NBA roundup: Grizzlies acquire Green in three-team deal

The Memphis Grizzlies completed a three-team trade with the Celtics and Pelicans on Monday, acquiring forward Jeff Green from Boston and guard Russ Smith from New Orleans.

In exchange, Memphis traded forward Tayshaun Prince and a protected future first-round draft pick to Boston and traded guard/forward Quincy Pondexter and a 2015 second-round pick to New Orleans.

As part of the trade, New Orleans also traded guard Austin Rivers to Boston. In addition, Memphis will receive a traded player exception.

Austin Rivers reportedly could be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where his father is coach and team president. Doc Rivers said Saturday he was open to coaching his son after talks with his coaching staff.

—Baseball legend Hank Aaron has joined a group that is interested in buying the Atlanta Hawks, ESPN.com reported.

According to the report, the former home run king and Atlanta Braves icon has teamed with a group of current owners from the NBA, Major League Soccer and Italian soccer’s storied Serie A.

Sources told ESPN.com that the group is spearheaded by Memphis Grizzlies minority owner and vice chairman Steve Kaplan, Indonesian billionaire sports and media magnates Erick Thohir and Handy Poernomo Soetedjo and former Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien, who is the current managing general partner of DC United in MLS.

—Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad is expected to miss at least two weeks with a strained oblique.

The second-year player was injured Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks and did not play Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs. An MRI revealed the injury, the team announced, and Muhammad will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Muhammad had started 13 games and was averaging 13.7 points and 4.0 rebounds.

—Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James returned to practice Monday but called himself “a game-time decision” for the team’s game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

James has missed the past eight games with knee and back injuries, and the Cavaliers (19-19) have lost seven of those games, including the past five.

James, 30, is averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.

—LeBron James and the Cavaliers have secured the top spots as the NBA’s most popular jersey and team merchandise.

The rankings are based on overall sales from Adidas and NBAStore.com from October 2014 through December 2014.

James has claimed the No. 1 position on the list for the fifth consecutive time. It is his second such honor as a member of the Cavaliers.

Second on the list is Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who moved up from the No. 7 spot. Rounding out the top five are the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose.

—The Miami Heat signed guard Tyler Johnson to a 10-day contract on Monday.

Johnson has appeared in 13 games (all starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League this season, averaging 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 33.9 minutes.

—The Atlanta Hawks recalled forward/center Adreian Payne from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League on Monday.

Over four stints in the D-League this season (two with Austin and two with Fort Wayne), Payne has averaged 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks in 17 games.