MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have recalled center Justin Patton from their NBA G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.The move was made on Monday. Patton has averaged 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 20.1 minutes over 25 games for Iowa, after being assigned there on Dec. 27.The 16th overall pick in the draft last year out of Creighton, Patton has yet to appear in an NBA game. The Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards are the only teams in the league this season that have yet to play a rookie.The 6-foot-11 Patton broke his left foot during a workout last summer and needed surgery to repair the fifth metatarsal bone.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three days after being acquired at the trade deadline, Joe Johnson was waived by the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.Sacramento announced the move before their game against the Timberwolves on Sunday night. The 36-year-old Johnson was acquired along with guard Iman Shumpert, a 2020 second-round draft choice, the rights to forward Dimitros Agravanis and cash in a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.The Kings sent guard George Hill to Cleveland in the deal.Johnson appeared in 32 games for Utah and averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.9 minutes per game. In 16 NBA seasons, Johnson has averaged 16.2 points per game and been named an All-Star seven times.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder stars Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony were ruled out of Sunday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with sprained ankles.Thunder coach Billy Donovan made the announcements during his pregame media session.Westbrook has a sprained left ankle. He also missed Oklahoma City's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The All-Star point guard leads the Thunder with 25.5 points, 10.3 assists and 9.3 rebounds per game.Anthony sprained his right ankle early in Oklahoma City's win over Golden State on Feb. 6, and he also sat out against the Lakers. The veteran forward ranks third on the team with 17 points per game.Donovan said both entered the day as questionable and tried to be ready to play.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies waived veteran forward/center Brandan Wright on Saturday.The 30-year-old Wright averaged 5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 13.6 minutes in 27 games this season, his third with the Grizzlies. He also has played for the Warriors, Nets, Mavericks, Celtics and Suns during a pro career that began in 2007.The 6-foot-10 Wright has career averages of 7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 427 regular-season games.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans waived guard Rashad Vaughn two days after acquiring him a trade that sent forward Dante Cunningham to the Brooklyn Nets.The move comes hours before the Pelicans' game at Brooklyn on Saturday night.Vaughn's release continues an unsettling week for the 6-foot-1, 2015 first-round draft choice by Milwaukee. He was traded by the Bucks to Brooklyn on Monday for center Tyler Zeller. Vaughn was then dealt to New Orleans shortly before Thursday's NBA trade deadline in a move designed to accommodate Cunningham's trade request.Vaughn played four minutes in one game for Brooklyn and did not play for New Orleans.New Orleans also waived guard Mike James. He appeared in four games with New Orleans.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — As the Heat fell behind early against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami fans were getting eager to see the man of the night.Dwayne Wade was back with the Heat on Friday night, coming off the bench for Miami.As the Heat fell behind 9-0, the crowd chanted, "We want Wade!"Wade took the court midway through the first quarter as the fans gave him a standing ovation. He immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a lob pass to Hassan Whiteside, who was able to slam home a dunk.Wade is Miami's all-time leader in points, games, assists and steals. He was drafted in the first round by Miami in 2003, but left for Chicago in 2016. Miami acquired him from Cleveland as part of the Cavaliers' deadline-day makeover.His return seemed to put everybody with the franchise in a good mood Friday, from office workers to coach Erik Spolestra."I definitely feel it's going to be a great environment," Wade said before the game.It was.The lower bowl was full before tip-off, an uncommon sight for a... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — As the Heat fell behind early against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami fans were getting eager to see the man of the night.Dwayne Wade was back with the Heat on Friday night, coming off the bench for Miami.As the Heat fell behind 9-0, the crowd chanted, "We want Wade!"Wade took the court midway through the first quarter as the fans gave him a standing ovation. He immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a lob pass to Hassan Whiteside, who was able to slam home a dunk.Wade is Miami's all-time leader in points, games, assists and steals. He was drafted in the first round by Miami in 2003, but left for Chicago in 2016. Miami acquired him from Cleveland as part of the Cavaliers' deadline-day makeover.