Free agency has stalled as teams wait to see what will happen with Nets star Kevin Durant, but the situation could be resolved when general managers gather this week in Las Vegas for Summer League, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Owner Joe Tsai and GM Sean Marks are making their way through a flood of offers and are focused on getting the best package in return rather than making a quick decision.
The Heat and Suns are reportedly Durant’s preferred destinations, and while Lewis says the Nets are willing to work with Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman on finding the right deal, they won’t be “held hostage” by Durant’s wishes.
The Pelicans and Raptors may provide the best options to trade Durant without having to rely on a third or fourth team to make the deal work, Lewis adds. Both teams have full control of their future draft picks and they have young stars in Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes to build a trade package around.
There’s more news from Brooklyn:
- Durant made his first public comment since his trade request, Lewis states in the same piece, with a tweet on Saturday that read, “The ones who were locked in that gym with me know what it is, they know what I’m about. If u haven’t been in there with me, ask around.” Robin Lundberg of Sports Illustrated responded with specific questions about Durant’s intentions, but Durant answered, “Keep dreaming robin lmao.”
- The Nets pulled their qualifying offer to Kessler Edwards this week, but they still have interest in bringing him back, Lewis adds. Brooklyn holds Edwards’ Non-Bird rights and is talking to the 21-year-old forward about a new deal.
- Other teams have little interest in trading for Kyrie Irving because they know he wants to end up with the Lakers, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link from Hoop Central). “In talking to league executives over the last couple of hours, the value of Kyrie Irving in a trade has absolutely plummeted,” Windhorst said. “They know he’s going to be a pure rental. If he doesn’t want to go to the situation he is [traded] to, it’s unclear what he’ll do.”
Oddsmakers have known for days that kyrie was going to LA
Problem is Laker’s management thinks it will only cost them Westbrook. Kyrie and Harris for Westbrook and THT plus a 1st round pick is fair and makes Lakers much better. So why do they think they can give up less to get rid of Westbrook?
I think the Lakers would do that if they got Curry as well, so give up THT , Westbrook a first & 2nd round pick and maybe a pick swap for Kyrie, Harris & Curry
Not sure why any team would want Cryree. He isn’t a team player and basically is a head case. Durant is an aging Superstar that is mentally soft. Why he ever agreed to go to Brooklyn and play with Cryree knowing his baggage is beyond me, add in the fact what you have to pay these guys besides gutting your team?? Too many good teams left out there to still beat you for what you have to give up to get Durant.
Kyrie Irving max is $245 million
Irving agent needs to confirm with Lakers about max contract.
Max LeBron, Davis and Irving?
Kyrie & Westbrook both guys who are cancers so pick your poison. Kyrie picked up his option so his contract would be within 10 million of Westbrook. I think it’s a 10% cushion so Brooklyn needs to throw in another contract around 6 million. LA definitely throwing in a first rounder.
The best idea for Nets is
Trade Durant and Irving to the same team
Last thing I’ll say on this thread. Sean marks needs to not be stupid here. Seth curry and joe Harris will each have a chance to build up there value before trade deadline and could be assets to a contending team. Probably more value than what kyrie will fetch you by himself at this point. Sit kyrie and play curry and Harris and give them a chance to net you something of actual value. Shooters are worth something. Be patient sean. Trade kd and sit on everyone else. Ur kyrie’s boss not the other way around.
Mavs offer this package for Irving
Dinwiddie
Powell
Josh Green
Picks
This would save Nets 20 million luxury tax
Is this a better package than Westbrook
Simmons and Westbrook are about playoffs success?
Only thing is Dinwiddie is valuable to the Mavs. Probably would replace him with Hardaway.
If true nets should jump on it
continency
Irving would have to sign extension with Mavs
Irving and Mavs GM have good relationship on Nike deal.
Nets need to give an example of Durant deal
Example for teams to propose a deal
All star starter – Wiggins
Rising star – Poole
First round picks
First round swaps
I’m so glad the Nets failed at being a superteam, hoping that the Lakers also fail.
@Jawman
Every single GM wants to have a super team and if we all are honest with each other, then we can agree that the Celtics of the 60s, and the Bird Celtics, the Magic Lakers, the Big 3 Celtics with Garnett, Pierce, Allen and Rondo, the Jordan Bulls, the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, the kobe/Gasol/Odom/Artest, the 76ers of the early 80s and the Popovich Spurs were all super teams in various degrees.
LBJ has been successful because I think he has an amazing IQ and aside from Westbrook they are high IQ players too who buy into LBJ’s/ coaches gameplan and willing to put aside their egos. You can put together thr body parts nut without the brain, the heat and thr soul you just have a connection of parts.
