PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns acquired point guard Elfrid Payton from the Orlando Magic on Thursday for a second-round pick this summer.Payton is averaging a career-high 13.0 points and shooting career bests of 52.0 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range this season. He also is averaging 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds."We are excited to add a player of Elfrid's caliber to our young core," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said a team release. "Elfrid is an athletic point guard who has good size, length and a feel for the game. We think he'll be a great fit with our team."Payton is in his fourth NBA season.The pick sent to Orlando was secured by the Suns along with guard Troy Daniels in a deal with the Grizzlies in September.To make room for Payton, the Suns waived injured guard Isaiah Canaan. He broke his left ankle Jan. 1 and had surgery Feb. 1."We still consider Isaiah to be a member of the Phoenix Suns family," McDonough said. "In speaking with Isaiah and his agent, we are fully committed to doing everything we can to help him with his rehab and recovery from his injury. This move is being made strictly to create a roster spot with Isaiah being out for the remainder of the season."

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 because of ankle injuries.Anthony sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of the 125-105 win at the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. 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 Jermani 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

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]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons capped a busy couple of weeks with an active deadline day.The Pistons acquired James Ennis from the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday for Brice Johnson and a 2022 second-round draft pick. It was the second deal announced by Detroit on the day of the NBA's trade deadline. The Pistons also acquired Jameer Nelson from Chicago.Detroit made a major splash last week when it landed star forward Blake Griffin in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons acquired Johnson and Willie Reed in that deal along with Griffin, but now they're moving on without Reed and Johnson. Reed was traded in the deal for Nelson.The 6-foot-7 Ennis has averaged 6.9 points in 45 games this season.The Pistons had lost eight straight when they traded for Griffin. They've won five in a row since then, with Griffin available for four of those victories. Griffin will face his former team Friday night, when Detroit hosts the Clippers.The Pistons sent Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris to... [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. Green had two, coach Steve Kerr one, and Andre Iguodala and David West the two others."It's not a good look," Kerr said about Myers' words. "We need to look more professional, to act more professional and to be more poised and to represent our team in a better... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to a trade sending James Ennis to the Pistons for Brice Johnson and a 2022 second-round draft pick.The Pistons announced the deal Thursday night.Detroit also acquired Jameer Nelson from Chicago on Thursday. It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Pistons, who landed star forward Blake Griffin last week in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.Detroit acquired Johnson and Willie Reed in that deal along with Griffin, but now the Pistons are moving on without Reed and Johnson. Reed was traded in the deal for Nelson.The 6-foot-7 Ennis has averaged 6.9 points in 45 games this season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

DALLAS (AP) — Emmanuel Mudiay is headed to the New York Knicks, with Denver adding guard Devin Harris from Dallas on Thursday in a three-team deadline trade that the Nuggets hope will give them needed experience for a playoff push.The rebuilding Mavericks will get Doug McDermott from the Knicks, who are fading from postseason contention and just lost All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis to a season-ending knee injury.Mudiay was the No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft and former starter, but hasn't started a game this season and is averaging a career-worst 8.5 points in about 18 minutes per game.It was the second trade in as many days for the Knicks after Porzingis' injury. They sent Willy Hernangomez, voted to the All-Rookie first team last season, to Charlotte for two second-round picks and forward Johnny O'Bryant, who was waived.Harris was having another solid season in his second stint with the Mavericks, who traded up to get him with the fifth pick in the 2004 draft. He returned to Dallas in... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — A person with knowledge of the deal says the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to a trade sending James Ennis to the Pistons for Brice Johnson and a second-round draft pick.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been announced.Detroit also acquired Jameer Nelson from Chicago on Thursday. It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Pistons, who landed star forward Blake Griffin last week in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.Detroit acquired Johnson and Willie Reed in that deal along with Griffin, but now the Pistons are ready to move on without Reed and Johnson. Reed was traded in the deal for Nelson.The 6-foot-7 Ennis has averaged 6.9 points in 45 games this season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers traded forward Noah Vonleh to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the rights to center Milovan Rakovic at the trade deadline Thursday.Vonleh, the No. 9 overall pick by Charlotte in the 2014 NBA draft, averaged 3.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 33 games for the Blazers this season, including 12 starts. For his career, Vonleh has averaged 3.9 points and 4.5 rebounds."That's the unfortunate part of the business because Noah's a really good person, a really good player and a really good teammate," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "I'm certainly appreciative of the time he spent here, and wish him nothing but the best."Vonleh, 22 will be a restricted free agent this summer. The trade, which also gave the Blazers a $3.5 million traded player exception, helps Portland get under the luxury tax threshold. The team now has two open roster spots.Rakovic currently plays in the Swiss Basketball League. He was originally drafted by Dallas in 2007, but... [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]

NEW YORK (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.Green was ejected in the second quarter of the Warriors' 125-105 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night after a second technical when he argued with the officials.Last month, Green was fined $25,000 for criticizing the NBA's officiating. He's averaging 11.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 47 games this season.

