Milwaukee Bucks players and the team's coach said Tuesday they were disappointed that the Wisconsin Legislature didn't take action on policing reform bills during a special session Monday called by Gov. Tony Evers.“Surely there are things to talk about right now, right?” Bucks guard Kyle Korver said at a Zoom session Tuesday from Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where the NBA playoffs are taking place. “Surely there are things our state needs leadership in. How can we be better?”He called the Legislature's inaction “disappointing.”Democrats urged Republicans who control the Legislature to take up the bills, but both the state Senate and Assembly met for less than 30 seconds each before ending the session. Republican leaders gave no indication when they may reconvene. Republican Speaker Robin Vos touted a task force he created, while Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald suggested there would be dozens of bills to consider in the months ahead.Evers called lawmakers into a special session to... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks team members will join other NBA players who plan to put messages for social change on the back of their jerseys once games resume at the end of the month. Both Kyle Korver and Khris Middleton will substitute “Black Lives Matter” for their names on their jerseys.“I think it’s the most important thing for people to realize,” Middleton said Monday. “That our lives do matter. That’s why I went with it.”Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, his brother, Thanasis, and other players have another plan. “On the back of my jersey is gonna be ‘Equality,’” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what we decided, a majority of the team. So that’s what me and Thanasis are going to wear on the back of our jersey.”Antetokounmpo said it was a personal choice, the Journal Sentinel reported. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer supports the jersey messages. “I think a lot of our players will do it,” Budenholzer said. “I think it’s very important for our league, for our entire organization, that we continue to have this conversation. That we keep fighting for social equality, social justice. It’s very important.”Twenty-two NBA teams, including the Bucks, are currently in a protective environment at Disney World near Orlando for practices ahead of the games restarting.

Kobe Bryant will be announced Friday at All-Star Weekend in Chicago as one of the finalists for this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction class, which isn’t a secret and never was.Bryant always was a lock to be a first-ballot pick. Fellow first-time nominees Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will almost certainly also be among those announced Friday as finalists. The complete class that will be enshrined at Springfield, Massachusetts in August will be announced on April 4 at the Final Four in Atlanta.But Friday’s announcement of the finalists in Chicago will be largely about the memory of Bryant, and rightly so. This All-Star weekend is the first huge gathering of the NBA family since Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Jan. 26. They’ll be remembered and honored throughout the weekend, and it’s a safe bet that Commissioner Adam Silver — in his annual All-Star news conference Saturday — has plenty to say about... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jordan Clarkson wasn't going to be a part of Cleveland's future. Now he's in the past.The Cavaliers agreed Monday night to trade Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for guard Dante Exum and two future second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.Cleveland will get a pick in 2022 and one in 2023, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not yet had the required conference call with the NBA to approve the swap.The deal came together shortly before the Jazz played in Miami and the Cavs hosted Atlanta. Clarkson warmed up on the floor at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before he was informed of the trade.Clarkson figured to be on his way out of Cleveland. He's in the final year of his contract and had been coming off the bench behind Collin Sexton and rookie Darius Garland, a backcourt the Cavs hope to keep together for years.Clarkson, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, scored a season-high 33 points... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jordan Clarkson wasn't going to be a part of Cleveland's future. Now he's in the past.The Cavaliers agreed Monday night to trade Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for guard Dante Exum and two future second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.Cleveland will get a pick in 2022 and one in 2023, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not yet had the required conference call with the NBA to approve the swap.The deal came together shortly before the Jazz played in Miami and the Cavs hosted Atlanta. Clarkson warmed up on the floor at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before he was informed of the trade.Clarkson figured to be on his way out of Cleveland. He's in the final year of his contract and had been coming off the bench behind Collin Sexton and rookie Darius Garland, a backcourt the Cavs hope to keep together for years.Clarkson, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, scored a season-high 33 points... [More]

STURTEVANT, Wis. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks chose to recover from the end of their 18-game winning streak at a medium-security Wisconsin state prison.Two days before an anticipated showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, the team was scheduled for a “player individual day” on Tuesday — usually used for individuals to get extra training or medical treatment. Instead, the players opted to hear stories from inmates at the Racine Correctional Institution. “I wasn't seeing guys that made mistakes,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was just seeing humans, humans that were laughing, that were trying hard, humans that shared their stories. That really touched me and I realized sometimes we take things for granted. That's not going to happen again.”Antetokounmpo, his older brother, Thanasis, and other Milwaukee teammates Sterling Brown, Kyle Korver, George Hill, Pat Connaughton and D.J. Wilson traveled about 30 miles south of Milwaukee to the prison to take part in... [More]

