CLEVELAND (AP) — Once summer rolls around, LeBron James stars on a different stage.All eyes in the NBA and across the sports world will focus on James during free agency.There are already teams lining up for an audience with The King, should he opt out of his contract. On Thursday, the Cavaliers turned their roster upside down in hopes of convincing James he doesn't have to go anywhere.And just like that, another chapter was added to a chaotic season in Cleveland.With an unexpected flurry of moves before the NBA trade deadline, the Cavs unloaded six players to change their identity and culture while moving back into title contention. They also showed James, who can be a free agent in July, they're willing to do whatever's necessary to help him win another championship."He's the guy that is going to take us back to the promised land," Cavs general manager Koby Altman said, "so you want to put the right pieces around him."All it took was a massive makeover.Altman ended an experiment doomed... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. General manager Koby Altman traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got substantially younger and more athletic and wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Following a long day that left him "numb," Altman said his main objective in making the deals was to alter the chemistry of a team that was no longer playing with joy."We were really worried that what was going on the floor and sort of our culture in the building... [More]

From Isaiah Thomas to Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, the Cleveland Cavaliers loaded up on big names last summer.None will be there if the Cavaliers get back to the NBA Finals.In what felt like an unprecedented do-over for a contending team, the Cavaliers simply changed the pieces that weren't fitting for new ones on Thursday at the trade deadline.Fans who usually marvel at LeBron James were instead praising his general manager, as Koby Altman used a series of swaps to strengthen a sputtering team and leave open the possibility for more moves."They got better. They made the moves they wanted to make and I'm sure they're going to make it work over there," Golden State's Kevin Durant said. "It's fun for all the fans and the media to kind of see what's going on with the trade deadline."Cavs' fans probably had the most fun, and for good reason. Cleveland was the story Thursday .The Cavaliers acquired Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. in the deal with Los Angeles, which also got Channing Frye... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Watching from the West Coast, the defending champions took notice."It's interesting, really interesting," Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Cleveland's drastic midseason renovation. "It's probably obviously something that they felt was needed. I feel like they made some good moves. I don't know, we'll... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Watching from the West Coast, the defending champions took notice."It's interesting, really interesting," Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Cleveland's drastic midseason renovation. "It's probably obviously something that they felt was needed. I feel like they made some good moves. I don't know, we'll... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention.The Cavs began their shocking overhaul by sending the disappointing Thomas along with forward Channing Frye and one of their two first-round picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr.Thomas, who came over in last summer's blockbuster trade with Boston for Kyrie Irving, played in just 15 games and wasn't fitting in with... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With the stunning force of a LeBron James dunk, the Cavaliers shattered their roster.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning an NBA title this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of trades before the deadline, a person with direct knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press.The Cavs began their overhaul by sending disappointing guard Isaiah Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams are awaiting league approval to finalize all the deals. Thomas played in just 15 games as he returned from a hip injury and struggled to fit in, so the Cavs dealt him along with forward Channing Frye and one of their two first-round picks to the Lakers for point guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr.As the Thomas swap was being digested around the league, the Cavs completed a three-team deal with Utah and Sacramento. The Cavs sent guard Derrick Rose and forward Jae Crowder... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the trades says the Cleveland Cavaliers have overhauled their roster with three deals, including one that sends Dwyane Wade back to Miami.Moments after they agreed to trade Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round pick to Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs completed a three-team deal with Sacramento and Utah, said the person who spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity because all the transactions have to be approved by the league.The Cavs sent guard Derrick Rose and forward Jae Crowder to the Jazz for forward Rodney Hood. They'll receive guard George Hill from the Kings in exchange for guard Iman Shumpert.Also, the 36-year-old Wade is returning to the Heat for a protected second-round pick. Wade played 13 seasons in Miami, winning three NBA titles — two of them with LeBron James.Wade signed a one-year deal with the Cavs, but has said he wanted to retire with Miami.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love dodged surgery. The Cavaliers were hit hard.The All-Star forward, who was recently at the center of some team turmoil, will miss two months because of a broken left hand. Love fractured the fifth metacarpal Tuesday night during a loss at Detroit, and his injury is just the latest mishap for the Cavs, who are coming off a sub-par January.It was expected that Love would need an operation to repair the break, but after Cleveland's medical staff consulted with doctors at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery, it was determined Love can recover without any procedure. He had surgery on his left hand in 2009 while with Minnesota and still has three screws in place.The timetable for Love's return means he'll miss all but the final two weeks of the regular season. The team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder won't have much time to get ready for the playoffs. But with the way the Cavs are playing, it's questionable how far they can go.Cleveland (30-20) is coming... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love dodged surgery. The Cavaliers were hit hard.The All-Star forward will miss two months because of a broken left hand, the team announced Friday. He injured the fifth metacarpal Tuesday night during a loss at Detroit.Cleveland's medical staff consulted with doctors at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery on Wednesday, and it was determined Love can recover without an operation. He had surgery on his left hand in 2009 while with Minnesota and still has three screws from the procedure.The timetable for Love's return means he'll miss all but the final two weeks of the regular season. The team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder won't have much time to get ready for the playoffs. But with the way the Cavs are playing it's questionable how far they can go.Cleveland (30-20) is coming off a bumpy January in which the Eastern Conference champions went 6-8 and were blown out in several losses, leading to finger-pointing between teammates. Now the Cavaliers will... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kevin Love's latest move hasn't made any of the Cavaliers screaming mad.There's a positive change.Targeted by some teammates during a heated meeting this week, Love is returning to power forward after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue tweaked his lineup in hopes of reviving a team that has dropped 10 of 13 games.Lue had been resisting changes, but following Thursday's practice he announced he's dropping forward Jae Crowder to the second team, returning center Tristan Thompson to the starting lineup and switching Love, who was named an All-Star reserve, back to a position where he is much more comfortable.LeBron James and his teammates have been consumed in recent days by chaos, highlighted by a pre-practice meeting Monday when players aired grievances. A few targeted their frustration at Love, who went home sick from Saturday's lopsided loss to Oklahoma City and missed Sunday's practice.Lue said he considered other changes, but decided the Crowder-Thompson-Love maneuver is... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kevin Love's latest move hasn't made any of the Cavaliers screaming mad.There's a positive change.Targeted by some teammates during a heated meeting this week, Love is returning to power forward after Cavs coach Tyronn Lue tweaked his lineup in hopes of reviving a team that has dropped 10 of 13 games.Lue had been resisting changes, but following Thursday's practice he announced he's dropping forward Jae Crowder to the second team, returning center Tristan Thompson to the starting lineup and switching Love, who was named an All-Star reserve, back to a position where he is much more comfortable.LeBron James and his teammates have been consumed in recent days by chaos, highlighted by a pre-practice meeting Monday when players aired grievances. A few targeted their frustration at Love, who went home sick from Saturday's lopsided loss to Oklahoma City and missed Sunday's practice.Lue said he considered other changes, but decided the Crowder-Thompson-Love maneuver is... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has tweaked his starting lineup in hopes of reviving a team that has lost 10 of 13 games.Lue had been resisting changes, but after Thursday's practice he said he's dropping forward Jae Crowder to the second team, bringing center Tristan Thompson off the bench and returning All-Star Kevin Love to power forward.The defending Eastern Conference champions have had a tumultuous few days, highlighted by a team meeting Monday when players aired grievances. Love was targeted by some teammates, who were unhappy he went home sick during a game last weekend and missed a practice.LeBron James is confident the team can mend any differences, saying "We'll be fine."On Friday, the Cavs host the Pacers, who have beaten Cleveland three times this season.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tags/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Isaiah Thomas is back on the court doing what he does best.The All-Star point guard made his long-awaited debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, his first action since re-injuring his right hip on May 19 in the Eastern Conference finals.With the crowd stirring, Thomas sat at the scorer's table before checking in to a loud ovation with 4:33 left in the first quarter of the Cavs' game with the Portland Trail Blazers.It didn't take long for the 5-foot-9 Thomas to get involved in the action as he quickly picked up an assist on a pass to Jae Crowder, who came along with him from Boston in a blockbuster trade last summer.Wearing his familiar headband and No. 3, the playmaker missed his first shot and got fouled on a drive to the basket. Moments later, Thomas dropped a 14-foot pull-up jumper to pull the Cavs within 28-25.Then, Thomas drove the lane and scooped in a left-handed layup while being fouled, the type of play he perfected in Boston. As he picked himself... [More]

