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Suns GM: “Brooklyn Wanted To Keep Kevin Durant in Brooklyn”

September 11th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Suns general manager James Jones doesn’t believe the Nets were ever serious about moving Kevin Durant after his trade request in late June. In an interview with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Jones said Brooklyn set its asking price on Durant so high that no team would be willing to meet it.

Durant reportedly named Phoenix and Miami as his preferred destinations when he first asked to be traded, and there was massive speculation that the Suns were the favorites to land him because they had what the Nets reportedly wanted: young talent and multiple first-round picks. However, Jones doubts that Brooklyn’s front office made a legitimate effort to part with its star.

“Cause Brooklyn wanted to keep Kevin Durant in Brooklyn,” Jones responded when asked why a trade didn’t happen. “And that’s why he’s in Brooklyn and not on some other team, but as far as with us, I get it. It’s always a great topic of discussion, but the one thing people forget is that when you’re talking about trades, or any player acquisition, the team that has the player has to be willing to move the player. And so if they’re not moving the player, which they didn’t, it’s just conversation and it’s great discussion. Great interest for the NBA fan base and the team fan base.”

Jones added that trade talks with the Nets never progressed past the initial stage. He said every team in the league probably made a call to Brooklyn to see what it would take to get Durant, but there was no “in-depth discussion” between the Suns and Nets.

Jones addressed a few other topics in the interview:

Dealing with Mikal Bridges after he was prominently mentioned in Durant trade rumors:

“Mikal’s watching and he’s watching reports and third parties report about him. I get it. Being a player on both sides of it, I truly understand it, but it’s a testament to Mikal’s ability. He’s a really good player. So I would assume any time someone is linked to us, a good player is linked to us, that our good players will be brought up by someone. It’s the nature of it, but I think speaking to Mikal, he understands the business. He understands he’s put himself in a position to be regarded as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Any discussion around great players, I would assume he’d be one of the first guy’s names that’s going to be thrown out there.”

The status of extension talks with Cameron Johnson:

“We’re having discussions. Cam is a big part of what we do. Really excited for the progress he’s shown over the last few years, especially last year. I think he’s primed to take some steps forward. We’re excited about this team, and we’re excited about the guys on this team one through 16. He’s definitely someone we’re going to need to take another step if we want to continue to progress and grow as a group.”

Possible roster moves before the start of training camp:

 “Always in evaluation mode. Always looking. Right now, we’re at 16 guys (14 standard, two two-way). There’s a chance I may add a couple more guys for training camp, but I think we’re close to the end of where we’ll be as far as our training camp roster goes.”

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New York Notes: Nets, Sumner, Lustgarten, Barkley, Wesley

September 10th, 2022 at 10:16am CST by Dana Gauruder

A fast start to the regular season would release a lot of the tension and uneasiness surrounding the Nets as they head into training camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

Media day will be much anticipated, as Kevin Durant will be asked why he wanted Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks fired, and the latter duo will have to discuss how they plan to coexist with the player who tried to oust them. They did already meet in Los Angeles to discuss the situation.

However, if things don’t go well during a rugged early schedule, issues created by Durant’s previous trade request and others regarding Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons could resurface, as Lewis observes.

We have more on the New York teams:

  • The Nets’ Edmond Sumner is excited about his progress from a ruptured Achilles that sidelined him last season when he was with the Pacers. He has apparently gone full speed in five-on-five scrimmages. He feels he can provide versatility to the club, as he told Chris Carrino on a podcast (hat tip to NetsDaily). “I feel I can do a lot of stuff, play off the ball, if you want me to play multiple positions. guard multiple positions,” he said. “I feel I can be a jack of all trades.” Sumner signed a two-year contract that is partially guaranteed in the first year and non-guaranteed in the second year.
  • Andrew Lustgarten is stepping down as CEO and president of MSG Sports, the parent of the Knicks and Rangers, according to Sportico.com. Lustgarten will stay on as MSG Sports CEO through the end of the year, when he will transition to the board. David Hopkinson, an executive vice president at MSG Sports, has been promoted to president and COO.
  • TNT analyst Charles Barkley said in Sirius XM interview (hat tip to Ian Begley of SNY.TV) that he spoke with Knicks executive William Wesley about why they didn’t complete a deal for Donovan Mitchell. Wesley told Barkley that the Jazz asked for too much.“They wanted my wife, my kids…. We wanted the deal, obviously,” Wesley told Barkley. “But he said they wanted my wife, they wanted my kids, they wanted my grandkids. They were just trying to rip somebody off.”
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Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors, Celtics, Sumner

September 8th, 2022 at 8:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks are hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2021/22 NBA season, with a $104MM new lead guard on the roster in Jalen Brunson. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News assesses the club’s roster, projecting starters and the likely first names off the bench.