STURTEVANT, Wis. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks chose to recover from the end of their 18-game winning streak at a medium-security Wisconsin state prison.Two days before an anticipated showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team was scheduled for a “player individual day” Tuesday — usually used for individuals to get extra training or medical treatment. Instead, the players opted to hear stories from inmates at the Racine Correctional Institution. “I wasn't seeing guys that made mistakes,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was just seeing humans, humans that were laughing, that were trying hard, humans that shared their stories. That really touched me and I realized sometimes we take things for granted. That's not going to happen again.”Antetokounmpo, his older brother, Thanasis, and other Milwaukee teammates Sterling Brown, Kyle Korver, George Hill, Pat Connaughton and D.J. Wilson traveled about 30 miles south of Milwaukee to the prison to take part in the “Play for Justice”... [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]

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]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies forward De'Anthony Melton will miss one to two months with what the team has described as a stress reaction in his back.The Grizzlies announced Melton's injury Thursday in a team release. Grizzlies officials said Melton should return to basketball activities in four to eight weeks.Melton, who is 6-foot-4, played 50 games for the Phoenix Suns last season and averaged 5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 19.7 minutes.The Grizzlies acquired the 21-year-old Melton along with forward Josh Jackson and two future second-round draft picks over the summer in a trade that sent forward Kyle Korver and guard Jevon Carter to Phoenix.The Suns later waived Korver, who ended up signing with the Milwaukee Bucks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have added veteran guard Kyle Korver.The team announced the signing Thursday. The 38-year-old guard was waived July 7 by Phoenix — which acquired him in a trade with Memphis — making him a free agent.Korver had been traded to Memphis by Utah, where he played most of last season."Kyle is an elite 3-point shooter who will play an impactful role for our team," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. "In addition to bringing tremendous experience, Kyle is familiar with coach Bud's (head coach Mike Budenholzer) system having played under him for three-plus seasons in Atlanta. Kyle is a highly respected player and person both on and off the court and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to the Bucks."Korver appeared in a combined 70 games with the Cavaliers and Jazz last season, averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists and shooting 39.7% from 3-point range. The 2015 All-Star ranks third among all active NBA players in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9) and ninth in NBA history.Korver has averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 16 seasons. He was an All-Star in 2015 with the Hawks, and is fourth in NBA history with 2,351 3-pointers.

NEW YORK (AP) — It is not exactly a secret that the New York Knicks need a lot of help.So when a player who did almost everything well in his one college season was available, the decision to use the third overall pick Thursday night in the NBA draft on Duke freshman swingman RJ Barrett was relatively stress-free for general manager Scott Perry."I just can't tell you how excited we are to be able to land RJ Barrett and add him to the New York Knicks," Perry said in a conference call with reporters a few minutes after the selection was made. "We love a lot of things about this young man starting with his tremendous competitive level; his desire to want to be great as a basketball player. He's highly accomplished. He had a tremendous freshman season here at Duke."You could say that.Barrett led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring at 22.8 points per game despite somewhat being overshadowed by flashier teammate Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick by New Orleans Pelicans. Barrett finished second... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — It is not exactly a secret that the New York Knicks need a lot of help.So when a player who did almost everything well in his one college season was available, the decision to use the third overall pick Thursday night in the NBA draft on Duke freshman swingman RJ Barrett was relatively stress-free for general manager Scott Perry."I just can't tell you how excited we are to be able to land RJ Barrett and add him to the New York Knicks," Perry said in a conference call with reporters a few minutes after the selection was made. "We love a lot of things about this young man starting with his tremendous competitive level; his desire to want to be great as a basketball player. He's highly accomplished. He had a tremendous freshman season here at Duke."You could say that.Barrett led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring at 22.8 points per game despite somewhat being overshadowed by flashier teammate Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick by New Orleans Pelicans. Barrett finished second... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies traded away the final piece of the franchise's best years on Wednesday, sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for a trio of players, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The Grizzlies swapped Conley for forward Jae Crowder, guard/forward Kyle Korver and guard Grayson Allen, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade, which cannot be completed until the new league year starts on July 6.Conley confirmed the trade on Twitter, thanking Memphis for making him the man he is and being his home."Time for another chapter! Excited to give all I have to The Jazz ...!" Conley tweeted.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies traded away the final piece of the franchise's best years on Wednesday, sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for a trio of players, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The Grizzlies swapped Conley for Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Grayson Allen, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade.Conley confirmed the trade on Twitter, thanking Memphis for making him the man he is and being his home."Time for another chapter! Excited to give all I have to The Jazz ...!" Conley tweeted.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen left in 2017 as free agents, and Memphis traded Marc Gasol to Toronto in February, splitting... [More]

