Liberty hold off Sky for second straight win

(TSX / STATS) -- Shavonte Zellous hit a pair of free throws with 2.9 seconds left to help shut down a late Chicago Sky rally as the New York Liberty claimed an 86-82 WNBA victory on Sunday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

New York (12-10) has won two straight and four if its last five as Tina Charles shook off a slow first half to close with a team-high 15 points and 12 rebounds. Sugar Rodgers scored 14, Epiphanny Prince added 12 and Kiah Stokes and Zellous each added 10.

Allie Quigley scored a game-high 22 points for Chicago (8-16), which has lost three straight.

Jessica Breland had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Courtney Vandersloot scored 12 points and Stefanie Dolson added 11 for the Sky.

The Sky led 24-20 after one quarter as Quigley hit 3 of 4 3-pointers and scored 13 points.

But the Liberty opened the second quarter with 10 unanswered points to grab the lead en route to a 46-39 halftime advantage despite just five points from Charles.

New York maintained a 72-66 edge after three quarters and never trailed in the fourth.

Chicago was without two players for Sunday's game. Center Imani Boyette was out with an ankle injury. Keisha Hampton was initially cleared to play, but was pulled prior to the game due to a knee injury.

New York continues a five-game road trip on Tuesday at San Antonio and wraps up on Friday at Los Angeles before returning home for an Aug. 8 game against Indiana.

Chicago is at Indiana on Friday and hosts Atlanta on Saturday.

Currie, Mercury charge past Stars

(TSX / STATS) -- Phoenix wing Monique Currie scored 20 points against her old team, guard Diana Taurasi added 13 points, and the Mercury completed a season sweep of the San Antonio Stars with an 81-64 victory on Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.

Currie, acquired in a trade in late June, came off the bench to help pick up the scoring slack for injured center Brittney Griner. Currie made 4 of 7 3-point shots for Phoenix (13-10), which won all three games this season against the last-place Stars (3-21).

Taurasi hit 3 of 6 shots from behind the arc, and she tied for the team high with six rebounds. Point guard Danielle Robinson has 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

San Antonio guard Shay Murphy came off the bench for a team-high 14 points. Starting guard Kayla McBride added 13 for the Stars, who never got closer than 14 points in the fourth quarter. Center Isabelle Harrison was a bright spot, producing 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Although the Stars had a plus-13 rebounding margin, they were chasing the Mercury most of the game because of poor shooting. They hit 22 of 65 shots from the field, 33.8 percent. Phoenix made 26 of 64 shots, 40.6 percent.

The Mercury brought in Currie -- who played in Phoenix during the 2015 season -- to complement the scoring of Taurasi and Griner, who is likely out until at least mid-August with knee and ankle injuries. Currie has scored 38 points in the Mercury's two-game winning streak.

Currie hit a 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 run that gave the Mercury a 17-6 lead in the first quarter. Phoenix led by as many as 14 points before settling for a 42-35 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was decisive as the Stars -- the lowest-scoring team in the WNBA at 74.1 points per game entering Sunday -- were held to 10 points. Phoenix guard Yvonne Turner hit a 3-point shot late in the period for a 63-45 lead.

Phoenix starts a three-game road trip Friday at the Connecticut Sun. San Antonio begins a three-game homestand Tuesday against the New York Liberty.

Parker, Ogwumike help Sparks overcome Wings

(TSX / STATS) -- Candace Parker poured in 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Nneka Ogwumike added 22 points as the Los Angeles Sparks found their stride at the end of the third quarter and rolled to a 95-74 victory over the Dallas Wings on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Parker followed up the sixth triple-double in WNBA history with her seventh double-double of the season in leading the Sparks (17-6) to their third straight victory. Chelsey Gray added 16 points for Los Angeles and Alana Beard hit for 13 points.

The Wings (11-14) were led by Aerial Powers' 23 points while Allisha Gray added 16, Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 14 and Glory Johnson tallied 10 for Dallas.

Los Angeles outshot Dallas 56.3-28.8 percent but the Wings stayed within shouting distance through the first 28 minutes thanks to a 30-12 advantage in made free throws.

Los Angeles led by as many as 16 in the first half and settled for a 49-42 advantage at halftime as Parker scored 17 points (7-of-8 shooting from the floor) and Ogwumike had 14 (6-for-6).

Dallas shot only 29.4 percent in the first half but stayed in the game thanks to 14 points from Powers and 11 by Gray and by taking 21 free throws and making 19 over the first 20 minutes.

The Wings were within 61-53 after three Diggins-Smith free throws with 5:14 to play in the third quarter before Los Angeles pulled away. The Sparks scored 12 of the final 14 points in the period to assume a 79-60 lead with a quarter to play.

The teams return to action Friday as Los Angeles hosts Los Angeles and Dallas entertains Seattle.

Meesseman's 30 lead Mystics past Dream

(TSX / STATS) -- Emma Meesseman dominated in the post, and Kristi Toliver hit five 3-pointers to fuel the Washington Mystics' 77-70 win over the host Atlanta Dream on Sunday at McCamish Pavilion.

Meeseeman finished with a career-high 30 points, scoring on an array of post moves, and Toliver added 19 points for the Mystics, who won their third straight game.

The Mystics came back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Dream in overtime on July 19. Tolliver hit seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points in that win. She was at it again Sunday and connected on four 3-pointers in the first half, as Washington took command.

Toliver and Meesseman each scored 14 points in the first half, and the Mystics led 44-29 at halftime.

Atlanta opened the second half with an 18-9 spurt and cut the Mystics' lead to 53-45 on a layup from Bria Holmes with five minutes left in the third quarter. Toliver answered with a 3-pointer, though, and the Mystics took a 68-56 lead into the fourth quarter.

Atlanta trimmed the lead to seven multiple times in the fourth quarter and had chances to get even closer, but Washington answered every challenge down the stretch to seal the win.

Atlanta forward Elizabeth Williams scored 18 points, and point guard Layshia Clarendon recorded her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 assists to lead the Dream, who have lost three of four.

Rookie guard Brittany Sykes finished with 14 points, while Atlanta's leading scorer, Tiffany Haynes, was limited to just three points on one-of-six shooting.

The Mystics outrebounded the Dream 47-32. Krystal Thomas had 12 rebounds for Washington.

Washington returns home to host the San Antonio Stars on Friday.

Things don't get any easier for the Dream, as they head to Minnesota to take on the powerful Lynx on Thursday. Minnesota owns the league's best record at 18-2.

Sun cruise past fever

(TSX / STATS) -- Jasmine Thomas led five players in double figures with 15 points and the Connecticut Sun never trailed, cruising to an 89-73 home victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.

The Sun, in first place in the Eastern Conference and third overall in the playoff standings, improved to 14-9 with their seventh home win in their last eight games at Mohegan Sun Arena -- where they lost the first two home games of the season.