Bondy also notes that, in terms of potential future deals, 2019 lottery pick Cam Reddish, acquired in a midseason trade with the Hawks, seems to want to move on. “It’s clear Cam has no place there,” a source close to the 6’8″ small forward told the Daily News. Bondy writes that the big question mark in the team’s starting lineup is at the shooting guard position, where the battle for suiting up as Brunson’s new backcourt mate looks to be between Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Following a return to the playoffs in 2021/22, the Raptors will be looking to build off their 48-34 season. Eric Koreen of The Athletic identifies paths to improvement for Toronto, including All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam‘s pull-up three-pointers, second-year forward Scottie Barnes‘s defense on the wing, and swingman OG Anunoby‘s scoring in isolation.
  • The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years last season. Jared Weiss of The Athletic examines ways in which head coach Ime Udoka could look to preserve the health of injury-prone starting center Robert Williams and 36-year-old starting power forward Al Horford, including giving more minutes to reserve Luke Kornet.
  • New Nets wing Edmond Sumner has cleared an injury recovery hurdle, he announced in a tweet. The nature of the step Sumner took was not clarified. “Hit a big milestone today!” Sumner wrote in part. “Been patiently waiting to get up and down. Been grinding and trusting this process not rushing it.” Sumner signed with Brooklyn on a veteran’s minimum deal this offseason, after missing all of 2021/22 with a torn left Achilles tendon.
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Markieff Morris Contract Details

September 8th, 2022 at 5:44am CST by Luke Adams

Markieff Morris‘ one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nets is non-guaranteed for now, but the veteran forward will receive a partial guarantee worth $500K if he isn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Morris’ partial guarantee would increase to $1MM if he hasn’t been cut by December 10. He would lock in his full $2,905,581 minimum salary (only $1,836,090 counts against the Nets’ cap) after the league-wide guarantee date in January, assuming he remains under contract.

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Celtics Notes: Brogdon, Smart, Durant, White

September 7th, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

New Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon is comfortable with the idea of playing a sixth man role for his new team as Marcus Smart retains the starting point guard job. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes, Brogdon is also confident that the two guards will complement one another well when they share the floor.

“I think we have different strengths,” Brogdon said. “He’s an All-Defensive player and Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s incredible in that facet, but I also think he contributes offensively. You’ve seen his game grow and seen him be able to knock down shots and create for his teammates.

“And we both can play on and off the ball. That’s the beauty of us. We’re smart, we have high IQs, and we’re unselfish, so I think it’s going to work well.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Although they were once viewed as a serious suitor for Kevin Durant, the Celtics never came “remotely close” to actually acquiring the former MVP, according to Himmelsbach, who heard from league sources that the Nets never pushed particularly hard to trade Durant.
  • Jared Weiss of The Athletic considers possible trade options the Celtics could explore with Danilo Gallinari expected to miss most or all of the 2022/23 season, suggesting that Derrick White could potentially become a trade chip if Brogdon is healthy and effective. However, Weiss notes that Gallinari was more of a luxury than a necessity, meaning the team won’t feel urgency to go out and acquire a replacement.
  • In his latest mailbag, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston discusses Sam Hauser‘s role, the battle for back-end roster spots, and expectations for Payton Pritchard, among other Celtics-related topics.
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Markieff Morris Signs With Nets

September 7th, 2022 at 9:52am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 7: The Nets have officially signed Morris, the team announced today in a press release. As previously reported, Morris’ new deal is said to be non-guaranteed.

AUGUST 30: The Nets will add veteran forward Markieff Morris on a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Morris spent last season with the Heat, but appeared in just 17 games after suffering a neck injury. He averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night and likely would have played a much larger role if he hadn’t been hurt.

Brooklyn will be the seventh NBA team for Morris, who entered the league in 2011. He has become mainly a bench player over the past four years and was an effective reserve for the Lakers during his last healthy season in 2020/21.

Morris, who signed minimum-salary deals with both L.A. and Miami, will likely get the same arrangement from the Nets. He may be seen as a replacement for LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin, who both remain unsigned.

Once Morris’ signing becomes official, Brooklyn will have 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts. Edmond Sumner‘s deal is partially guaranteed and Yuta Watanabe‘s is non-guaranteed.

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Eastern Notes: Simmons, Nets’ Rotation, Heat, Trade Deadline

September 4th, 2022 at 7:16pm CST by JD Shaw

With former All-Star guard Ben Simmons expected to return this season, John Schuhmann of NBA.com examines how he may fit with the Nets. Brooklyn acquired Simmons in a deal with the Sixers featuring James Harden last season, but he didn’t play due to mental health concerns, both mental and physical.