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics signed free agent center Greg Monroe in their lone move at the trade deadline on Thursday.Monroe was waived last week by Phoenix after being traded from Milwaukee in November. He is averaging 10.4 points and 7.4 rebounds this season.He was originally selected by the Detroit Pistons with the seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft.Monroe averaged at least 15 points in five consecutive seasons from 2011-12 to 2015-16.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to trade veteran forward Dante Cunningham to Brooklyn for third-year guard Rashad Vaughn.The Pelicans announced the deal Thursday.The 6-foot-6 Vaughn hadn't even spent a week with the Nets, who acquired him and a second-round pick Monday in a trade sending center Tyler Zeller to Milwaukee.Vaughn played four minutes of one game for Brooklyn — a home loss to Houston on Tuesday. He was then held out of the Nets' loss in Detroit on Wednesday night before being sent to New Orleans shortly before Thursday's NBA deadline that he had been traded. He has averaged 3.1 points in 134 NBA games since the Bucks selected him 17th overall in the 2015 draft. This season, he's average 2.6 points in 23 games, shooting 37 percent from 3-point range.The 6-8 Cunningham, a nine-year veteran, has played in 51 games for New Orleans this season, starting 24, and has averaged 5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.He added the 3-point shot to his repertoire in New Orleans, making 71 of 181 (39 percent) last season. This season, however, his 3-point accuracy has dipped to 32 percent (35 of 108).Cunningham sat out New Orleans' loss to Utah in the Pelicans' last game Monday night.New Orleans plays next at Philadelphia on Friday night. The Nets resume action on Saturday when they host the Pelicans.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker has been picked to replace the injured Kristaps Porzingis in the NBA All-Star Game.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selected Walker on Thursday for the opening on Team LeBron that was created when Porzingis tore his left ACL on Tuesday.Walker will make his second straight All-Star Game appearance. He is averaging 22.6 points and 5.8 assists.Porzingis was the fourth player drafted by captain LeBron James who had to be replaced because of injury, joining DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love and John Wall.The NBA also says Detroit All-Star center Andre Drummond will replace Porzingis, the defending champion, in the Skills Challenge.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have traded forward Noah Vonleh to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Milovan Rakovic, said a person with knowledge of the situation.The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the move at Thursday deadline had not formally announced.Vonleh, the No. 9 overall pick by Charlotte in the 2014 NBA draft, averaged 3.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 33 games this season, including 12 starts. For his career, Vonleh has averaged 3.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.Vonleh, 22 will be a restricted free agent this summer. The trade, which also gave the Blazers a $3.5 million traded player exception, helps Portland get under the luxury tax threshold. The team now has two open roster spots.Rakovic currently plays in the Swiss Basketball League. He was originally drafted by Dallas in 2007, but has never played in the NBA.The trade was first reported by ESPN.The Bulls also dealt Jameer Nelson to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls point guard Kris Dunn is out of the NBA's concussion protocol, though he will miss at least two more games for Chicago.Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson says Dunn "still has a long way to go conditioning-wise," though he is "feeling normal."The second-year pro has missed the past eight games and will not play against Minnesota or Washington on Friday and Saturday. Chicago meets Orlando on Monday.Dunn, averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 assists, was acquired along with Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen from Minnesota in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves on draft night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says the Portland Trail Blazers have traded forward Noah Vonleh to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Milovan Rakovic.The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the move at Thursday deadline had not formally announced. The trade was first reported by ESPN.Vonleh, the No. 9 overall pick by Charlotte in the 2014 NBA draft, averaged 3.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 33 games this season, including 12 starts. For his career, Vonleh has averaged 3.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.Vonleh, 22 will be a restricted free agent this summer. The move helps Portland get under the luxury tax threshold.Rakovic currently plays in the Swiss Basketball League. He was originally drafted by Dallas in the 2007 draft, but has never played in the NBA.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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]