Westbrook leads All-Star reserves

Reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook heads the list of reserves for the NBA All-Star Game, a group that was announced Tuesday.

Also selected from the West for the Feb. 18 game at Los Angeles' Staples Center were two Timberwolves (Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns) two Warriors (Draymond Green and Klay Thompson), the Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge and the Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard. They join the starters from the West that were announced last week: Golden State's Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the Rockets' James Harden and the Pelicans' Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins

Among the seven East reserves were the Wizards' backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Also chosen were the Cavaliers' Kevin Love, the Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis, the Raptors' Kyle Lowry, the Celtics' Al Horford and the Pacers' Victor Oladipo. The East's starters are Boston's Kyrie Irving, the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan, the Cavs' LeBron James, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 76ers' Joel Embiid.

The first-ever All-Star draft will take place Thursday, with captains Curry and James picking the teams.

* Lillard met with Blazers team owner Paul Allen last week to gain assurances that the club was committed to crafting a title contender, according to an ESPN report.

The roughly one-hour meeting, which was described as productive, reportedly took place in Allen's office at Moda Center before the Blazers played host to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Lillard requested the meeting, and it was held unbeknownst to anyone else in the organization. Allen later informed the team's basketball operations and business branch after the discussion took place.

Leading up to the meeting, which was the first of its kind between the two sides, Allen feared Lillard would request a trade, according to the report. However, the 27-year-old instead focused on telling Allen he has championship aspirations he wants to fulfill during his prime.

* If anything comes from a heated argument members of the Cleveland Cavaliers took part in during a meeting before practice Monday, coach Tyronn Lue hopes it is more wins.

"I don't know if it was needed, but now we got to do something about it," Lue told reporters at Cleveland's shootaround Tuesday morning. "Do a lot of talking, but we got to play better. We got to execute better offensively. We got to execute better defensively. We got to be better collectively. ... At some point we've got to start putting it together for 48 minutes."

"Did I feel like a target? I think everybody, most people were a target," said Kevin Love, whose illness was reportedly questioned by teammates at the meeting. "We're trying to figure this thing out. People hold themselves to a very high standard on this team, and we're a team that feels like we can compete at the highest level."

* With the NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, the Cavaliers are "progressing in conversations" to acquire Sacramento Kings point guard George Hill, according to an ESPN report.

Per the report, a deal is "not imminent," but the sides have gotten closer on terms -- a package involving Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye and a second-round pick -- and "both are motivated" to find a way to complete the trade.

The report adds that the Kings "are determined to accommodate" Hill's trade request, as the guard has grown unhappy with his role in Sacramento with rookie De'Aaron Fox emerging as the main ball-handler.

* Any team wishing to acquire star point guard Kemba Walker from the Charlotte Hornets is going to have to pay up.

Hornets owner Michael Jordan told the Charlotte Observer on Monday night that he is not looking to trade Walker, but "would listen to opportunities" regarding a deal for the 27-year-old. However, the asking price is high.

"It's not like we are shopping him. We would not just give him up. I love Kemba Walker. I would not trade him for anything but an All-Star player," Jordan said.

* Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters Tuesday that he apologized to center Salah Mejri for his "uncalled for" and "unprofessional" reaction to Mejri's ejection from Monday night's game.

Cameras showed Carlisle yelling "You've got two (bleeping) points, get the (bleep) out of here" at Mejri when the big man neared the bench after getting called for his second technical foul in Dallas' Monday win over the Washington Wizards.

"I had a long talk with Salah about what happened and apologized to him for behavior that was really emotional, uncalled for and unprofessional on my part," Carlisle said. "He's one of our best competitors."

* Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters underwent season-ending surgery on his left ankle, the team announced.

Waiters had the operation on Monday in Van Nuys, Calif., to repair instability in the ankle. The team said a previous fracture of the navicular bone was also repaired. His recovery is expected to take six to nine months.

The 26-year-old guard posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed with the following words: "To be continued!!!!! Y'all kno the motto. MrBetOnYourSelfThenDoubleDown"

* Another Ball will join Lithuanian club Vytautas for its Big Baller Challenge game Tuesday night. LaVar Ball, father of players LiAngelo and LaMelo, will serve as an assistant coach for the team's matchup against BC Dzukija.

"He will be an assistant coach on game protocol but will drive the team through the game and make many of the decisions," a team spokesman told ESPN. "The style the team is going to play is going to be LaVar's choice."

The Big Baller Challenge is a series of five friendly games that do not count in the standings, so Vytautas coach Virginijus Seskus says he has no problem sharing his duties with the patriarch of the Ball family. — Reuters