This win opened a four-game homestand for Connecticut.

Overall, the Sun improved to 13-4 since starting what was supposed to be a rebuilding season with five losses in the first six games.

The Sun, who were tied only at 2-2, built a 27-8 lead with 1:39 left in the first quarter and never looked back.

Jonquel Jones posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, adding three blocked shots and two steals in the Sun's second win in three tries against the Fever. She had to log just 23:50 and was a plus-33 in the easy win.

Alyssa Thomas (plus-32) also scored 14 points, adding eight assists, five rebounds and four steals, while Alex Bentley had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds off the bench and Courtney Williams scored 10 points and grabbed six boards. Jasmine Thomas, who was a game-high plus-35) added four assists in the balanced attack.

Erica Wheeler and Jazmon Gwathney led the fading Fever (8-16 but losers of nine of their 10 July games) with 13 points apiece, while Jennifer Hamson had 11 points and five rebounds and Tiffany Mitchell 10 points in the loss.

The Sun went 8-for-21 from 3-point range and won the rebounding battle 39-30.

The Fever go home for their next two games, hosting the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx Friday and Sunday while the Sun welcome former UConn star Diana Taurasi and her Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.

Knicks, G Sessions agree to one-year contract

The New York Knicks and point guard Ramon Sessions agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum, according to multiple reports Friday.

The deal is worth $2.3 million, according to The Vertical.

The Knicks were searching for a veteran to help mentor rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, who was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft.

Sessions, who has played 10 NBA seasons, averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 assists for the Charlotte Hornets last season. He was limited to 50 games due to a meniscus injury.

Sessions, 31, owns career averages of 10.6 points, 4.1 assists and 23.7 minutes.

The Knicks are interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who asked to be traded during a recent meeting with owner Dan Gilbert.

New York is one of six teams that made an offer to Cleveland for Irving earlier in the week, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Irving reportedly told the Cavaliers that the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat were his preferred teams if the trade request is honored.

The Knicks told teams last week they would not be including Kristaps Porzingis in a trade for Irving but would be open to dealing Carmelo Anthony and at least one future first-round pick for Irving, according to ESPN. Houston has been Anthony's primary landing spot in trade talks.

Storm outside of playoff spot as Wings visit

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(TSX / STATS) -- The Seattle Storm hope to set the tone before heading out on a difficult stretch of road games when the Dallas Wings visit Seattle's KeyArena on Friday for a showdown between two teams in need of strong finishes to stay in the playoff hunt.

The Storm (9-12) sit in ninth place in the league standings after suffering a 68-60 road loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. The regular season ends the first week of September.

After Friday's game against the Wings, Seattle's next four contests are on the road, including stops at first-place Minnesota and third-place Connecticut.

"There's always a sense of urgency in the WNBA because the season is so condensed," forward Alysha Clark told the Seattle Times early in the week. "We had a lot of games in this first half that were close and we didn't finish them for whatever reasons. Coming back after the break, a focus for us is finishing games."

The Wings are in seventh place in the league standings and are coming off an 84-82 win over the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. Dallas guard Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 21 points, her sixth straight 20-plus-point performance.

Diggins-Smith was held to just 13 points in an 89-69 blowout loss to the Storm on July 1 in Dallas. The Wings made just 1 of 17 3-point attempts and had no answer for Seattle forward Breanna Stewart, who poured in 30 points. The Storm have won the last two meetings with the Wings.

The Wings received a boost from the return of second-year guard Aerial Powers, who missed the first 22 games of the season with ankle injuries. Powers scored nine points in 18 minutes of action in Dallas' win over the Fever.

"It was like Christmas," Powers told the Dallas Morning News after the game. "When I stepped out there I was a little nervous and finally like, 'Yes. I'm back here. I'm on the court.'"

Dallas is 4-7 on the road this season, but did win at Seattle last July.

The teams will face each other again on Aug. 4 in Dallas.

Chicago looks to stay hot against Phoenix

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(TSX / STATS) -- The improving Chicago Sky hope to avoid a three-game series sweep when they host the slumping Phoenix Mercury on Friday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

After going 3-12 over their first 15 games, the Sky are now 5-2 in their past seven despite an 83-72 loss at Connecticut on Tuesday.

"We were not playing clean defense, we fouled too much, gave up offensive rebounds and we just didn't bring the defensive intensity," Sky guard Allie Quigley said.

Chicago (8-14) climbed to within one point in the third quarter but couldn't overtake Connecticut, which then went on to a 22-7 run to secure the win.

Quigley tops the Sky and is 10th in WNBA scoring at 16.8 points per a game. Courtney Vandersloot leads the league in assists (7.1 per game), while Jessica Breland is tops on the team in rebounds, averaging six per game.

Phoenix (11-10) has lost four straight and sits fifth in the WNBA. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

The Mercury are coming off a 99-91 overtime loss at Atlanta and are still without league scoring leader Brittney Griner, who averaged 27.5 points against Chicago in two previous meetings. The Mercury beat the Sky 99-91 on June 2 and 86-78 on June 16.

Griner bruised a bone in her left knee and sprained a right ankle in mid-July. She could be out up to four weeks.

"No one can replace Brittney Griner," Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said following the loss to the Dream. "We need all the post players to step up, no one in particular. We need the guards to step up because that's 22 points that we're missing. It's a team effort. All players have to step up to fill that hole."

Diana Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time scoring leader, has picked up the some of the slack in Griner's absence, producing a 32.5-point average in the past four games.

The Sky and Mercury are 8-8 in their past 16 meetings, and the Sky hold a 5-4 edge at Allstate Arena.

Chicago's days playing at the suburban arena are now numbered after the team announced this week that it would move back to Chicago with a five-year deal to play at Wintrust Arena near the McCormick Place exposition center starting in 2018.

The Sky played four seasons at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion before moving to Allstate Arena in 2010.

Chicago continues a short homestand on Sunday, hosting the New York Liberty. Phoenix plays host to the San Antonio Stars on Sunday.

Sparks look to add to woes of Stars

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(TSX / STATS) -- Despite a roster with three of the best players in the WNBA and wearing the crown as defending league champions, the Los Angeles Sparks have not been nearly as dominating this season as last, mostly due to their struggle to close out close games.

That hasn't stopped Los Angeles from forging the second-best record in the league, a mark on which it will look to improve when it squares off against the hapless San Antonio Stars on Friday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The Sparks head to the Alamo City on the heels of a 68-60 home win over Seattle on Tuesday in which Candace Parker scored 17 points -- 14 of them in the first half -- and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Los Angeles (15-6), which finished off a four-game homestand, put away a late Seattle charge as Nneka Ogwumike scored eight of her 13 points in the final 7:58 of the game and took 10 rebounds. Los Angeles also got 14 points from Jantel Lavender and 11 off the bench from Riquna Williams.

Los Angeles' bench outscored Seattle's reserves 25-2 in the game and 47-2 over the past two meeting between the two teams.

