Basketball

PARIS (AP) — Tony Parker surely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs.

It's the easiest call of the NBA draft : The San Antonio Spurs won. That's not to say other teams didn't do very well on Thursday, when 58 players were selected as the league's newest members.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said the 25-game suspension the NBA slapped guard Ja Morant with “was appropriate,” and it is up to Morant to change the behavior that led to two bans in four months.

DENVER (AP) — The parade is just a memory for the NBA-champion Denver Nuggets and the party is beginning to simmer down. Back to the business of finding a way to remain at the NBA's mountaintop.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst confirmed that Khris Middleton declined his player option for the upcoming season but added that the team hopes to keep the three-time All-Star forward.

The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers used lottery picks on players who should make their biggest early impact on defense while the rest of the Central Division teams sat out the first round of the NBA draft Thursday night.

Michigan teammates Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin are headed to the same division. So are Arkansas' Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr.

PHOENIX (AP) — Thanks to their recent success, the five teams in the NBA's Pacific Division weren't necessarily trying to draft one of the next generation's hardwood superstars Thursday night.

DALLAS (AP) — The young Houston Rockets are getting even younger with another pair of first-round picks. The Rockets added the first player drafted out of the Overtime Elite pro league to the NBA's highest-ever G League selection of two years ago.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers selected point guard Scoot Henderson of the NBA G League with the third overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night.