Carmelo Anthony agrees to 1-year deal with Lakers, Knicks bring home Kemba Walker: reports

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have dreamed about teaming up in the NBA since they entered the league together 18 years ago.

They're finally getting the chance on the remarkably mature new roster of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 37-year-old Anthony agreed to a one-year deal with the Lakers on Tuesday, agent Aaron Mintz confirmed to The Associated Press.

The 10th-leading scorer in NBA history will join James, the third-leading scorer, alongside eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis and former MVP Russell Westbrook for what should be a fascinating season in Los Angeles.

If the Lakers don't win another NBA title, they'll at least be strong candidates for gold medals in London: They'll have one-third of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team's roster in purple and gold, with fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant's retired numbers watching from above the Staples Centre floor.

Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, essentially told the world about the deal earlier on social media by posting a video with his nickname, "Melo," and the Lakers logo. Free agent deals can't become official until Friday, but Anthony can't wait to get started on what might be his last, best chance to win an NBA title.

Anthony and James have been friends since high school, and they were part of the star-studded 2003 draft class. James went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers out of high school, while Anthony was the third pick by the Denver Nuggets after leading Syracuse to its first NCAA title.

Anthony joins his seventh team as he enters his 19th season. He averaged 13.4 points and made 40.9 per cent of his 3-pointers coming off the bench for Portland last season, revitalizing his career over the past two seasons in Oregon by proving he can contribute to a solid team as a reserve.

The Lakers won the NBA title in 2020 with a versatile roster built around James and Davis, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix this summer when both of their superstars struggled with injuries.

Instead of running it back with largely the same cast and hoping for better health, the Lakers have made major changes while doubling down on the super-team concept that has boosted James throughout his career.

Anthony will be the oldest — but James, Marc Gasol and Trevor Ariza are all 36. They're all older than 35-year-old Dwight Howard, who is reportedly returning for his third stint in LA.

Wayne Ellington says he is returning to the Lakers at 33 to provide outside shooting acumen, while 32-year-olds Kent Bazemore and Westbrook are also on their way back to LA — Westbrook is a native, while Bazemore played for the Lakers in 2014.

The Lakers kept the youngest piece of their core Tuesday by re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker to a three-year, $32 million US deal. Horton-Tucker, a second-round pick who appears to be a blossoming talent, averaged 9.0 points with 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game last season.

Jazz to acquire Eric Paschall from Warriors for draft pick

The Utah Jazz have agreed to acquire power forward Eric Paschall from the Warriors, sending a protected future second-round draft pick to Golden State in the swap, a person with direct knowledge of the trade's parameters said Wednesday.

Paschall posted a farewell on his Twitter account: "Going to miss dub nation! Love y'all! Love my teammates!"

Now, the 24-year-old Paschall will be teammates with childhood friend Donovan Mitchell. Paschall averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 40 games last season for Golden State, which lost to the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

The Warriors drafted the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Paschall out of Villanova with the 41st pick of the 2019 draft and he made the All-Rookie first team.

Walker to New York: reports

Kemba Walker and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a buyout of the final two years of his contract, and once that is completed the four-time All-Star guard will sign with the New York Knicks, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday.

Walker — who was born in the Bronx — and the Thunder have been working on the buyout parameters in recent days, according to the person who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is not finalized.

Walker is owed nearly $74 million for the next two seasons, including a $37.6 million option that he held for 2022-23. He never played for the Thunder, who acquired him in a trade with Boston in June in the deal that sent Al Horford back to the Celtics.

After helping the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference finals in the NBA bubble in 2020, Walker was limited to 43 games because of injury this past season and was limited in Boston's first-round playoff exit against Brooklyn.

Walker spent his first eight seasons in Charlotte where he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. He spent the last two seasons in Boston.

Going to the Knicks won't just be a return home for Walker.

It'll also be a chance to play more games at an arena that has provided some of his finest moments.

He won a national championship as a junior at UConn in 2011, concluding the season on an 11-game winning streak that began when the Huskies won five games in five days on the way to the Big East tournament championship at Madison Square Garden — the Knicks' home. Walker averaged 26 points while playing nearly every minute of those five games to win the league, then went on to win the Most Outstanding Player award in the NCAA Final Four as UConn beat Butler for the national title.

In 15 games at the Garden as a pro, Walker has averaged 21.3 points.

Walker even played at MSG in high school against a team from Illinois that was headlined by Derrick Rose. Walker had 14 points, Rose 22, but Walker's team from New York beat Rose's Simeon High 53-51.

And now, the two point guards will be together at the Garden as Knicks teammates.

Collins sticks with Hawks: reports

Power forward John Collins, a key player in Atlanta's unexpected run to the Eastern Conference finals, has agreed to a five-year, $125 million contract to remain with the Hawks, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can't become official until Friday. The deal includes a fifth-year option for Collins.

Atlanta's agreement with Collins secures another key player to a long-term deal after point guard Trae Young agreed to a five-year, $207 million rookie extension on Tuesday. The deal with Young begins in 2022.

The average value of Collins' new deal is $25 million. His base salary for the 2021-22 season will be $21.6 million.

Collins, a restricted free agent, averaged 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds in 2020-21, his fourth season. He was the No. 19 overall selection in the 2017 NBA draft and was a key piece in the rebuilding process that took the team to the East finals, where the Hawks lost to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Collins set career highs with averages of 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in the 2019-2020 season, when he was limited by a suspension to 41 games.

The 6-foot-9 Collins has consistently made high percentages of his shots from the field. He shot 55.6 per cent this season, close to his career mark of 56.7 per cent.

Collins' scoring and rebounding averages declined on a deeper, more talented roster this season, but that didn't affect his preference to remain in Atlanta.

"Obviously something I feel like I've voiced my opinion about a lot, saying I want to be here," Collins said after the season. "I've tried to be the best professional I can and let the business side be the business side."

Even before reaching the agreement, Collins already was looking forward to another run at a championship.

"We definitely put the pressure on ourselves to come back next year and do the same," he said.

The deal with Collins protects the Hawks' frontline depth early next season. Rookie backup forward-centre Onyeka Okongwu had surgery on July 21 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and is expected to be fully recovered in about six months.

The Hawks are now assured of having their starters and coach back next season. The deal with Collins comes less than one month after Nate McMillan was named the permanent coach. McMillan led the team to the playoffs as an interim coach.

The Hawks were 14-20 under former coach Lloyd Pierce before finishing 27-11 under McMillan and earning the No. 5 seed in the East.

Drummond signs with 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed nine-year veteran centre Andre Drummond.

Terms of the deal announced Wednesday were not disclosed. Drummond joins Philadelphia after splitting the 2020-21 season with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The six-foot-10, 279-pound Drummond, a two-time All-Star, will wear No. 1 for the Sixers. He appeared in 46 games (all starts) last season and averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.0 minutes per outing. He was one of just three NBA players, including new teammate Joel Embiid, to average a point-rebound double-double as well as one steal and one block last season.

"We're excited to add a veteran player of his calibre to our roster and look forward to the impact he'll make this season," said Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who announced the signing.