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BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics traded guard Jaden Springer to the Houston Rockets, parting ways with the 23-year-old wing defender just a year after acquiring him at last season’s trade deadline.

The Celtics received a conditional 2031 second-round pick in the deal and will send a 2030 second-round pick and conditional 2027 second-round pick to the Rockets.

The move is largely to provide Boston with some luxury tax relief. Springer is making just over $4 million in the final season of the four-year deal he signed with Philadelphia in the first round of the 2021 draft. The 76ers dealt him to the Celtics last February.

If Boston had kept Springer on its roster, he could have cost the team nearly four times as much in repeater luxury penalties because the Celtics have landed in the tax in three of the past four seasons.

Springer played sparingly since arriving in Boston, appearing in 43 games and averaging 1.9 points and 1.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. Springer also appeared in four playoff games during the Celtics run to last season’s championship.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder signed rookie second-round draft pick Ajay Mitchell to a multi-year contract and Branden Carlson to a two-way contract on Thursday.

Mitchell, a guard from Belgium who played in college UC-Santa Barbara, originally signed a two-way contract last July. Terms of the new agreement were not released.

In 34 games, Mitchell is averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He is one of two rookies in the league this season shooting at least 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He has been out for a month with a toe sprain.

Mitchell was the 38th overall pick in the draft. Oklahoma City acquired his rights from the New York Knicks on draft night.

Carlson, a 7-foot center, has appeared in 15 games for Oklahoma City this season after originally being signed in November. He scored a career-high 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a win over Cleveland last month. He is averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game this season.

In five games for Oklahoma City’s G League team, Carlson is averaging 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

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LeBron James got drafted No. 1 — again.

And while the NBA considers one day having a U.S. vs. the World format for its midseason showcase, there will be a taste of what that could be at this year’s All-Star Game as well.

James, the player with the most All-Star appearances in NBA history, was selected No. 1 overall for the Feb. 16 competition in San Francisco. The All-Star draft was held on TNT, with analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley picking the teams.

“Old and legendary,” O’Neal said. “I’m going to go with LeBron Eduardo James.”

James’ actual middle name is Raymone, but O’Neal has a habit of making up middle names for people. Either way, the 21-time All-Star was the No. 1 pick, just like he was when he entered the NBA in 2003.

And for this All-Star Game — or games, as will be the case — the NBA made up a new format. Determined to try to make the event more competitive, the NBA turned the All-Star Game into a tournament: The 24 All-Stars were drafted onto one of three eight-man rosters.

Barkley went with players that all have international ties: Nikola Jokic of Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada, Victor Wembanyama of France, Pascal Siakam of Cameroon, Alperen Sengun of Turkey, Karl-Anthony Towns (whose mother is Dominican) and Donovan Mitchell (whose mother is Panamanian).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the league has thought about a U.S. vs. the World game — but noted it would be complicated to make the roster selection fair. If it was the traditional format, with 12-man rosters, it would be easier for international players to be declared All-Stars. About 70% of the players in the NBA are American; about 30% are international.

“It may be, to me, a little bit of an old-fashioned concept where we come in as Americans and say, ‘We’ll take on the world.’ I’m not sure how well that would be received by our international players,” Silver said. “We’re experimenting with a new format this year. I haven’t given up on All-Star still being competitive, entertaining games for the fans. That’s certainly not what we were (last) year.”

Last year’s game was the highest-scoring in All-Star history, a 211-186 final that was basically all 3-pointers and dunks.

This year’s All-Star will be a four-team tournament: the winner of the Rising Stars competition for first- and second-year players on Feb. 14 will be the fourth team in the All-Star event. There will be two semifinal games, then the winners will play for the All-Star championship — and the first team to 40 points in those games win.

The winning Rising Stars team that advances to the All-Star Game will be called Team Candace, for Candace Parker. The others will be Team Shaq, Team Kenny and Team Charles.

The following is a breakdown of the rosters, with the player’s overall pick spot in parentheses:
Team Shaq

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (1); Stephen Curry, Golden State (5); Anthony Davis, Dallas (9); Jayson Tatum, Boston (10); Kevin Durant, Phoenix (14); Damian Lillard, Milwaukee (18); James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers (19); Jaylen Brown, Boston (24).
Team Kenny

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota (2); Jalen Brunson, New York (6); Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis (7); Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City (11); Darius Garland, Cleveland (15); Evan Mobley, Cleveland (16); Cade Cunningham, Detroit (20); Tyler Herro, Miami (23).
Team Charles

Nikola Jokic, Denver (3); Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee (4); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City (8); Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio (12); Pascal Siakam, Indiana (13); Alperen Sengun, Houston (17); Karl-Anthony Towns, New York (21); Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland (22).