I think what really makes a super team though is when stars choose to band together as free agents or through trade demands. I wouldn’t consider any team that grew organically through the draft or through unrelated trades or FA pickups to be a super team. I don’t consider the 80’s Celtics and lakers, the spurs, Jordan’s bulls, Kobe Shaq lakers, or Kobe Gasol lakers to be super teams. But the Lebron Heat, Garnett Celtics, Kawhi Clippers, and Durant Nets among others would all be considered super teams in my opinion.
This is basically my exact thoughts, and it’s why I’m hesitant to call teams like Miami or Phoenix superteams as they are now because they weren’t exclusively stars that came together but rather a combination of good development and veteran leadership. CP3 completed that Suns core, Butler completed that Heat core, and perhaps Gobert will complete that Wolves core, for instance.
My hockey fandom may be coming out here but I just prefer the “combine a rising star with a star” format as opposed to “stack a team” because I feel like the latter strategy does nothing but make the league predictable and weighs down the smaller and less wealthy markets.
@Hoops
So because the players are making it happen instead of a GM then it’s a bad thing? Set aside the “bad business” moves I too hate like forcing trades. Who puts it together shouldn’t matter. I almost feel like it’s something slightly awkward about ppl who are against player assimilation the way LBJ has done it. The way players are getting paid and the power they might be able to branch out to something different one day and I think the users of originality Black athletes owning and ordering a league scares a lot of ppl. But to be clear I’m totally against players that demand to be traded to join sport teams.
I’m not against player empowerment or players making moves instead of GM’s. But like anything in life there are upsides and downsides to it. This KD situation is showing the downside of it.
The Nets may come away with a “W” by trading KD, so I don’t really see a downside other than a few lean years in Brooklyn. They took a swing and they missed. I don’t think they would win a title with KD, Kyrie and Ben if everything went flawlessly. But you trade KD and get a young star plus multiple 1sts, all of a sudden the Nets look potentially scary in a few years with draft assets, cap space and some young building blocks.
All valid points, but it’s undeniable the precedent being set is concering.
KFCF, don’t make it about race. That’s just hiding behind a hot-button topic. The sentiment would be the same if all players were white. When this was the case, in early days, the word was “ringer”. Fans did not like when the outcome of a game was determined by the the hiring of a ringer, a late add of a top performer. The first pro football league shut down because of it (probably, no poll was taken).
Durant is quoted above, dismissing inquiries, saying to ask an elite— people behind certain doors.
It’s not organic. Im not that worried because the Nets will be compensated. It’s all a game with rules. Some will find cause to identify who the bad guys are. This is perpetual. Any team playing on the road will be the bad guys. That’s why all the shouting during games.
I read that
Warriors want Durant by offering better package than any team
Lakers are on championship mode
Trade away all First round picks from 2010 to 2029
20 years first round draft picks
According to Fox sports it is ALL IN
By comparison
Warriors are on Rebuild mode
4 first round pick rookie contracts and future picks
Max 1st round picks is still at 4 so that’s not even in the realm of possible. Factious comments are still dumb if they don’t come close to being possible.
I hope nets take a stand and don’t trade cryrie. Let him sit this year out if you are not going to get anything of value in return. Lakers couldn’t sign him next year cause they won’t have his bird rights if they don’t trade him. Don’t give him what he wants especially after how him and his cupcake buddy kd did your franchise.
So bench a dude and pay him 30 some odd million and get nothing when he leaves next year
Or trade him and get assets for rebuilding.
Yes plan A def makes the most sense.
What assets? Westbrook? NO ONE wants the guy except LA. Nunn or THT are assets? Both are role players on a non playoff team already. If they can get something of actual value by all means trade him but westbrick and nunn or THT aren’t assets.
Its crazy to think Laker management feels they can trade Westbrook and Irving straight across. They should be happy to include THT and getting back Harris is the trade.
Yeah I don’t understand why Nets make the trade unless they really want out of the Joe Harris contract or get both Lakers 1st round picks in return. Otherwise just buy him out and let him go sign with LA. Taking back Russ and anyone else they can give does nothing to help them unless picks are involved. I’m sure they would be buying out Russ after the trade so why even make the trade.
Westbrook is an expiring $47 million deal. There’s some value to that, especially if the Nets can offload Harris’s awful deal and pick up a 1st on top of it.
Exactly why would they take Westbrook if they can save $9 million instead of Kyrie? That is why they want the Lakers to take the Harris deal too. Next year even with Durants deal they will have money to spend on free agents if they can drop the $19 million owed to Harris.