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have bought out 3-point specialist Marco Belinelli's contract, giving the 11th-year veteran an opportunity to finish the season on a contending team.The move was announced before Friday night's game against Cleveland.Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer says the 31-year-old Belinelli "was great for us." Budenholzer says the move was made both for Belinelli and to give younger players, including rookie Tyler Dorsey, more playing time.Belinelli was averaging 11.4 points while starting only one game. He has three games with five 3-pointers and has scored in double figures 30 times.Budenholzer said Belinelli is "a great teammate, a great player, smart. Wherever he ends up he's going to help that team."___More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — After several strange days filled with uncertainty, Tyreke Evans is still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.Much to surprise of Evans — and his teammates.The Grizzlies sat Evans for five games before the trade deadline, but general manager Chris Wallace said Friday that Memphis never received the right offer, so decided not to deal the team's leading scorer."Basically, we felt that the offers weren't sufficient for a player of Tyreke's caliber and potential," Wallace said. "And particularly they weren't sufficient when weighed against the potential benefits of having him here for the rest of the season. So, we decided not to do anything."The Friday news conference culminated a stretch where Evans has not been with the team as the Grizzlies tried to deal him to better position themselves for the future. With all the rumblings about a trade and hopes for a better draft pick, Evans and teammates acknowledged they were surprised he was still with the team after the deadline."I've... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls have waived guard/forward Tony Allen after acquiring him in a trade last week.The 14-year veteran came to Chicago in the deal that sent Nikola Mirotic to New Orleans. Allen averaged 4.7 points in 22 games for the Pelicans before breaking his leg. He has not played since Dec. 10, though he returned to New Orleans' active roster just before the trade.The Bulls announced the move on Friday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Markelle Fultz, the top overall pick in last year's NBA draft, may not play again this season as he deals with a right shoulder injury and works on his shot.Fultz played the 76ers' first four games of the season but has been sidelined since.Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said Friday before the team's game against the New Orleans Pelicans that Fultz is progressing in his recovery — but with uncertainty."There's always a chance that he's going to be out there soon, and there's a chance that he's not going to play this year," Colangelo said. "I can't answer that question because we don't know the answer to that. Markelle's doing great. He's progressing well."The hedging around Fultz's status comes as a surprise given that he appeared on track to return soon.Colangelo says the team will play Fultz when he's ready, but don't have a timeline right now.Fultz was ruled out indefinitely in October with soreness and a scapular muscle imbalance in the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James moved on quickly.A day after the Cavaliers overhauled their roster with a tornado of trades that ripped through the NBA, James didn't dwell on what's lost, who's no longer around or how much time Cleveland has left to salvage its season."It is what it is, so let's get it going," he said Friday following the team's shootaround in Atlanta. "The front office made changes that they felt best fit this franchise. It's time to go to work."In the hours before Thursday's trading deadline, the Cavs unloaded six players, including Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade, James' best friend, in three separate deals designed to make the team younger, more athletic and as general manager Koby Altman put it, to revitalize a team he felt was "marching a slow death."Cleveland added guards George Hill and Jordan Clarkson as well as forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood, and all will have to take a crash course in Cavaliers 101. The team sent some of medical staff to Atlanta in hopes... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Markelle Fultz, the top overall pick in last year's NBA draft, may not play again this season as he deals with a right shoulder injury and works on his shot.Fultz played the 76ers' first four games of the season but has been sidelined since.Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said Friday before the team's game against the New Orleans Pelicans that Fultz is progressing in his recovery — but with uncertainty."There's always a chance that he's going to be out there soon, and there's a chance that he's not going to play this year," Colangelo said. "I can't answer that question because we don't know the answer to that. Markelle's doing great. He's progressing well."The hedging around Fultz's status comes as a surprise given that he appeared on track to return soon.Colangelo says the team will play Fultz when he's ready, but don't have a timeline right now.Fultz was ruled out indefinitely in October with soreness and a scapular muscle imbalance in the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James says he's excited about the new players added by the Cavaliers following a whirlwind of trades before the NBA's deadline.The Cavs unloaded six players, including Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade, in three separate deals Thursday. General manager Koby Altman wanted to revitalize an aging team he felt was "marching a slow death" and not fulfilling its potential as a title contender.Cleveland's additions are George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood. At the team's morning shootaround in Atlanta on Friday, James says it's his job to integrate them as fast as possible.Thomas struggled with Cleveland while recovering from a serious hip injury. James says he wishes the point guard's time with the Cavs "could have been better." James also hopes Thomas "can get that bounce back" with the Los Angeles Lakers.