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NBA rookie extension deadline creates distractions

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The clock was ticking down on Halloween night, and millions of dollars hung in the balance for Ricky Rubio and several other players who entered the NBA in 2011 and were up for extensions of their rookie contracts.

To make matters worse, they were faced with weighty decisions about their futures while regular season games were being played, leading many involved in the process to express concern about the timing of the deadline.

These are talks that could make players free agents after the season if not nailed down, and though they deserve the full attention of everyone involved, the Oct. 31 deadline means many negotiations drag into the regular season. Many hope the date will be moved up.

''It becomes very difficult,'' Minnesota Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders said. ''The league encourages you, if you got a game that night, you might want to get that thing done. It would be beneficial to have the date moved before the start of the regular season.''

Negotiations between Rubio's representatives and the Timberwolves for a contract extension had gotten heated, and time was of the essence. If an agreement wasn't reached by midnight, Rubio would become a restricted free agent next summer.

He was not alone.

San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, Chicago's Jimmy Butler, Cleveland's Tristan Thompson and Golden State's Klay Thompson were all in Rubio's situation, trying to make major life decisions while also playing regular season games.

Rubio didn't have to play on Oct. 31, the day he signed a four-year, $55 million extension. But he did play twice earlier in the week while the talks were ongoing, and it was a stomach-churning experience.

''There was a lot of stuff going on off the court I didn't like,'' said Rubio, now sidelined indefinitely with a severely sprained ankle. ''At the end of the day, it's business and you have to have that part.''

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau, who watched Bulls guard Jimmy Butler deal with the issue this year, also would like to see the date moved ahead of the start of the season.

''That's one of the great challenges of this league is you can be distracted on almost any given night with something, whether it's the contract extensions, the back-to-backs, early start, late start, injuries,'' Thibodeau said. ''You want to train yourself not to fall into that trap and to be ready to go each and every day.''

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Here are some things to watch this week:

LEBRON VS. DAVIS: The King meets the player many are calling his heir apparent on Monday night when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers host Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. James is the unquestioned best player in the world, but the 21-year-old Davis is off to an impressive start, including a game-winner to beat the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday night.

KINGS' BIG WEEK: The biggest surprise so far has been the Sacramento Kings, who started 5-1. They have a big week ahead with games at Dallas and Memphis and then home against San Antonio on Saturday. Pack a lunch, DeMarcus.

KLAY'S BREAKOUT: Thompson's negotiations in Golden State were highly debated, with many analytics-based opinions folks discouraging the Warriors from paying him near-max money. He got a four-year, $70 million deal and scored 41 points against the Lakers in his next game. Thompson averaged nearly 24 points per game in his first five and is showing that he's more than just a spot-up shooter. No coincidence that the first game he missed, because of a sprained right wrist on Sunday, was the first game the Warriors lost.

FEISTY UNDERDOGS: Some teams expected to really struggle this season have been competitive early, including the Celtics, Kings, Bucks and Jazz, who beat the Cavaliers last week. The 76ers and Lakers are struggling as expected, but the league as a whole appears to be as deep as it has been in some time.

RETURN TO MEXICO: The Timberwolves head back to Mexico City for a Wednesday night game against Houston, but will they get to play this time? Last year's game against the Spurs was canceled not long before tipoff after a generator malfunctioned and sent plumes of smoke into the arena.

STAT LINE OF THE WEEK

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: He had 39 points, shot 14 for 37 from the field, had nine rebounds and one assist in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. Not many blame him for his shots-to-assist ratio, since it may be the Lakers' best chance to win.