Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. Vucevic is the only player from this season's All-Star Game to be traded at the deadline. It was a steep price; Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu went to the Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder bolstered their frontcourt during the NBA draft on Wednesday night, acquiring Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski in a trade with Minnesota. The Timberwolves selected Pokusevski with the 17th pick, but a person with knowledge of the negotiations said they had agreed to send the choice to Oklahoma City in exchange for the 25th and 28th overall selections and point guard Ricky Rubio. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced. Deals involving players can’t be finalized until free agency officially begins on Sunday for salary cap purposes. Pokusevski, 18, is listed at 6-foot-11 and 215 pounds. He represented Serbia at the 2018 FIBA U-17 World Championship and the 2019 FIBA U-18 European Championship. He played for Olympiacos' second-division team in Greece last season and averaged 10.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. It has been a busy month for the Thunder. Last... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are moving on from Al Horford and will trade him and a protected future first-round pick to Oklahoma City in a major draft-night trade. A person with direct knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Wednesday the Sixers will receive Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson from the Thunder. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet announced. The Sixers also sent a 2025 first-round protected from 1-6 overall. The Sixers also sent the 34th pick in Wednesday’s draft to the Thunder and the rights to European point guard Vasilije Micic. The 76ers traded Horford more than a year after he was considered a ballyhooed free-agent signing away for their rival Boston Celtics. Horford was a flop in the first season of a four-year contract worth $97 million and lost his starting spot late in the season. The Thunder are the on hook for Horford’s $27.5 million this season. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guards Terrance Ferguson and Deonte Burton are out against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.Thunder coach Billy Donovan made the announcements during his pregame media session.Ferguson has soreness in his right hip. The starting shooting guard averages 5.7 points per game. Donovan did not say who would start in his place.Burton has been suspended one game because of conduct detrimental to the team. The reserve averages 2.8 points per game.The Thunder already were without guard Hamidou Diallo. He missed the previous five games with a hyperextended right elbow and remains a few weeks from being re-evaluated.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When Paul George has been rolling this season, so has Oklahoma City.The Thunder's All-Star forward has been off his game against Portland, and OKC has struggled against the Trail Blazers. Yes, George is averaging 26.5 points in their first-round playoff series, but he's making just 27 percent of his 3-pointers — down from 39 percent during the regular season.Much has been made of his shoulder issues, which he has been dealing with the past few months. George even missed the regular-season finale against Milwaukee after not being able to lift his arm.But George said Thursday his shoulder is not the issue, noting that he is pain-free."The first game it was just out of rhythm, trying to find shots," George said. "The second game, it was just knowing where shots were going to come from, knowing the space that I could get playing at the basket and taking advantage of where I can get to the rim. It'll be a great mix Game 3."The Thunder hope it is a great mix. They're down... [More]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have waived guard Alex Abrines.The team announced the move Saturday.Abrines missed much of his third NBA season because of personal reasons. He played only twice since Dec. 23, and neither of those appearances lasted more than 10 minutes. The Thunder offered few clues why Abrines had not been playing. He played 31 games this season, with two starts, and averaged 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds.Abrines' primary tool was his 3-point shooting, but he was shooting just 32 percent from long range this season after shooting 38 percent in each of the past two seasons. With guard Terrance Ferguson emerging as a legitimate 3-point shooter, Abrines became expendable.Oklahoma City didn't make much noise in the days leading up to Thursday's trade deadline. The team announced on Feb. 1 that it sent reserve guard/forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and cash considerations to the Chicago Bulls for a protected 2020 second-round draft pick.The Thunder won nine of 10 heading into Saturday night's game at Houston.___Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson sustained a concussion in a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks and has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol.The Thunder made the announcement Monday, a day after the injury. Ferguson took a shot to the head during the 113-94 win and did not return. There is no set timetable to complete the protocol.Ferguson appeared in 61 games, including 12 starts for the Thunder last season. He averaged 3.