"We played very well defensively (in the win over Seattle)," Sparks coach Brian Agler said. "The other thing is that we got 13 offensive rebounds, which is a high for us this year, which gave us opportunities. I like that and the direction we're moving, so we'll see how it plays out."

San Antonio (3-19) is still the only team in the WNBA without consecutive victories this season and has gone since July 2015 (when they defeated Indiana and Atlanta in consecutive home games) without back-to-back wins.

The Stars' most recent game was also Tuesday, when they crawled out of the gate and fell behind by as many as 19 points before making a late-game surge that was not nearly enough in an 85-76 loss at home to the Washington Mystics.

Any chance San Antonio had against the Mystics was doomed early on when it scored just nine points -- a season low for any quarter this season -- in the opening period. The Stars had a 3 1/2-minute scoreless stretch in the period and then failed to score for the final 2:09 of the quarter.

"In the second, third and fourth quarters, we were very aggressive -- that was a team that I could recognize," Stars coach Vickie Johnson said. "But the first quarter was very bad for us."

Kelsey Plum hit for 15 points for the Stars (3-19), the third straight game the league's top draft pick has scored in double figures. Dearica Hamby also scored 15 points, Kayla McBride hit for 12 points and Alex Montgomery grabbed 11 rebounds for San Antonio.

"That's what I was brought here to do," Plum said. "To try to create, to be aggressive, to score and to look for my teammates -- especially when we're down and there's nothing to lose. You have to get in the game and bring something, so I was trying to bring a spark."

The two teams played in Los Angeles on June 15 with the Sparks garnering an 80-75 win that allowed them to extend their winning streak against San Antonio to nine games. Parker (20 points), Chelsea Gray (19) and Ogwumike (16) combined for 55 points in that victory while Moriah Jefferson led San Antonio with 24 points off the bench.

The Stars have not defeated Los Angeles since July, 8, 2015, but have a 19-19 overall home record against the Sparks.

Dream face tall task against Lynx

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(TSX / STATS) -- The Atlanta Dream is coming off the type of win -- a back-and-forth, come-from-behind overtime victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday -- that can spark a late-season surge.

Following it up with an upset of the powerful Minnesota Lynx in Atlanta on Friday would certainly get the league's attention.

The Lynx own the best record in the WNBA at 17-2 and have won four straight games. Guard Lindsay Whalen hit a double-clutch, turnaround jumper to help Minnesota pull out a 76-75 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday.

"We were fortunate to win the game," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters after the hard-fought victory.

The Dream (10-11) also got clutch play from their backcourt in the thrilling win over Phoenix. Atlanta trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half before rookie guard Brittany Sykes fueled a second-half rally.

Sykes finished with 20 points, including a layup with two seconds left to force overtime.

"She's a scorer; we utilized her ability to get to the basket," Dream coach Michael Cooper said. "I don't look at her as the rookie anymore. I look at her like a very good veteran. She's a confident young lady who could easily average between 20 and 25 points."

It was the third straight 20-point performance for Sykes, who is averaging 18.2 points since joining the starting lineup June 30.

Veteran point guard Layshia Clarendon also had a big game for the Dream, finishing with 15 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds. She was initially credited with 11 assists, which would have made her the sixth player in WNBA history to record a triple-double. However, after a league review, two of Clarendon's assists were rescinded due to a stat-keeper error.

While Cooper has praised his backcourt, he has been most pleased with the team's defense.

"One thing we're good at this year, as good as any team since I've been with the Dream, is our defense from sideline to sideline," Cooper said. "We're able to scramble, get to shooters, and get out there and contest shots."

The high-scoring Lynx, led by Whalen and Maya Moore, will test that defense. Minnesota has beaten the Dream six straight times and in nine out of the last 10 meetings overall.

Liberty, coming off tough loss, take on Fever

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(TSX / STATS) -- The New York Liberty will try to climb back above .500 when they visit the Indiana Fever on Friday night in Indianapolis.

New York (10-10) won two of its past three games but is coming off a one-point loss on the road to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night. The contest against Indiana marks the Liberty's second game of a grueling five-game road trip that also features stops in Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles.

As the Liberty look to take another step forward in their pursuit of a playoff berth, Indiana (8-14) is hoping to regain its home-court advantage. The Fever lost four games in a row on their home court, with their last victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse coming June 15 against the Atlanta Dream.

New York coach Bill Laimbeer likes what he has seen from his players heading into their matchup against the Fever. He recently shuffled the lineup by moving Epiphanny Prince from point guard to shooting guard and placing Bria Hartley in the starting lineup at the point.

Center Tina Charles leads the Liberty with 20.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Prince is averaging 12.6 points per game to go along with a team-best 3.5 assists per contest.

"The structure that we have right now is good for us," Laimbeer told the team's official website. "We're pushing the pace better. We're getting easier baskets. We have good role definition."

Forward Candice Dupree leads Indiana with an average of 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Dupree was the Fever's lone representative in the All-Star Game last weekend.

Guards Erica Wheeler (11.1 points) and Tiffany Mitchell (10.5 points) also are averaging in double-digit scoring for the Fever. Guard Briann January is on the cusp of double digits with 9.9 points per game.

The Fever have lost seven of their past eight games to slip far out of the playoff race. However, players continue to battle hard during a difficult season that includes crowded flights on commercial airlines.

"I give our players a lot of credit, because I don't know how they do it," Fever president and general manager Kelly Krauskopf told the Indianapolis Star. "We take very early flights, depart at 6 or 7 a.m., to go between cities to play another game after we just played the night before. They're such troupers and good sports in terms of trying to find the time to get their rest and get enough sleep."

Sun face tall task in Delle Donne, Mystics

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(TSX / STATS) -- Elena Delle Donne's return from an ankle injury helped put the Washington Mystics back on the winning path.

She will need help against the Connecticut Sun on Friday in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders at the Verizon Center in Washington.

Delle Donne recorded 29 points and 10 rebounds in Washington's 85-76 victory at San Antonio on Tuesday. The Mystics (13-9) outscored the Stars 25-9 in the first quarter and led by as many as 20 points.

"It's always tough after the All-Star break, you only get one practice," Delle Donne said. "To be on the road, it's difficult to get wins, so I am glad we came out with this one. I think there are things we can clean up, especially defensively, but still very happy with the focus we came out with."

Delle Donne missed two games and last week's All-Star Game but showed no signs of rust in her return.

"She was terrific from the start," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "She has had 10 straight days of treatments. ... Her legs came back a little bit. She is sore, but she showed great concentration on her shots. I thought she could have gotten to the free-throw line a few more times, but overall she did a good job."

Delle Donne, who averages 19.3 points per game, hopes to get support from Tayler Hill (13.9 points), Emma Meesseman (11.7) and Kristi Toliver (10.6) -- Washington's other double-figure scorers.