___More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Dwyane Wade could not be more excited to get back to his familiar surroundings.He's also excited for an unfamiliar uniform.It's an unusual perk, but one of the things Wade said he's looking most forward to when he returns to the Miami Heat on Friday night is the team's new "Vice" jersey and shorts — the design being a play on the themes of Miami in the 1980s, replete with pastel trim and a font the team used when it played in its original arena."OK, I've seen the jerseys — me and a friend of mine, won't say his name — and I was like, 'Listen, I need to get those shorts, at least,'" Wade told The Associated Press in an interview after his trade from Cleveland to Miami was completed Thursday. "The jerseys are unreal."The friend, by the way, was fellow former Heat star — and fellow fashion aficionado — LeBron James."I will not confirm nor deny who it was," Wade said.The Heat are wearing the uniform 15 times this season, with 10 of those left to play. They are in them for Wade's return against... [More]

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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State forward Draymond Green was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday for directing inappropriate and offensive language toward a game official two days earlier, and he was hardly the only member of the Warriors to lose his cool.Green was ejected with 8:13 remaining in the game after a second technical for arguing with the officials, specifically female referee Lauren Holtkamp. The NBA said the specific incident for which he was penalized came in the second quarter of the Warriors' 125-105 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.The defending champion Warriors had five technicals in all, prompting general manager Bob Myers to address the topic with the team Thursday ahead of a home game against Dallas."With great expectations comes great scrutiny. So how do we live in that? What's the best way to be in that?" Myers said. "So, empathetic toward the role and the place they have in all this as players as the most visible parts of our organization, the most... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors have traded forward Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento for guard Malachi Richardson.Both players in the deal Thursday were former first-round picks.Toronto took Caboclo with the No. 20 selection in 2014 but he appeared in just 25 games for the Raptors.Richardson was the No. 22 pick by Charlotte in 2016 and dealt to the Kings. He averaged 3.5 points in 25 games this season, including four starts.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook and forward Carmelo Anthony both missed the Thunder's game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night because of ankle injuries.Anthony sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of the Thunder's 125-105 win at the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Westbrook is dealing with a sprained left ankle, but it is not known when the injury happened.The Thunder are playing the Lakers for the second time in five days. They dropped the first meeting 108-104 in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Westbrook had 36 points and nine assists in the loss, and Anthony had 10 points and 13 rebounds.Raymond Felton was expected to start at point guard in place of Westbrook, while Jerami Grant was likely to take Anthony's place in the starting lineup. Grant had 16 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots in 35 minutes against the Warriors filling in for Anthony.___More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State forward Draymond Green was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday for directing inappropriate and offensive language toward a game official two days earlier, and he was hardly the only member of the Warriors to lose his cool.Green was ejected with 8:13 remaining in the game after a second technical for arguing with the officials, specifically female referee Lauren Holtkamp. The NBA said the specific incident for which he was penalized came in the second quarter of the Warriors' 125-105 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.The defending champion Warriors had five technicals in all, prompting general manager Bob Myers to address the topic with the team Thursday ahead of a home game against Dallas."With great expectations comes great scrutiny. So how do we live in that? What's the best way to be in that?" Myers said. "So, empathetic toward the role and the place they have in all this as players as the most visible parts of our organization, the most... [More]