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson sustained a concussion in a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks and has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol.The Thunder made the announcement Monday, a day after the injury. Ferguson took a shot to the head during the 113-94 win and did not return. There is no set timetable to complete the protocol.Ferguson appeared in 61 games, including 12 starts for the Thunder last season. He averaged 3.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trips to Las Vegas feel better when they end on a win.The consolation round of the NBA Summer League gave teams a chance to experience that Friday. They had already been eliminated from the chance to win the tournament championship, but at least some can head to the airport on a high note.Many of the top performers on the teams who played Friday were already done for the week, sitting out the games so as not to risk injuries.The winners' bracket of the tournament resumes with six second-round games Saturday.Friday's results:SUNS 90, SPURS 55Phoenix blew open the game by outscoring the Spurs 29-9 in the second quarter to finish 4-1.No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton rested along with second-year forward Josh Jackson. Javonte Green led Phoenix with 20 points. Shaquille Harrison had 13, Davon Reed 11 and Jack Cooley 10.The Spurs rested first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV and finished 1-4.KNICKS 102, PELICANS 83With first-round pick Kevin Knox already done after a strong Summer League,... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The last time Carmelo Anthony was in the playoffs, he was with the New York Knicks facing rising star Paul George and the Indiana Pacers back in 2013.Now, Anthony and George are teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They join Russell Westbrook in a quest for their first NBA title, starting Sunday when the Thunder host the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.Because it's been so long, Anthony appreciates the opportunity to play in the postseason. He came to Oklahoma City in a trade before training camp expecting to compete for an NBA title."It's important," he said. "I'm here now, so ain't no looking back. I'm here. It's important, it's exciting. At the same time, I'm not here just to say I made it back to the playoffs. I'm here to make a statement as a team and prove why we put this team together. This is the place where I belong, we belong, and we have an opportunity to start something good on Sunday."Westbrook became the... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Thunder might be without starting shooting guard Corey Brewer for their first-round playoff series opener Sunday against Utah.Brewer sprained his right knee during Oklahoma City's regular-season finale against Memphis. He did light work Friday and didn't practice.Another Thunder shooting guard, Alex Abrines, is in concussion protocol. He was injured during a win over the Miami Heat on Monday and didn't play against Memphis. The reserve averages 4.7 points per game and has made 84 3-pointers this season.Coach Billy Donovan said he's not sure if either will be ready for the opener."I don't know that yet," he said. "We'll have to get closer to that. I don't want to speculate either way. Every day, we'll find out a little more."The Thunder added the 32-year-old Brewer after the All-Star break to fill the void left when Andre Roberson was knocked out for the season with a ruptured left patellar tendon. Brewer started 16 of 18 games with the Thunder and posted averages... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a ruptured left patellar tendon.The Thunder made the announcement in a news release on Sunday. The team also said Roberson had surgery Sunday at the McBride Orthopedic Hospital in Oklahoma City.Thunder coach Billy Donovan said it will be difficult to fill the void left by one of the league's top perimeter defenders."You don't replace him," Donovan said. "It's no different than having a guy that gets 25 points a game and goes out. You're not going to have one person go out and replace 25 points."Roberson was taken off on a stretcher in the third quarter of Saturday's game at the Detroit Pistons after landing hard on the court. His left leg seemed to give way as he was beginning to jump for an alley-oop, and he landed on his tailbone or lower back.The 6-foot-7 Roberson was an All-Defense second-team selection last season. In 39 games this season, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds,... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a ruptured left patellar tendon.The Thunder made the announcement in a news release on Sunday and said the injury will require surgery.Thunder coach Billy Donovan said it will be difficult to fill the void left by one of the league's top perimeter defenders."You don't replace him," Donovan said. "It's no different than having a guy that gets 25 points a game and goes out. You're not going to have one person go out and replace 25 points."Roberson was taken off on a stretcher in the third quarter of Saturday's game at the Detroit Pistons after landing hard on the court. His left leg seemed to give way as he was beginning to jump for an alley-oop, and he landed on his tailbone or lower back.The 6-foot-7 Roberson was an All-Defense second-team selection last season. In 39 games this season, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.15. He had missed eight games earlier... [More]