Lakers need to take the deal as soon as possible
Only one future First (little value)
Lakers salary in 2023-24
Lebron 47M
Irving 42M
Davis 41M
Harris 19m
Tucker 11m
Subtotal $160M
rest $15M
$50 million luxury tax
Not bad
Nets want Nunn not Tucker
Same value as kyrie being an expiring deal but you can take a stand and not give a guy who ruined ur franchise exactly what he wants. Let him sit and find out there’s no money for him next summer
Kyrie is an expiring as well. There is no reason to take on Westbrook as an expiring deal, that is not an asset. Its an asset to get out from under bad contracts with more years but not when trading expiring for expiring. As I said, if they really really want out of Harris contract and get picks back then I understand but Lakers are trying not to take Harris back in the deal. So then what would Brooklyn’s motivation be when you can save a bunch by just buying out Kyrie.
Westbrook is a larger contract and thus, creates more space with his expiring deal. But I also mentioned Harris and clearing his awful deal as well as acquiring a first.
If KD and Kyrie are both going to get traded, Westbrook and a first (and whatever else is needed to match salaries) for Kyrie and Joe Harris is a good deal for the Nets. And it’s way better than just sulking and making Kyrie sit for a year.
I don’t understand why Nets fans feel they can both get rid of Harris and get a pick. I agree that Kyrie for Westbrick straight up, or the Lakers ridiculous idea that they can get Curry to “salary match” is of no benefit to Brooklyn. The flip side though is it doesn’t benefit the Lakers if they’re taking Harris and dealing picks.
To me the deal is either Kyrie & Curry for Westbrick and both Laker picks, or it’s Kyrie and Harris for Westbrick without any picks.
This trade would already be done if lakers were giving up 1 or 2 firsts and taking on the harris deal
Lakers GM phone is burning up from LeBron calls saying take the deal who cares about draft picks. Get Kyrie and get rid of Westbrook.
And this is why you’re not a GM
Now the Mavs and 76ers are asking about Kyrie so the Lakers better not waste another chance at getting rid of Westbrook. Lakers already wasted last year’s request for a 1st rounder.
They’ll be garbage either way unless a different team gives them something of actual value for him. I get that since ur a dodger fan you’re probably a laker fan so I get why you want kyrie cause without him lakers won’t make the play-in games again like last year. Westbrick THT or nunn all worthless assets
Doesn’t take a gm to be able to see that
Durant prefers
Suns owner is very cheap
Heat don’t offer 4 requirements (actually offer nothing)
All star
rising star
Tons of first round picks
Swap
I’d like to see him on the floor where a talent like his belongs.
I mean, it seems they should at least be able to get a 1st round pick for him and a 27’ or 29’ first from the lakers could end up being really valuable. Even a late future 1st or 2 of them would be much better than letting him sit and dealing with the drama
So that’s 3 teams in a row who have had a poor experience with Kyrie…makes you wonder how things will end up with the Lakers
3 teams in a row? I’d say 2. He got his ring in Cleveland. Sure, there were ups and downs but not the level of insanity Boston and Brooklyn have seen. I’m a Nets’ fan and I didn’t want to believe everything the Celtics fans have been saying about him, but they’ve been proven right.
He demanding out after they won a title and the Cavs couldn’t get equal value. Yeah, 3 teams.
There was good then bad in Cleveland, so the ultimate label depends on the wording. But there was bad in the end at all Irving stops.
And to project, setting up Irving as the leader likely would have wound up all bad, except IRL Lebron intervened to get them to a ‘ship level.
The question could have come to a head, because Cavs need a PG for most of the year until Rubio returns, and Irving is expiring, and Love could be traded, and Nets had that first… But that went for Royce Oneal.
Anyway there would be other snags.
Mutual trust is the most important elements of the Lakers success
Irving max is $245 million contract.
I doubt that there is mutual trust between Lakers and Irving. that is the reason Irving did not sign $6 million contract with Lakers.
Lakers are not ALL IN.
Durant and Kyrie to the Pels probably makes the most sense.
Durant can probably get Kyrie to play for at least a year & he should be motivated to play for a new contract.
Getting Kyrie in addition to Durant also lets the Pels give up a 2nd key player in the trade.
Durant, Kyrie and Ben for Zion, Ingram, McCollum, Val & Graham?
I suppose anything is possible as this moment.
Take out Ben and Mccollum
Add 6 Future Firsts
Pelicans may give up Ingram for Durant Zion is a Pelican for life if he wants it. They have lots of picks too. Ayton to pelicans Durant to suns and Ingram to Nets and two pelican picks.
So, you actually think the Pels would give Ingram and 2 picks for Ayton? That’s insane.