The Sun (13-9) dominated the Chicago Sky 93-72 on Tuesday. Alyssa Thomas recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Jonquel Jones had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and ex-Mystic Jasmine Thomas scored 17.

Connecticut and Washington split two meetings this season with each winning at home. The Sun took the most recent matchup 96-92 on July 8 as Jones had 22 points and nine rebounds.

"You know I'm so proud of the team tonight," Sun coach Curt Miller said after the win earlier this month.

Connecticut rallied from 22 points down with 5:04 left in the third quarter.

"That's a huge win, and in the manner that it happened is pretty incredible," Miller said. "Some are saying that this is the largest comeback in franchise history, so tremendous second half. The thing that I'm most pleased about is that they stuck together, they didn't panic, we didn't have to change a lot of basketball X's or O's while we made subtle adjustments."

The leading scorers for the Sun are Jones (15.6 points per game), Jasmine Thomas (14.7), Alyssa Thomas (13.9) and Courtney Williams (12.4).

Raptors sign F Brown to two-way deal

The Toronto Raptors signed guard Lorenzo Brown to a two-way contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Brown, 26, averaged 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 63 career NBA games with the Philadelphia 76ers (2013-14), Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-15) and Phoenix Suns (2015-16).

Brown split the 2016-17 season between the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA G League.

Brown was selected 52nd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by Minnesota.

Magic sign F Iwundu

The Orlando Magic have signed second-round draft pick Wesley Iwundu, the team announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-7 Iwundu, who was the 33rd overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, averaged 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Kansas State last season.

He was selected to the All-Big 12 third team by the coaches in both his junior and senior seasons.

Suns lose G Knight to torn ACL

Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight sustained a torn ACL in his left knee that will require surgery, and he is expected to miss the entire 2017-18 season, the team announced Tuesday.

The injury occurred last week while Knight was playing in South Florida. Following an examination by head team physician Dr. Tom Carter, it was determined that surgery was necessary,

A timetable for his return will be determined at a later date.

Knight has played for three teams in his six-year NBA career. In 2016-17, while playing for the Suns, Knight averaged a career-low 11.0 points and 2.4 assists in 54 games, including five as a starter.

His career scoring average is 15.2 points.

Knight signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Suns in 2015. He is scheduled to make over $13 million next season.

Knight's injury may provide a larger role for Tyler Ulis and perhaps second-round pick Davon Reed.

Nets acquire Crabbe from Blazers for Nicholson

(TSX / STATS) -- The Brooklyn Nets acquired swingman Allen Crabbe from the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in exchange for forward Andrew Nicholson.

Crabbe averaged a career-best 10.7 points last season, his fourth with Portland since he was drafted in the second round by Cleveland in 2013.

The 6-foot-6 Crabbe, who also shot a career-best 44.4 percent from 3-point range last season, averaged 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28 1/2 minutes of action.

The former University of California product has a career scoring average of 8.3 points in his four seasons with the Trail Blazers, also reaching double digits at 10.3 points during the 2015-16 season.

The 6-foot-9 Nicholson was acquired by the Nets from Washington during last season. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10 games with Brooklyn and 2.5 points in 28 games with the Wizards.

A first-round pick of the Orlando Magic in 2012, Nicholson had his most productive offensive season as a rookie, averaging 7.8 points. He is averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in five seasons with the Magic, Wizards and Nets.

Recap: Lakers ride Ball's triple-double past Cavs

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

Lonzo Ball posted a triple-double to lead the No. 15-seed Los Angeles Lakers to a wire-to-wire upset of the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers 94-83 in the second round of the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs at Thomas and Mack Center on Thursday.

Ball, the second overall pick in this year's draft, totaled 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double in Las Vegas. He also had five steals, but shot just 6-of-20 from the field, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range.

The Lakers (3-2) took a 10-point lead, 29-19, at the end of the first quarter, but the Cavs (3-1) made it a close game the rest of the way. They tied it for the final time, 66-66, with 2:57 to play in the third quarter, but could never pull ahead. 

Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 20 points, and Vander Blue added 18. Ivica Zubac finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Kay Felder scored a game-high 25 points for the Cavaliers. He also had four steals. Casey Prather and T.J. Williams scored 10 points each, and Sir' Dominic Pointer led the bench with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The Lakers play the seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Recap: Blazers take down top-seeded Raptors

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The No. 16-seed Portland Trail Blazers upset the top-seeded Toronto Raptors 91-85 in the second round of the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs at Cox Pavilion on Thursday.

The game was close throughout, with eight ties and 12 lead changes. The Blazers (3-2) took the lead for good on a Nick Johnson 20-foot jumper that made it 72-71 with 8:32 remaining, increasing their margin to 10 points with 4:35 to play. The Raptors (3-1) went on a 9-0 run, pulling to within one, 83-82, on a Fred VanVleet layup with two minutes left, but that's as close as they would get. 

Three-point shooting was decisive, as Portland shot 8-of-17 from long range while Toronto was just 7-of-35. The Blazers shot 49 percent from the field.

Johnson led the Trail Blazers with 17 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Fellow reserve Jarnell Stokes totaled 13 points and five rebounds. Caleb Swanigan also had 13 points, adding 11 rebounds. Jake Layman and R.J. Hunter scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

VanVleet carried Toronto with 31 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jordan Loyd finished with 17 points and Alfonzo McKinnie had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Portland plays the No. 8-seed San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in the quarterfinals. 

Recap: Smith Jr. leads unbeaten Mavs past Kings

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

Dennis Smith Jr.’s  strong shooting performance  led the No. 3-seeded Dallas Mavericks to an 83-76 victory over the No. 19-seeded Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Thomas and Mack Center.

The Mavericks (4-0) established the tone early by building a 23-15 first-quarter lead, an advantage that had grown to 41-31 by halftime. The Kings (1-4) were much more proficient offensively in the second half, as evidenced by their 45 points over the third and fourth periods. However, they lost the turnover battle by a 16-11 margin and ultimately fell short despite outperforming Dallas in all three shooting categories and rebounding. The 64-54 edge that the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter with – which grew to as much as 73-60 at the 6:32 mark of the period -- was key, as the Kings couldn’t get any closer than within five points, which came with 21.9 second remaining.

Smith, the Mavericks’ 2017 first-round pick, posted 25 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 7-9 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Johnathan Motley posted 15 points, three rebounds and an assist to lead the bench. Carrick Felix, a 2013 second-round pick of the Cavaliers, tallied 11 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block. Brandon Ashley managed nine points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Dorian Finney-Smith followed with eight points, seven boards, two assists and two steals. Corey Webster was productive in a reserve role as well with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Yogi Ferrell was notably scoreless over 27 minutes, coming up empty on 10 field-goal attempts. He did supply five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

First-round pick Justin Jackson paced the Kings with 25 points, which he supplemented with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Luis Montero followed with 13 points, nine boards, a steal and a block. Jack Cooley paced the reserves with 10 points while adding three rebounds and a block. Promising second-year big man Georgios Papagiannis contributed a full line of six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Naz Mitrou-Long registered eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. JaKarr Sampson, who boasts 147 games of NBA regular-season experience, mustered eight points, seven boards, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 20 minutes off the bench.