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BOSTON (AP) — Mavericks center Anthony Davis was ruled out for Thursday night’s NBA Finals rematch against the Boston Celtics, coach Jason Kidd said, pushing his Dallas debut back to Saturday at the earliest.

Davis was acquired for Luka Doncic, a five-time All-NBA first teamer, on Sunday in a trade that was not just the biggest heading into Thursday’s trade deadline but among the top blockbusters in league history.

Davis has been out since Jan. 28 with an abdominal strain. Kidd said Thursday that he hoped to have him back for Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets in Dallas.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic is now expected to make his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night against the Utah Jazz, coach JJ Redick says.

Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas due to a strained left calf. Redick initially suggested Doncic could play for the Lakers on Saturday against Indiana, but revised his forecast Thursday night before the Lakers hosted the Golden State Warriors.

“Probably more likely Monday,” Redick said. “No commitment made on anything, but probably trending more toward Monday.”

The Lakers acquired the Slovenian superstar last weekend, giving up Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade with Dallas. Doncic participated in a 5-on-5 “stay-ready” game with teammates and the Lakers’ coaching staff Wednesday, and Redick said Doncic has experienced no setbacks in his recovery from the calf injury.

“All is well. All is positive,” Redick said. “Hopefully we get the word at some point in the next few days that he is going to play. We all want to see him in a Laker uniform.”

Four days after acquiring Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks, the Lakers continued their roster overhaul Wednesday night by acquiring 7-foot-2 center Mark Williams from Charlotte in a trade for rookie Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddick.

The league still hadn’t formally approved the trade Thursday night, which meant Redick couldn’t talk about the potential impact of Williams on Los Angeles’ dramatically revamped roster. The Lakers are more focused on getting off to a good start with Doncic, whenever that may happen.

“We want him to feel confident,” Redick said. “We want our medical staff to feel confident. We don’t want to rush anything here. I think we’re all anticipating that. I know the fans are anticipating that, and certainly our players and our coaching staff are anticipating that. I think the one thing we all have in the back of our mind as we’ve shifted and had to recalibrate here in the last week — we’re not going to be able to just snap our fingers and it’s all going to work right away. There’s work to be done once he’s healthy and back in the lineup, and that’s going to be fun.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

BOSTON (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 25 points, Daniel Gafford gave the Mavericks 15 rebounds in what could be his last start at center for a while and Dallas beat the Boston Celtics 127-120 on Thursday night in their NBA Finals rematch.

With recently acquired big man Anthony Davis out with an abdominal strain and cheering on his new teammates from the bench, the Mavericks led by 27 points in the second half. Spencer Dinwiddie added 22 points off the bench.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla put in his bench, and they unexpectedly pulled within single digits in the final minute.

Jaylen Brown, who won the NBA Finals MVP in June while leading Boston to a five-game victory over Dallas, scored 25 points and Jayson Tatum had 17. Payton Pritchard scored 21 to lead the second-string rally.
Takeaways

Dallas: Davis’ anticipated debut with Dallas after he was acquired on Sunday for five-time All-NBA first-teamer Luka Doncic will have to wait until at least Saturday.

Boston: The finals rivals played both of their regular-season matchups this year in the last two weeks and split them. A potential rematch this summer is likely to turn on who is available.
Key moment

Irving had a slow start, with just four points in the first half. But with just under 10 minutes left he pulled up for a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Mavericks a 114-90 lead – their biggest of the game. After a timeout, Irving hit another 3 – this one a second-chance basket from the left side.
Key stat

Thompson scored 23 in the first half.
Up next

The Mavericks host Houston on Saturday and Boston visits the New York Knicks on Saturday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

BOSTON (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks are heading home for the first time since trading away franchise player Luka Doncic, and coach Jason Kidd has a pretty good idea what kind of reception to expect.

“Our sympathy goes to the fans,” he said after a 127-120 victory over Boston in a rematch of the five-game NBA Finals series the Celtics won in June. “I understand that they will be upset. But at the same time, as a coach, the guys that I have, we have to put them in a position to be successful against Houston. And that’s all I’m focused on.”

A five-time All-NBA first-teamer who is only 25 years old, Doncic was traded Sunday for Lakers big man Anthony Davis in a deal that caught everyone in the league by surprise. Dallas fans were especially upset about it, and most everybody agreed that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison gave up too much and got back too little.