F Jae Crowder scored 15 points in Monday's loss at Golden State. It was his most points since also scoring 15 at Atlanta on Nov. 30.

SF Jae Crowder played in his 400th career game Monday. He scored 18 points in the Cavs' win at Detroit.

The Boston Celtics sent the Cleveland Cavaliers a 2020 second-round draft pick to complete the blockbuster trade that sent four-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, the Cavaliers confirmed Wednesday night.The key player headed to Cleveland in the deal, guard Isaiah Thomas, has a hip injury that prompted the Cavaliers to seek additional compensation. Cleveland also got Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and an unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick via the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Irving.The Celtics resisted the Cavs' attempt to get another first-round pick or a young star to compensate Cleveland for its reluctance to sign off on Thomas' injury, which Boston said it was transparent about.The 2020 pick that Cleveland will receive originally belonged to Miami before the Heat sent to Boston in the Zoran Dragic deal in July 2015.Prior to the Wednesday agreement, the teams risked walking away from the deal that had been announced on Aug. 22. The options included voiding the trade completely... [More]

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics plan to discuss the status of their blockbuster trade apparently because there are questions following Isaiah Thomas' physical examination and his recovery from a postseason hip injury.The deal sending Cleveland's four-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first-round pick via Brooklyn now has uncertainty with medical questions surrounding Thomas' injured hip, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.The Cavs and Celtics are planning a telephone call on Saturday, according to the ESPN report. Thomas took the exam in Cleveland on Friday.There is a possibility that Cleveland could request further compensation from Boston before approving the trade, league sources told ESPN. The Cavs have until Thursday to make a final decision on approving the trade.Cleveland also can veto the deal based on a failed physical, sending players back to their respective teams.Thomas suffered the injury during this year's playoffs and is rehabbing the hip but reportedly has not begun running.Boston general manager Danny Ainge acknowledged Thomas' hip injury played a factor in the Celtics seeking the trade.Irving, who had requested a trade from Cleveland, is scheduled to take his physical with the Celtics on Saturday, according to ESPN.

As the dust begins to settle from Tuesday's blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics and Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick to Cleveland, the larger picture for both teams starts to come into focus. The breakup of the partnership of Irving and LeBron James seemed inevitable after the former said he wanted to be traded. James offered nothing but respect to Irving in his Twitter message in response to the trade:"That's the only way to be to the kid! Special talent/guy! Nothing but respect and what a ride it was our 3 years together."James will now try to blend his skills with Thomas, a point guard who likes to have the ball in his hands.The question surrounding Thomas concerns his hip. Thomas' season ended following Game 2 of the conference finals because of a torn labrum and aggravation of a previous injury.The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Celtics general manager Danny Ainge speculated on a conference call on... [More]

F Jae Crowder, G Isaiah Thomas, C Ante Zizic and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick were traded by the Celtics to the Cavaliers on Tuesday in exchange for G Kyrie Irving.Crowder, 27, averaged 13.9 points and 5.8 assists for Boston last season.