The Mavericks now move on to a Saturday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 6-seeded Boston Celtics.

Recap: Grizzlies ride Selden, Baldwin past Suns

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

Wayne Selden and Wade Baldwin IV combined for 54 points, including 11 of the team’s final 13, to lead the No. 4-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to a 102-98 victory over the No. 13-seeded Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Cox Pavilion.

The Grizzlies (4-0) erased a slim first-quarter deficit by exploding for 37 points in the second period. While the Suns (2-3) did outscore Memphis by a 52-49 margin in the second half, the Grizzlies managed to score 13 points over the final 3:28 to secure the victory. As implied by the final score, both teams had the hot hand from the field, with the Suns slightly winning that battle by a 53.5 percent-47.4 percent margin. Two keys to victory were Memphis’ near-perfect performance from the free-throw line (95.7 percent) and its sizable 39-29 rebounding advantage. Those performances helped overcome five double-digit scoring efforts by the Suns, as well as a total of 17 turnovers.

It was Selden, a second-year shooting guard who started to come on late last season for the Grizzlies, who led the way with a game-high 33 points (10-17 FG, 3-8 3PT, 10-11 FT) along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Baldwin followed with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, a total he complemented with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Deyonta Davis, the Celtics’ first pick in the second round a year ago who was eventually traded to Memphis, followed with a bench-leading 16 points over 19 minutes. He added four boards and an assist. Rade Zagorac, another 2016 second-round selection, totaled eight points and six boards. Jarell Martin, Memphis’ 2015 first-round pick, matched Zagorac’s scoring total and added four rebounds and an assist.

Mike James spearheaded the Suns with 32 points (11-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five assists, five rebounds and three steals. Last year’s first-round pick, Dragan Bender, tallied 20 points, seven boards and five assists. Shaquille Harrison added 16 points, two rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Josh Jackson, this year’s fourth overall pick, supplied 13 points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals. Second-round pick Davon Reed matched Jackson’s point total and complemented it with a rebound, n assist, a steal and a block.

The Grizzlies now move on to a Friday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 12-seeded Miami Heat.

Recap: White, Robinson power Heat past Clippers

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

A trio of 20-point performances helped the 12th-seeded Miami Heat rally to upset the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Clippers 91-84 in the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs Thursday at Thomas and Mack Center.

Second-year big-man Okaro White totaled 23 points and eight rebounds, undrafted point guard Justin Robinson finished with 22 points, six assists and four steals and Gian Clavell scored 20 points as Miami (4-1) overcame a 10-point first-quarter deficit to outscore the Clippers in each of the next three quarters.

The Clippers (3-1) outshot the Heat, 44 to 41.7 percent, and led on the boards, 44-36, but were outscored in the second half, 51-41.

Brice Johnson, a 2016 first-round pick, led the Clippers with 13 points and six rebounds. Jamil Wilson scored 11 points and Kendall Marshall added 10 points, four assists and four rebounds.

Miami advances to play the Memphis Grizzlies in the quarterfinals.

Recap: Celtics roll Warriors, stay unbeaten in Vegas

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

The sixth-seeded Boston Celtics were without key players but still had enough firepower to blow out the No. 22 seed Golden State Warriors 93-69 in the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs Thursday at Cox Pavilion.

Boston's Jaylen Brown missed the game with a bruised right quadriceps, while 2017 first-round pick Jayson Tatum was out with right patellar tendonitis. But the Celtics got 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field from reserve Roscoe Allen and 17 points on 8-of-10 field-goal shooting from second-round pick Jabari Bird to dominate the Warriors (1-4).

The Celtics (4-0) built a 20-5 first-quarter lead and never trailed, shooting 54 percent from the field, including 52.6 percent (10 of 19) from three-point range, while holding the Warriors to 28 percent shooting from the field.

Ante Zizic added 14 points and 10 rebounds with three blocks and a steal. Semi Ojeleye had nine points and nine rebounds, and Demetrius Jackson continued his solid play with nine points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block.

The Warriors were once again led by Patrick McCaw, who scored 20 points. Undrafted point guard Bryce Alford had 11 points, while Noah Allen finished with eight points in 10 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics advance to play the Dallas Mavericks in the quarterfinals Friday.

Recap: Whitehead, Dinwiddie lead Nets past Nuggets

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets 85-74 in the second round of the Summer League playoffs at Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday.

This was a lopsided result for Brooklyn (3-1), as Denver (1-4) couldn’t get out of their own way. In fact, the Nets held a double-digit lead for the final 15 minutes, as the Nuggets shot under 30 percent from the field in the second half. It wasn’t much better for the game, with Denver hitting just 32 percent from both the field and three-point range. Defensive rebounding was also key, with Brooklyn winning that battle, 45-30.

Malik Beasley led the way for Denver, as he tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Torrey Craig finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Monte Morris really struggled, as he accrued five points, three rebounds and five assists on 2-of-10 shooting.

Isaiah Whitehead led Brooklyn, as he totaled 14 points, three rebounds and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie amassed 13 points and five rebounds. Milton Doyle led all bench scorers by providing 13 points, four rebounds and two assists off the Nets bench.

On deck for Brooklyn is a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday against either the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers.  

Recap: Forbes continues onslaught in Spurs' victory

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 86-81 in the second round of the Summer League playoffs at Cox Pavilion on Thursday.

The Pelicans (1-4) have made far too many mistakes late in games throughout Summer League and that bit them again here in a collapse against the Spurs (3-1). That's evident by the fact that San Antonio outscored New Orleans, 31-19, in the fourth quarter. It was tight throughout though, as there were seven ties and 10 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. Free-throw shooting was decisive for San Antonio, as they hit 14-of-16 attempts, while New Orleans went just 13-of-19 from the charity stripe.

Quinn Cook led the way for the Pelicans, as he accrued 19 points, two rebounds and seven assists. Cheick Diallo recorded another double-double, totaling 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Jalen Jones amassed 15 points and seven rebounds. Keith Benson led the bench by providing 13 points and eight rebounds.

Bryn Forbes was the player of the game, accumulating 29 points, three rebounds and five assists. Olivier Hanlan was the only other starter in double figures, producing 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Derrick White led all bench scorers by dropping 15 points.

San Antonio will face the winner of the Portland-Toronto matchup in the quarterfinals on Saturday.  

Must be the shoes: Ball flourishes while wearing Nikes

Rookie point guard Lonzo Ball put his best foot forward on Wednesday while wearing Nike Kobe AD sneakers and not those of the Big Baller Brand.