Davis did not play Thursday night because of an abdominal strain. He’s expected to make his Dallas debut on Saturday against the Rockets, when the Mavericks return from a five-game trip.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 41 points, seven rebounds and six assists on Thursday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 127-114.

One night after scoring 49 points in a win over Chicago, Edwards dominated the game early and late. He scored 18 points in the first quarter and 16 in the fourth, which began with Houston leading by six.

Rudy Gobert had back-to-back dunks to start the quarter before Edwards took over with three 3-pointers as Minnesota outscored Houston 35-16 over the final 12 minutes.

Jaylen Clark scored a career-high 17 points for the Timberwolves while Naz Reid had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Jalen Green led Houston with 28 points. Alperen Sengun had 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets, who lost their fifth straight.
Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is one of the league’s top road teams with 17 victories, more than all but one NBA team entering the night. But the Rockets have lost their last four on the road.

Timberwolves: Minnesota was playing the fourth of five straight games at home, where they are 14-12 (compared to 15-11 on the road). But with two strong fourth-quarter performances in as many nights, the Wolves might be figuring it out.
Key moment

With less than 5 minutes to play, Edwards missed a 3-pointer but Clark tracked down the rebound. He passed it back to Edwards, who drove to the hoop and drew a foul while hitting a short jumper. He made the free throw, then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to put Minnesota on top 113-106.
Key stat

Minnesota outrebounded Houston, the No. 1 rebounding team in the NBA, 47-39.
Up next

Both teams are back in action on Saturday, when the Rockets visit Dallas and the Timberwolves host Portland.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Here are the winners from NFL Honors on Thursday night:

AP NFL MVP: Josh Allen, Buffalo

AP NFL Coach of the Year: Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota

AP Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia

AP Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Surtain II, Denver

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jayden Daniels, Washington

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

AP Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati

Walter Payton Man of the Year: Arik Armstead, Jacksonville

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Josh Allen wanted to leave New Orleans with different hardware. Still, he’s happy to be recognized for his accomplishments.

Allen edged two-time winner Lamar Jackson for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award in the closest race since Matt Ryan beat out Tom Brady in 2016.

“I wish we weren’t hoisting this trophy. I wish we were hoisting the Lombardi — and we’re going to keep working until we do,” Allen said Thursday, referring to winning a Super Bowl.

Allen, who led Buffalo to a fifth straight AFC East title, got 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23 and finished with 383 points. He received 22 second-place votes and one third. The Bills fell short of playing on Sunday, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Jackson, who led the Ravens to a second straight AFC North championship, got 26 second-place votes and one fourth for a total of 362 points.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley finished third (120 points) followed by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (82) and Lions QB Jared Goff (47).

Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 TDs and had six picks for a 101.4 passer rating. He ran for 531 yards and 12 scores, becoming the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns.

“I feel like my teammates wanted this more for me than I did, but I’m very honored,” said Allen, who was joined at the awards by fiancee Hailee Steinfeld.

Jackson had career-highs with 4,172 yards passing, 41 TDs to just four interceptions and a 119.6 passer rating, which led the NFL. He got 30 first-place votes to Allen’s 18 to earn AP first-team All-Pro honors.

The last time a first-team All-Pro didn’t win the NFL MVP award was 1987. John Elway was the MVP that season and Joe Montana was first-team All-Pro. The MVP award is given to a player who had the most valuable season while All-Pro is a statistical recognition.
AP Coach of the Year

Kevin O’Connell beat out Dan Campbell for AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins with quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Vikings, widely picked to finish last in the NFC North, ended up playing for a division title and the conference’s No. 1 seed in the final game of the regular season. They lost to the Lions and then were knocked out of the playoffs by the Rams.

“I put a lot of thought into this season. I thought it had a chance to be a special team,” said O’Connell, who was presented by Bill Belichick, the coach who drafted him in the third round in 2008. “It really wasn’t about that. It was more my belief in our organization and my belief in our coaches and our players to come together and just try to win one football game.

“It’s a great example of unique people and unique things being able to come together and find a way to try to have unique results.”

O’Connell got 25 first-place votes, 18 seconds and seven thirds, appearing on all 50 ballots.

