the reasons why he came.” Harden said. “Obviously, we know the athletic and high-jumping Blake. But I think as of these last couple years, he’s knocking down the 3-ball a little bit better, ballhandling is a lot better and he can be a great contribution to this team." ESPN... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is joining the collection of stars in Brooklyn. The six-time All-Star agreed to sign with the Nets, a person with knowledge of the details said Sunday. Griffin became a free agent Friday when he completed a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. He cleared waivers Sunday and was eligible to sign with any team. The often-injured forward decided to join All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in Brooklyn, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no announcement. ESPN first reported Griffin's plans. The 31-year-old Griffin is a six-time All-Star who has averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds since being the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft. Griffin is no longer the high flyer he was during his best years with the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged only 12.3 points in 20 games this season. But the 6-foot-9 forward fills a need for the Nets, who are small in the frontcourt. And they don't need a ton of scoring, leading the NBA with 121.1 points per game. Brooklyn is a half-game behind Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference lead.

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin has agreed to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, a person with knowledge of the details said Sunday. Griffin became a free agent Friday when the former All-Star completed a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. He cleared waivers Sunday and was eligible to sign with any team. He decided to join All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in Brooklyn, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no announcement. ESPN first reported Griffin's plans. The 31-year-old Griffin is a six-time All-Star who has averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds since being the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft.

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin's time in Detroit is over, another significant step in a rebuilding process that has the Pistons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The veteran forward and the Pistons agreed to a contract buyout. “I thank the Pistons organization for working together on an outcome that benefits all involved and I wish the franchise success in the future,” Griffin said Friday in a statement released by the team. The Pistons announced last month that they would keep Griffin out of the lineup while resolving his future, a clear sign that the star forward could be on the way out. The Pistons also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks last month. Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The question now is how valuable he might be to a contending team. He had a terrific 2018-19 season for the Pistons, helping them to the playoffs, but his health has been a concern in Detroit, just as it had been when he was with the... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin's time in Detroit is over, another significant step in a rebuilding process that has the Pistons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The veteran forward and the Pistons have agreed to a contract buyout, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move was not yet official. The Pistons announced last month that they would keep Griffin out of the lineup while resolving his future, a clear sign that the star forward could be on the way out. The Pistons also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks last month. Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The question now is how valuable he might be to a contending team. He had a terrific 2018-19 season for the Pistons, helping them to the playoffs, but his health has been a concern in Detroit, just as it had been when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. Griffin has averaged 12.3 points, 5.2... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a contract buyout, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move was not yet official. The Pistons announced last month that they would keep Griffin out of the lineup while resolving his future, a clear sign that the star forward could be on the way out. His exit is another significant step in a rebuilding process that has Detroit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 10-26 record. The Pistons also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks last month. Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The question now is how valuable he might be to a contending team. He had a terrific 2018-19 season for the Pistons, helping them to the playoffs, but his health has been a concern in Detroit, just as it had been when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. Griffin has averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the 20 games he's played this season. ESPN first reported the buyout agreement. ___ Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons are taking another step in their rebuilding process, planning to part ways with Blake Griffin. Detroit plans to keep the star forward out of the lineup while he and the organization work out a decision on his future, a clear sign his days with the team could be numbered. “After extensive conversation with Blake’s representatives, it has been determined that we will begin working to facilitate a resolution regarding his future with the team that maximizes the interests of both parties," Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said in a statement Monday. "We respect all the effort Blake has put forth in Detroit and his career and will work to achieve a positive outcome for all involved.” Griffin, who turns 32 next month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season as part of the franchise's push to become relevant again. The Pistons, though, have made only one postseason appearance with him and have spent much of the last year overhauling their roster... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons plan to keep Blake Griffin out of the lineup while he and the organization work out a decision on his future, a sign the star forward's days with the team could be numbered. “After extensive conversation with Blake’s representatives, it has been determined that we will begin working to facilitate a resolution regarding his future with the team that maximizes the interests of both parties," Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said in a statement Monday. "We respect all the effort Blake has put forth in Detroit and his career and will work to achieve a positive outcome for all involved.” Griffin, who turns 32 next month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season, but the Pistons have made just one postseason appearance with him and have spent much of the last year overhauling their roster in earnest. Detroit is 8-19 this season, and Griffin has already missed seven games. If he is traded or leaves via a buyout, it could give the popular veteran... [More]