Ball recorded 36 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks in the Los Angeles Lakers' 103-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Las Vegas Summer League action.

The second overall pick of the 2017 draft put on a show by making 12 of 22 shots from the field, with Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James in attendance.

As for his choice of the purple footwear, which differs from the line that his father, LaVar, is marketing for a robust $495 a pair ...

"Um, you know, Mamba mentality," the 19-year-old Ball said. "Thought I'd switch it up.

"... Like I said, you can wear whatever you want when you play with Big Baller Brand ... and it is just nice to get out there and do that."

LaVar Ball said his son's decision to wear Nikes was a personal choice and has nothing to do with any negotiations with the world's largest shoe and apparel company.

"Lonzo is not forced to wear any brand and can play in any shoe he wants as long as it's OK with the NBA," LaVar Ball told ESPN by text early Thursday morning. "This is what being independent is all about."

James also noticed the switch, posting a picture on Instagram with the message "Just. Do. It." James is a Nike spokesman and has a lifetime deal with the company.

Furkan Korkmaz scored 19 points for the 76ers, who were playing without Markelle Fultz (ankle), the player drafted before Ball.

AP source: Lakers sign Caldwell-Pope for 1 year, $18 million

By GREG BEACHAM and JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

Caldwell-Pope was among the top talents remaining on the free agent market after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The former eighth overall pick from Georgia averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season while starting 75 games.

After hitting a career-best 35 percent of his 3-pointers last season, the 6-foot-5 Pope could play a major role next year for the Lakers alongside point guard Lonzo Ball, the second overall pick. Los Angeles traded D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn last month, and Nick Young signed with Golden State.

Caldwell-Pope also is a strong two-way player who is expected to improve the Lakers’ defensive competence. Los Angeles became a solid offensive team last season under first-year coach Luke Walton, but only two teams allowed more than the Lakers’ 111.5 points per game.

Detroit renounced its rights to Caldwell-Pope last week after acquiring Avery Bradley in a trade with Boston. Caldwell-Pope has been a starter since his rookie season with the Pistons, but they elected not to award him a lucrative long-term deal to stay.

By agreeing to a one-year deal with the rebuilding Lakers, Caldwell-Pope will be able to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent in 2018 when a longer-term deal could be available from the Lakers or another club.

The person who told the AP about the contract spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal hasn’t been announced.

Los Angeles appears to be using all of its available salary cap space on Caldwell-Pope. He will be their second highest-paid player next season behind newly acquired center Brook Lopez, who also will be a free agent next summer.

General manager Rob Pelinka has said the Lakers are firmly committed to preserving enough cap space in 2018 to sign two free agents to max contracts. Luol Deng and Jordan Clarkson are the only veterans on Los Angeles’ roster with a contract beyond the upcoming season.

Caldwell-Pope is suspended for the first two games of next season. He was arrested in March, and he pleaded guilty last month to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

___

Krawczynski reported from Las Vegas.

Cavs reportedly sign Green

Jeff Green is headed to Cleveland to bolster the Cavaliers' bench.

The 30-year-old veteran forward is joining the defending Eastern Conference champions on a one-year, $2.3 million deal, according to ESPN.

Green had "active conversations" with Cavaliers star LeBron James before making his decision to sign with the team, per ESPN.

The minimum-level deal will cost the Cavaliers roughly $8 million in salary and tax for next season. Cleveland's current payroll for the 2017-18 season is $135 million with $46 million in tax.

Green averaged a career-low 9.2 points on 39.4 percent shooting and 3.1 rebounds in 69 games with the Orlando Magic last season.

Before joining the Magic, Green played eight seasons between the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.

The former No. 5 overall draft pick in 2007 has career averages of 13.5 points and 4.7 boards over 705 games.

Warriors reportedly bring back Pachulia

Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract, multiple outlets reported on Friday.

Pachulia served as the starter of a three-center rotation last season, during which he averaged 6.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 70 games.

The 33-year-old's numbers took a slight dip in the postseason, as he averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds with Warriors en route to their second championship in three years.

Pachulia played for $2.9 million last season.

Crawford reaches buyout deal with Hawks

Jamal Crawford reached a buyout agreement with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, and the team requested waivers on the three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year to make him an unrestricted free agent.

Crawford, 37, was acquired by the Hawks in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. The 17-year veteran guard was owed $17.2 million of the $28.75 million left on his contract.

"Thank you (Atlanta Hawks) for allowing me to be a free agent. Much respect," Crawford wrote on his Twitter account Friday.

Crawford played two seasons with the Hawks from 2009-10 to 2010-11.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards are among the teams reportedly interested in signing Crawford. A source told the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Friday that Crawford is "Cleveland's to lose" in free agency.

The Cavaliers could offer Crawford the full $5.2 million taxpayer's mid-level exception.

The former eighth overall draft pick of the Cavaliers in 2000 has averaged 15.3 points and 3.5 assists over 1,182 games with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Clippers.

Crawford spent the last five seasons playing with Los Angeles, averaging 12.3 points and 2.6 assists while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range in a career-high 82 games last season.

NBA notebook: Pistons land Bradley from Celtics

The Boston Celtics traded guard Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons for forward Marcus Morris, the team announced Friday.

The deal creates the salary-cap space the Celtics needed to sign All-Star free agent forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million maximum contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics also will send a 2019 second-round pick to the Pistons.

With Bradley headed to Motown, the Pistons withdrew their qualifying offer and renounced the rights to restricted free-agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He will become an unrestricted free agent.

Detroit had been reluctant to meet Caldwell-Pope's $25 million-plus asking price. The Brooklyn Nets plan to make an aggressive play for Caldwell-Pope, league sources told ESPN.

– The Indiana Pacers agreed to terms with swingman Bojan Bogdanovic, according to multiple reports.

ESPN reported Bogdanovic received a two-year, $21 million contract. The agreement came shortly after the Washington Wizards renounced Bogdanovic's rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. Bogdanovic averaged a career-best 13.7 points last season while splitting time with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington.

The Pacers also officially announced the signing of point guard Darren Collison. Indiana also released forward Rakeem Christmas on Friday. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 30 games over two seasons with the Pacers.

– The Toronto Raptors officially re-signed All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry and free agent power forward Serge Ibaka to multi-year contracts.

Lowry's contract is a reported three-year, $100 million deal, and Ibaka's is for three years and worth $65 million.

In five seasons with Toronto, Lowry averaged 18.2 points, 6.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 35.0 minutes during 354 regular-season games. He also averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 39 playoff appearances.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ibaka averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks (10th in the NBA) and 30.7 minutes in 79 games (all starts) last season between the Orlando Magic and Raptors.

– The Memphis Grizzlies signed free-agent guards Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore.

Evans reportedly agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million deal. McLemore reportedly landed a two-year deal worth $10.7 million.