Campbell, who guided Detroit to a franchise-record 15 wins, got 19 first-place votes to finish second. Kansas City’s Andy Reid (4), Denver’s Sean Payton (1) and Washington’s Dan Quinn (1) also received first-place votes.
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year

Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse was an overwhelming choice for AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

“Hard work can take you anywhere,” Verse said. “You don’t have to be the biggest, the strongest, the fastest. As long as you work hard, you can overcome anything. So, it’s just a testament to that.”

Verse had 4 1/2 sacks and led all rookies in quarterback hits (18), pressures (77) and hurries (56). He also had 11 tackles for loss. Verse got 37 first-place votes, well ahead of Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who received nine.

Rams defensive tackle Braden Fiske, Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still, Texans safety Calen Bullock and Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil each got one apiece.
AP Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow took the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after returning from wrist surgery in 2023 to lead the NFL with 4,918 yards passing and 43 touchdown passes.

Burrow played all 17 games for the Bengals (9-8) after missing seven due to injuries the previous season. He received 31 first-place votes and finished far ahead of Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (3).

Vikings QB Sam Darnold (8), Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (2) also got first-place votes.
AP Offensive Player of the Year

Saquon Barkley ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles.

Barkley sat out Philadelphia’s final regular-season game when he was 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season record but he has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs.

Barkley needs 30 yards rushing in the Super Bowl to set the all-time single-season record, including the playoffs. Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis had 2,476 yards rushing in 19 regular season and playoff games in 1998 for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

Barkley received 35 of 50 first-place votes.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson received 12 first-place votes and teammate Derrick Henry got one. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Bills QB Josh Allen also received one first-place vote each.

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase finished third in the voting despite no first-place votes. Chase, a unanimous selection for All-Pro, won the receiving triple crown, leading the league with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards and 17 TDs.
AP Defensive Player of the Year

Patrick Surtain II became the seventh cornerback to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Denver Broncos’ All-Pro allowed just 37 receptions, had four interceptions and opposing quarterbacks had a 61.1 passer rating throwing against him.

Surtain received 26 first-place votes, beating out Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (11) and Browns edge Myles Garrett (5).

“When I’m holding my side of the field down, that’s where I become most valuable to the team,” Surtain said. “That’s what I did all year. … That’s what I came to do, is lock down my side of the field.”

Steelers edge T.J. Watt (3), Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (2), Lions safety Kerby Joseph (1) and Vikings edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel (1) and Jonathan Greenard (1) also received first-place votes.

Stephon Gilmore was the last cornerback to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. Charles Woodson, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Lester Hayes and Mel Blount previously won it.
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Jayden Daniels was a near-unanimous choice for AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after helping the Washington Commanders win 12 games.

The Pro Bowl quarterback received 49 of 50 first-place votes with the other going to Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.

“It’s just nothing but hard work, and just preparation,” Daniels said, alluding to the jump he made in his final season at LSU, when he won the Heisman Trophy. “If you lock in for one year, your life will change. I kind of did that.”

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick, threw for 3,568 yards, 25 TDs and posted a 100.1 rating. He also ran for 891 yards and six scores. Daniels led the Commanders to a pair of road playoff wins before losing to the Eagles in the NFC championship game.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix finished third in the voting, Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was fourth and Giants wideout Malik Nabers placed fifth.
AP Assistant Coach of the Year

Ben Johnson was a clear choice for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, receiving 29 first-place votes.

Johnson, who was the Lions offensive coordinator, led a group that was first in scoring (33.22 points per game) and second in yards (409.5). He was hired to coach the Chicago Bears after Detroit lost in the playoffs.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores got three first-place votes and finished second in the voting. Former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was hired to coach the New York Jets, received six first-place votes and came in third.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead, whose Armstead Academic Project supports early childhood education, was selected the Walter Payton Man of the Year on Thursday night.

Armstead, who openly discusses how his difficulty reading as a child made him self-conscious, routinely visits schools and reads to children as part of his mission to ensure young students of all socio-economic backgrounds have access to adequate educational resources.

“This is a huge honor,” Armstead said. “It’s a huge sense of responsibility that I feel to carry this forward and continue to serve — and serve more people.”

Armstead thanked his parents for “instilling a serving spirit into me at a young age.”

“Your guidance is the biggest reason why I’m where I’m at in my life right now,” he said. “I hope I make you proud.”

Armstead closed with a request to his audience in the Saenger Theater and those watching on television.

“We live in a world that is constantly trying to divide us,” Armstead said. “But I believe in humanity. I believe that we are all more alike than we are different and I believe that all of us have the power to be the change we want to see in our society.

“I just encourage you to try to be a blessing in someone else’s life and see how that changes your life,” he said.

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