A person with knowledge of the decision says the Memphis Grizzlies have traded veteran point guard Mike Conley, who has played the most games in franchise history, to the Utah Jazz.The person says the Grizzlies swapped Conley for Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Grayson Allen. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen left in 2017 as free agents, and Memphis traded Marc Gasol to Toronto in February, splitting up a duo that had been the NBA's longest-tenured teammates. Gasol went on to help the Raptors win their first NBA title.___AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Few teams could match the Utah Jazz in their ability to dominate on defense this season. An inability to generate consistent offense, however, ultimately doomed Utah in the postseason.After getting knocked out of the first-round of the postseason by the Houston Rockets, change is in the air for the Jazz as the team heads into the offseason. Utah plans to target shooters and playmakers in free agency who can take some of the defensive focus away from leading scorer Donovan Mitchell."We want to move the group forward," Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey said at the team's practice facility Thursday. "While we have a very good team, the results told us that we don't have a great team."Utah does have a solid foundation in place thanks to continued progress from Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert. The duo helped lead the Jazz to a 50-win season and a third straight playoff berth.Mitchell overcame a sluggish start to his sophomore season and showed his stellar rookie campaign was no fluke.... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are preparing for their Game 2 matchup with the Pacers aware their series-opening win was notable more for its ugliness more than the outcome.Meanwhile, the Rockets and Bucks are heading into their respective Game 2s with the Jazz and Pistons expecting more competitive games after dominating victories.Boston limited Indiana to eight points in the third quarter of its 84-74 Game 1 win. It was the Celtics' lowest point total of the season and the first time they won a game in 2018-19 in which they didn't reach 100 points.Change is on the minds of both teams.For the Celtics that could mean tweaks to the starting lineup as they continue to adjust to the absence of Marcus Smart, who is recovering from a torn left oblique."It's frustrating, but you have to take it day-by-day and one day at a time," Smart said Tuesday.Celtics coach Brad Stevens acknowledged Smart's absence forced them to play differently and will continue to require adjustments.Without Smart to help with... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rodney Hood made minimal impact on the Cavaliers' postseason run last season. He'll get a chance to do more with Portland.Hood was traded Monday by the Cavaliers, who acquired guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin — and their expiring contracts — along with second-round picks in 2021 and 2023 from the Trail Blazers.Before the trade could be completed, the Cavaliers needed Hood to agree to the deal because he signed a one-year $3.4 million qualifying offer this summer. The 26-year-old waived his no-trade clause to join the Blazers, who are 32-20 and have the fourth best record in the Western Conference.Hood will give Portland some more scoring punch and can take some pressure off guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. He is averaging 12.2 points and 2.5 rebounds this season.The Cavaliers acquired Hood at the trade deadline from Utah last season, and they envisioned him being another scoring option to complement LeBron James and Kevin Love. However, the 6-foot-8 forward never... [More]

Imagine this: Kevin Durant is out of bounds by an enormous margin, all three referees somehow miss the obvious infraction and Golden State winds up getting a basket that it didn't deserve to take the lead with a few seconds remaining.It seemed implausible.That is, until it happened.When such a scene played out last week in the Houston-Golden State overtime thriller, James Harden kept a ton of egg from landing on the NBA's face when he connected on a 3-pointer to give the Rockets a win in a game they would have screamed bloody murder about otherwise. But what if he missed? Or worse, if a call that big got missed in Game 7 of the NBA Finals?"How do you miss that?" TNT analyst Reggie Miller mused while watching the Durant replay.An obvious question, with an obvious answer: It's time for a change.Everyone in the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey that night surely saw Durant standing out of bounds. But there is no mechanism for the replay crews to trigger a review of such a play — since,... [More]