Evans played one season of college basketball at the University of Memphis before embarking on his NBA career. He has career averages of 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds over eight pro seasons.

McLemore also arrives from the Kings after four seasons in the NBA. He has career marks of 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.

– The Miami Heat completed a trade sending forward Josh McRoberts, a 2023 second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center AJ Hammons.

McRoberts, 30, averaged 4.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 22 games with Miami last season. He joined the Heat as a free agent on July 14, 2014.

Hammons, 24, was selected with the 46th overall pick of the Mavericks in the 2016 draft. He averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds over 22 games during his rookie season.

Heat send McRoberts, pick to Mavs for Hammons

The Miami Heat completed a trade sending forward Josh McRoberts, a 2023 second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center AJ Hammons, the teams announced Friday.

McRoberts, 30, averaged 4.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 22 games with Miami last season. He joined the Heat as a free agent on July 14, 2014.

In 10 NBA seasons, McRoberts has career averages of 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 431 games between the Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers Orlando Magic and Charlotte.

Hammons, 24, was selected with the 46th overall pick of the Mavericks in the 2016 draft. He averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds over 22 games during his rookie season.

Pistons land G Bradley, renounce rights to Caldwell-Pope

The Boston Celtics traded guard Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons for forward Marcus Morris, the team announced Friday.

The deal creates the salary-cap space the Celtics needed to sign All-Star free agent forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million maximum contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Celtics also will send a 2019 second-round pick to the Pistons.

With Bradley headed to Motown, the Pistons withdrew their qualifying offer and renounced the rights to restricted free-agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He will become an unrestricted free agent.

Detroit had been reluctant to meet Caldwell-Pope's $25 million-plus asking price. The Brooklyn Nets plan to make an aggressive play for Caldwell-Pope, league sources told ESPN.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers also were pursing Bradley in the past 24 hours, league sources told ESPN.

The 26-year-old Bradley, a two-time All-Defensive Team player, averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds and shot 39 percent from 3-point range last season. In seven seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 12.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Morris, 27, played six NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Pistons. He averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 79 games with the Pistons last season.

Hayward, 27, chose the Celtics earlier this week over the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz, the team with which he played his first seven seasons since he was drafted No. 9 overall in 2010.

Hayward averaged a career-best 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds to go along with 3.5 assists last season for the Jazz, who made their first playoff appearance since 2012.

Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and a career-high 2.5 assists in 76 games last season. He has averaged 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 314 career contests since being selected by the Pistons with the eighth overall pick of the 2013 draft.

Grizzlies sign Gs Evans, McLemore

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free-agent guards Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore on Friday.

Evans reportedly agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million deal. McLemore reportedly landed a two-year deal worth $10.7 million.

Evans played one season of college basketball at the University of Memphis before embarking on his NBA career. He has career averages of 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds over eight pro seasons.

Evans finished last season with the Sacramento Kings after being dealt from the New Orleans Pelicans in the DeMarcus Cousins trade. He has been plagued by knee issues in recent seasons.

McLemore also arrives from the Kings after four seasons in the NBA. He has career marks of 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.

"We want to welcome Ben McLemore to the Grizzlies organization," general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "Ben brings tremendous athleticism, significant upside and a tireless work ethic to our franchise, while adding more outside shooting to our rotation. We are confident he will continue his development as a player and thrive under head coach David Fizdale and his staff."

Pacers, Bogdanovich agree to two-year deal

The Indiana Pacers agreed to terms with swingman Bojan Bogdanovic on Friday, according to multiple reports.

ESPN reported Bogdanovic received a two-year, $21 million contract.

The agreement came shortly after the Washington Wizards renounced Bogdanovic's rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. Bogdanovic averaged a career-best 13.7 points last season while splitting time with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington.

Bogdanovic is averaging 11.3 points over three NBA seasons.

The Pacers also officially announced the signing of point guard Darren Collison. Published reports from earlier this week stated Collison received a two-year, $20 million deal.

Collison averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 assists for the Sacramento Kings last season. He previously played two seasons for the Pacers (2010-12) and averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 assists during that stint.

"Having had Darren here in the past, we obviously knew what we were getting, both on the floor and in the locker room," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. "When you bring in a player like Darren, you know you're not only getting a point guard, you're adding a veteran presence to your team."

Indiana also released forward Rakeem Christmas on Friday. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 30 games over two seasons with the Pacers.

Raptors' re-signings of Lowry, Ibaka become official

The Toronto Raptors officially re-signed All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry and free agent power forward Serge Ibaka to multi-year contracts on Friday.

Lowry's contract is a reported three-year, $100 million deal, and Ibaka's is for three years and worth $65 million.

In five seasons with Toronto, Lowry averaged 18.2 points, 6.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 35.0 minutes during 354 regular-season games. He also averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 39 playoff appearances.

Lowry is the Raptors' all-time career leader with 828 made 3-pointers, second in assists (2,405) and sixth in scoring with 6,430 points. Over the past four seasons, he leads all Eastern Conference players with 727 3-pointers made.

"Kyle has been a valuable part of our team's success the past five years," Raptors team president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "He has grown as a player and person during his time in Toronto and we are excited that he wants to be here to help us continue building a championship program."

Lowry averaged a career-high 22.4 points and shot a career-best 41.2 percent (193 of 468) from 3-point range in 60 games during the 2016-17 season.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ibaka averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks (10th in the NBA) and 30.7 minutes in 79 games (all starts) last season between the Orlando Magic and Raptors.

Ibaka averaged 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 30.7 minutes in 10 playoff games. The Raptors acquired him from the Magic on Feb. 14.

"We are thrilled with the skills and intangibles Serge brings to our team," Ujiri said. "He is one of the top two-way power forwards in the NBA and his ability to stretch the floor is a valuable asset today's game."

A native of the Republic of Congo, Ibaka owns career averages of 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 29.1 minutes in 603 career games (492 starts) with Oklahoma City, Orlando and Toronto.

Reports: Vince Carter lands one-year deal with Kings

Free agent Vince Carter agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.

At 40 years old, Carter is the NBA's oldest active player.

Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Carter averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.

The eight-time All-Star ranks 22nd on the league's all-time scoring list with 24,555 career points.

Carter, the fifth pick in the 1998 draft, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. He subsequently played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis.

For his career, Carter is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Knicks sign Hardaway Jr. to offer sheet

Tim Hardaway Jr. signed a four-year, $71 million offer sheet with the Knicks on Thursday, raising the possibility that the Atlanta Hawks' restricted free agent could return to New York.

Hardaway, a 25-year-old shooting guard, played his first two seasons with the Knicks before being traded on draft day in 2015 to Atlanta for the rights to guard Jerian Grant.

The Hawks have two days to match the deal or let Hardaway go. They have indicated in the past that they would try to keep him.