The Nets will likely consider starting Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant and Nicolas Claxton. That places the 6’11” Simmons at power forward, playing between Durant and Claxton. His defensive versatility and passing could allow him to play a role similar to the one Draymond Green plays in Golden State, especially given that he’ll have some of the league’s best shooters (Irving, Curry, Durant, Joe Harris and Patty Mills) around him.

Green, however, can spread the floor. He’s not a great three-point shooter, but opposing defenses have respected him enough. On the other hand, Simmons has made just five three-pointers in his career. It’ll be important for Brooklyn to play in transition this season. The team will likely feature Simmons in the dunker’s spot and play him on the ball, though it’s also possible he plays some minutes at center.

Here are some other notes from the East:

  • Brian Lewis of the New York Post projects the Nets‘ rotation. As mentioned previously, Brooklyn has flexibility and could play Simmons at the four or five. The team also has weapons such as Mills, Harris, Royce O’Neale and T.J. Warren.
  • Heat legend Tim Hardaway defended Kyle Lowry over allegations that he weighed too much this season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Lowry still managed to have a respectable season, though he dealt with an injury throughout the playoffs that limited his availability and effectiveness.
  • In his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag, Ira Winderman examines whether the Heat may be active ahead of the trade deadline this year. Heat president Pat Riley is known for being open to making major changes, but Miami decided to stand pat this offseason (except for losing P.J. Tucker to Philadelphia). Since Miami has multiple undersized options at power forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team make a trade — even though it has plenty of talent.
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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Atlantic Division

September 2nd, 2022 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Atlantic Division. Let’s dive in…

Boston Celtics

Horford is a lock to be on the Celtics’ 15-man regular season roster and Kornet’s partial guarantee gives him an inside path. If we assume Boston will start the season with a roster spot open in order to maintain roster flexibility and reduce the team’s tax bill, that leaves two spots up for grabs.

Caboclo, Valentine, Vonleh, and Thomas will all likely be in the mix for those openings, and the C’s have the spots necessary on their 20-man offseason roster to bring in a couple more camp invitees to take part in that competition.

Brooklyn Nets

After hanging onto Durant and Irving, the Nets are still working on filling out their roster. It’s possible some combination of Sumner, Watanabe, and Morris will fill the remaining two or three spots on the 15-man squad, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Duke works himself into that mix or if Brooklyn brings in another veteran free agent or two to compete for a roster spot.

If Duke doesn’t get a promotion to the Nets’ 15-man roster, he’s the best bet to fill the open two-way slot next to Williams.

New York Knicks

Up until Thursday, it looked like the Knicks’ roster may still undergo a major overhaul, with the possibility of a Donovan Mitchell trade threatening to shake things up. Now that Mitchell is headed to Cleveland, New York’s offseason to-do list appears nearly done.

The Knicks do still have two openings on their 15-man roster and aren’t in any danger of going into tax territory, so they could comfortably fill both of those remaining spots. A veteran free agent signing or two is one possibility — New York could also look to make a minor trade, or could wait until the preseason to see which players currently on rosters might shake loose as teams make cuts.

Philadelphia 76ers

With 12 players on guaranteed contracts and four on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals, the Sixers will have to trade or release at least one player before opening night.

Given how close they are to the hard cap, the 76ers seem more likely to cut a player who doesn’t have a full guarantee in order to create a little extra flexibility, so Queen and Joe are among those who could be in danger. A trade involving a player like Korkmaz also shouldn’t be ruled out, though it will be trickier to pull off.

Toronto Raptors

Even after waiving Svi Mykhailiuk, the Raptors have a crowded roster. It seems likely that all 13 players on guaranteed contracts will open the season on the 15-man squad — Hernangomez may not be a lock, but Toronto wouldn’t have given him a fully guaranteed salary if he wasn’t part of the team’s plans.

If we pencil in those 13, it leaves two open spots for Banton, Champagnie, Jackson, Wilson, and possibly two-way RFAs Harris and Johnson. The latter two are wild cards, since they could also factor into the two-way picture if Toronto is willing to carry one or both of them over Dowtin and/or Harper. There’s plenty still to be sorted out here.

Previously:

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Winfield: Nets Could Still Use Depth At Center, Point Guard

September 1st, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams
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Markieff Morris' Deal With Nets Won't Be Guaranteed

August 31st, 2022 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams
  • The Nets‘ one-year deal with Markieff Morris won’t be guaranteed, according to reports from ESPN and Brian Lewis of The New York Post. We’ll have to wait until after the signing is official to confirm whether Morris’ salary will be fully non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed — either way, he seems like a good bet to earn a regular season roster spot if he looks healthy in training camp.
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