The Raptors are NOT trading a 20 year old Rookie of the year for a 34 year old who is making a ton of money and has a long list of significant lower body injuries even if his name is Kevin Durant. Where are the silly reports about the Cavaliers trading Mobley for him? Or the Pistons flipping Cunningham. Twolves didn’t want to include Edwards or Towns for Durant. The Nets are not getting the young superstar like Barnes, Morant, Mobley, Edwards, Etc.
Yep. All of that plus you didn’t even mention his personality and the drama. You trade for KD and a year from now he might be demanding another trade. Nets blew up their team for him and accommodated his every wish and it still wasn’t enough.
I blame Kyrie, not KD.
KD’s 4th team and yet it’s never his fault.
I think mags should roll the dice on Kyrie . Nothing to loose if it dies not work they have cap Space .
Barnes isn’t a young superstar, neither is Mobley. Not saying they can’t be, but so far we haven’t seen “superstar” from them.
The Raptors probably have the best offer without Barnes anyway. If you weren’t giving up so much draft capital you could probably include him, but since any trade for Durant will allow BRKLN to control the Raps draft until 2029 you gotta keep him.
Excellent point. If you are sending out a lot of 1st round picks, you have to hang onto the great young guys you have. Since you ain’t getting a shot at drafting one again for the next several years.
Barnes, Mobley, Cunningham are all project towards that superstar level. You can’t flip that decade long potential for a twilight years Durant.
Agreed.
I can’t see the Raps going that heavily after him if the rumoured packages they would need to land him are accurate.
Raptors are built on a solid foundation of players working together in a system and building through the draft. The team is way better than the sum of its parts. Durant is the opposite. Never impacts his team as greatly as his talent says he should.
I know they surprised to land Kawhi and won a ring for it… but that was for one established star, one low upside young player and one first rounder.
If the Raps can land Durant for a similar price then maybe. Something like Siakim, Boucher and a first round pick? But no way that would fly for the Nets.
Where is the young player?
Siakam is 27/28…
Boucher 29/30…???
This whole situation rubs me the wrong way. I respect a person choosing what they want to do with their life. I didn’t mind KD’s decision to join the warriors. He was a free agent and just wanted to play high level basketball and move somewhere new. This Nets situation though…..I don’t feel the slightest remorse for his situation right now. He got everything he wanted. This is what happens when you team up with Kyrie and recruit Harden. You get an wild card in Kyrie and a guy who quits on his teams in Harden. Durant made his bed and now demands a trade when it doesn’t go his way? Right after signing an extension and with four years left on his contract?
Why does that matter? Nets will get a ton for him and it’s not like he’s being Harden and pouting and giving up. Also, Nets did throw Kyrie under the bus all year for the vax mandate instead of letting him play road games – which became kinda funny when they finally let him come back after all the vaccinated players were getting Covid
It’s bad for the league. This is the bad side of player empowerment. It’s when a player gets everything he wants, the organization bends over backwards for him and he and still asks out. Btw I had no problem with Kyries vaccine decision. From what I’ve read that’s not what bothered his teammates, it’s Kyries general attitude issues and non covid related lack of real commitment to the team. It’s been his MO for years now on three different teams.
Hoops identifies the points, but all that means, boo them next time.
There are larger issues for the next CBA to address… I.e., the contractee dismissal of contracts. Actual courts cannot be counted on to care— or would be asked to care. The CBA determines.
Que cancele el contrato estaria bien.
KD maybe one good fullish year left due to age and injuries? All of the these trades for young stars are ludicrous as you are cleaning out your team for 1 good year of KD then what?
In the LAL trade, Harris and Westbrook almost cancel each other money wise. You could say LA taking on Harris’s contract is like spreading Westbrook over 2 years and Bkn gets out of the Harris contract by paying more to Westbrook this year…those two cancel each other. So what is left?
Kyrie for THT, Nunn plus 0,1, or 2 1st round picks in the distant future.
To me, it comes down how many draft picks will they get because THT and NUnn may be gone in 1-2 years. I would go for 2 as a fair result.
1 or 2 picks is something of value. They are going to be 5-7 years down the line but at least it’s something.
I predict season ending injury for KD early in the season… It is whay it is… too much drama for nothing. He should have stayed in GS. :)
KD to the Suns! Suns will easily win 4+ championship with KD. KD can play until his early 40s maybe late. Suns need to doing anything to get him keep CP and Book but everyone else is tradable on the roster even bridges who they probably want to keep but it’s KD A top 10 player of all time arguably the greatest scorer of all time. Raps and Pels should go after KD even if it means trading your young stars Scottie/BI etc!