Detroit Pistons assistant coach Tim Hardaway Sr. told the New York Post that his son had "no bad blood" with the Knicks and wouldn't mind a return to the organization with Phil Jackson no longer running the team. It was Jackson who traded Hardaway.

It is believed that if Atlanta does not match, New York would not be able to bring back guard Derrick Rose for financial reasons. The addition of Hardaway would also eliminate almost all the Knicks' projected cap space, unless they can trade Carmelo Anthony or Courtney Lee.

During his first season with the Hawks, Hardaway told the Post: "Everybody wants to stay with the team they got drafted with. A lot of times, it doesn't work that way. You got to move on and build a new legacy somewhere else.

"The passion you bring, you have to take to that team you're with. They brought me here for a reason. They know what I can do. I'm here for a reason."

Hardaway raised his career average to 11 points after scoring 14.5 per game last season, shooting a career-best 45.5 percent from the field in 79 games (30 starts).

Reports: Vince Carter lands one-year deal with Kings

Free agent Vince Carter agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.

At 40 years old, Carters is the NBA's oldest active player.

Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Carter averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.

The eight-time All-Star ranks 22nd on the league's all-time scoring list with 24,555 career points.

Carter, the fifth pick in the 1998 draft, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. He subsequently played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis.

For his career, Carter is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Gay, Spurs reportedly agree to two-year deal

Free agent forward Rudy Gay and the San Antonio Spurs agreed to a two-year, $17.2 million deal on Thursday, according to an ESPN report.

The second year reportedly is a player option.

Gay posted a picture of a Spurs jersey on his Instragram account.

The 31-year-old Gay, an 11-year NBA veteran, averaged 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30 games with the Sacramento Kings last season before sustaining a season-ending complete tear of his left Achilles tendon on Jan. 18 against the Indiana Pacers.

Gay opted out of the final year of his contract with the Kings before the June 10 deadline, allowing him to become a free agent.

Gay was the eighth overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Houston Rockets. He played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors before joining the Kings in 2014-15.

In 753 career games (714 starts), Gay has averages of 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Heat sign C Olynyk

Free agent center Kelly Olynyk reached agreement with the Miami Heat on a four-year, $50 million deal, ESPN reported Thursday.

The fourth year includes a player option.

Olynyk played for the Boston Celtics the past four seasons, and averaged 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this past season.

The Celtics were forced to give up their rights to him earlier this week to make salary-cap room after landing Gordon Hayward.

The Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers were the other teams that showed interest in the 7-foot Canadian.

Rockets officially sign C Nene, F Tucker

The Houston Rockets signed free agent forward P.J. Tucker and re-signed center Nene, the team announced Thursday.

Both deals had been reported a few days ago, but the Rockets made them official.

Nene agreed to a new three-year, $11 million contract, according to ESPN. Their original four-year contract agreement was nullified Saturday based on the NBA's over-38 rule that limits long-term deals.

In his first season as a Rocket, Nene appeared in 67 games with eight starts, while averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. Dating back to 1979-80, he was one of three players with at least 40 games played to have averaged at least 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in fewer than 18.0 minutes per game in a single season.

"Nene was a big part of our success last season, especially in the playoffs," said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. "He is a true professional and we are fortunate to have him remain a Rocket."

Nene has the seventh-highest field goal percentage (54.8) among active players and would have ranked fifth in the NBA in 2016-17 had he qualified (61.7). During the playoffs, he shot 70.6 percent.

"The Rockets bring out the best in me," said Nene. "I love the entire organization from my teammates and coaches, to management and ownership. We have great leader in James Harden and will continue to work hard to bring another championship to Houston."

Terms of Tucker's deal were not disclosed, but multiple reports indicated it is a four-year, $32 million deal.

Tucker met with the Toronto Raptors once free agency started, but he talked to members of the Rockets, including All-Star guard James Harden.

The Raptors reportedly offered three years and $33 million.

New Rockets point guard Chris Paul also helped recruit Tucker to Houston, according to ESPN. The two players have been close since growing up in North Carolina.

Tucker averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds 1.4 steals in 81 games for the Suns and Raptors last season.

NBA notebook: Nowitzki close to two-year deal with Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are in the process of finalizing a two-year, $10 million deal with Dirk Nowitzki, ESPN reported Thursday.

The Mavericks declined Nowitzki's $25 million team option on his existing contract, but there was never a doubt that the Mavs would re-sign Nowitzki, considered the greatest player in the team's history.

Dallas reportedly plans to re-sign restricted free-agent Nerlens Noel, and the team's moves suggest the Mavericks may not be pursuing any high-salary free agents.

The 39-year-old Nowitzki, who was the NBA MVP in 2007, played in 54 games last season, all as a starter, and averaged 14.2 points, his lowest since his rookie season in 1998-99.

--The Los Angeles Clippers have reached agreement with Serbian guard Milos Teodosic on to a two-year, $12.3 million deal, ESPN.com reported.

The flamboyant 30-year-old Teodosic is considered a creative playmaker. He had to pay an expensive contract buyout with CSKA Russia to move to the NBA this season.

Teodosic was named to the all-EuroLeague first-team three times and was the EuroLeague MVP in 2010. Teodosic averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 38.6 percent on 3-pointers while playing for Moscow last season.

--The Memphis Grizzlies showed their appreciation to Zach Randolph by announcing that the veteran forward/center will be the first player in franchise history to have his No. 50 jersey retired.

The Grizzlies announced the move in an open letter to Randolph, two days removed from the two-time All-Star ending his eight-year tenure with the club by agreeing to a two-year, $24 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.

Randolph ranks first in franchise history in rebounds (5,612) and is second behind Mike Conley in points (9,261). The 35-year-old excelled in a reserve role last season, averaging 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.

--The Houston Rockets signed free agent forward P.J. Tucker and re-signed center Nene.

In his first season as a Rocket, Nene appeared in 67 games with eight starts, while averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game.

Tucker averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds 1.4 steals in 81 games for the Suns and Raptors last season.

--The Detroit Pistons signed free agent guard Langston Galloway.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the club for Galloway, but ESPN reported the contract was for three years and $21 million.

Galloway averaged 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 74 games last season with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.

--The Chicago Bulls re-signed forward-center Cristiano Felicio.

The move had been reported several days ago, but the team has now made it official. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but multiple media outlets reported the deal is for four years and worth $32 million.

In his two seasons in Chicago, Felicio averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. Last season, he averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game with a field goal percentage of 57.9.

--The Denver Nuggets signed rookie forward Tyler Lydon to a multi-year contract.

Denver selected Lydon with the 24th overall pick after trading down in the first round of last month's draft. The 21-year-old Lydon joined third-year forward Trey Lyles in the draft-night trade with the Utah Jazz for the rights to the 13th overall pick, which was Donovan Mitchell.

Lydon averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks in 71 career games with the Orange.