Kevin Durant won’t be a free agent for another two years, but he was on the verge of hitting the open market when it comes to endorsements. Durant secured an offer of between $265MM-$285MM from Under Armour, but Nike exercised its right to match today, as Darren Rovell and Marc Stein of ESPN.com write. The exact parameters of the deal aren’t known, but it’s expected that Durant will earn more from the sneaker contract than he will from the Thunder over the next two years. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA..
- Chris Anstey, the coach of CTI Melbourne United, spoke highly of his team’s newest addition, 76ers rookie Jordan McRae in an email to Marc Narducci of The Inquirer. “We are thrilled to have Jordan join us and play a part in his continued development, in consultation with Sixers coaching staff, to give him the best possible chance of making their roster next year or earlier,” Anstey wrote. The coach also confirmed that the Sixers have the right to call McRae back until January. McRae spoke with Hoops Rumors over the summer prior to the draft about his skill set and NBA goals.
- Even though Milwaukee was “a little cold” for his tastes and he was waived by the Clippers just days after they acquired him, Miroslav Raduljica said he still wants to stay in the NBA, writes NBA.com’s John Schuhmann. He didn’t go into detail on who might be interested, however, saying he’s only heard rumors about other teams.
- The Clippers‘ trade of Jared Dudley might have been perplexing to some, but it made sense for a couple of financial reasons, as Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders explains. Thanks to the deal, the Clippers saved roughly $3.5MM this season and gives them some breathing room under the hard-cap. And, by waiving Carlos Delfino and Raduljica, the Clippers opened up some roster space. They’re reportedly on the verge of a new deal with veteran Hedo Turkoglu.