KD ain’t top 10 all-time
Late 40s nahh these guys make to much money off the court to play until late 40s and the only guy I think could play into his late 40s would be curry because he can be a 3 point sharp shooter
This guy got creative and came up with a hell of a 5 team trade involving Durant, Kyrie, Westbrook, Ayton, Bridges, Cam Johnson, Bogdanovich and many more players & picks involved. CHECK IT OUT HERE: link to twitter.com
There are only two trades out there for KD imo. That’s the Warriors (if they want him). And the Suns. Both give back great young talent. (Wiseman, Kuminga) or (Ayton, Bridges). Plus picks. You can’t go wrong with either.
No one is taking Kyrie. He should go play in China ……totalAh
And I will add Pelicans to that list. Sorry I forgot them.
Wiseman and Kuminga
Ayton and Bridges
Ingram, Hayes, Kira
Those are excellent starts. Plus picks of course.
Top three destinations for KD.
My prediction is lakers get curry and Harris in the deal. Let’s be honest the nets aren’t contending next year. Harris is a very good player and worst case scenario harris has 19 million a year to trade for matching salaries when he’s An expiring contract.
I was today years old when I learned Joe harris has a 2016 Cleveland cavaliers championship ring
Kyrie and Durant are both selfish players.
Talented no doubt… but guys with this kind of attitude are complimentary pieces no matter how talented they are or how much they want to be the franchise guy.
And the “super teams” haven’t worked out as well as people think anyway. Golden State was already dominant when they landed Durant. Raptors were very good before Kawhi ended up there. Clippers and Nets were supposed to meet in the finals but instead it’s Boston, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Golden State getting there after landing no major superstars in the off-season.
Hopefully GMs around the league recognize that and structure their trade offers accordingly.
KD and Kyrie are not the same. Sorry
KD is historical. Kyrie is just noise.
I’m sure KD regrets his time with Kyrie. KD wants to win. And he knows clock is ticking. Tatum and Celtics scared the the god in him. He knows he has 2-3 yrs. That’s why he wants out. And he’s not going anywhere. Has to be a top contender. Divas today
Free Agency being stalling based on the KD situation sounds ominous. But there wasn’t much of a FA market this year, including S&T’s. Other than Brunson, what FA has moved teams? Come close? What UFAs are still out there that might? Is their fate really contingent on KD?
Anyway, BKN appears to have no incentive to act quickly on either front. KI is going to have to be traded to the LAL (if he’s traded at all), but whatever the LAL offer is now, it’s not going away any time soon. If a KI trade happens ahead of a KD trade, it would have to be on BKN’s terms. As for the main attraction, KD is signed for 4 years. BKN is supposedly asking an historic return, and honestly can’t trade him quickly unless they get that. If they end up taking less, it has to be after a period of time that indicates they tried. Just reality.
Heard Windhorst say today that it’s possible that Kyrie and KD may still want to play together. Just not in Brooklyn
Talk about a final kick in the nuts
I questiin the hauls that teams get eventually by signing a FA. I don’t feel badly for the Nets, or Rockets or Wizards or Lakers. They got hauls, or will get one… or could (Beal may want to leave and many value him).
The process leaves out middle American teams, which is not all bad… We’re off the rollercoaster, for better or worse.
I’m so intrigued how Nets will come out of this…I think it can be really healthy
Brk- Durant
Pelicans- Ingram Nance (expiring) Kira Lewis and 1 of Murphy Jones or Alvorado, preferably Murphy – Salaries match perfect + picks (probably a couple of the Laker ones as well as they’ll project better than their own and Mil’s )
Brk- KI/Joe
LAL- RW/THT +picks (more of Lal’s uncertain future)
New Nets
Guards – RW (expiring) Simmons Curry(expiring) ThT Lewis Murphy Mills Cam THomas – Not Bad
F/C- Ingram O’Niel Nance (expiring) Claxton Sharpe… Thin but not a bad start
Plenty of cap 24′ when RW Curry and Nance’s 67 mill fall off. Draft capital back above par, everybody young, no bad money have an anchor with Ingram and Bens slot movable if need be
I would say that teams more healthier 24, 25, 26 than where the Lakers sit today even if they take a small step back next year (a year in which they’ll get their own pick/ Hou swap won’t trigger )
** Tht or Curry needs to be added to the Durant trade for monies outgoing – Id assume Tht but that’s probably a good thing for Brk as it clears more cap 24 for them. They have the Lakers in their back pocket so they can pull that trade first then Durant right after
Nets don’t need Westbrook
Westbrook to the third team
Westbrook won’t help Nets on playoffs
Ben Simmons is already too much