Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

The Toronto Raptors Win The 2019 NBA Finals

June 13th, 2019 at 11:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Toronto Raptors have won the 2019 NBA Finals.

The Raptors pulled out the Game 6 victory over the Warriors, winning the series 4-2. Masai Ujiri‘s decision to shake up arguably the franchise’s most successful team in order to bring in Kawhi Leonard pays the ultimate dividend: An NBA Championship.

Ujiri’s work deserves recognition for more than just the Leonard acquisition. Drafting Pascal Siakam, recognizing Fred VanVleet‘s potential, and making the decision to stand pat with Kyle Lowry at point guard are among the shrewd moves the executive made to put the franchise in this position.

Golden State saw Kevin Durant return from a calf ailment only to fall to an Achilles injury during the series. Kevon Looney was in and out of the lineup, and Klay Thompson missed one game and parts of two others. With injuries piling up, the Warriors simply didn’t have the depth to match up with a complete Raptors team.

Leonard takes home a Finals MVP for the second time in his career, having won the award during the Spurs’ run in 2014.

Kevon Looney To Play In Game 6

June 13th, 2019 at 6:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevon Looney will play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

“He’s doing decently. So I think he’ll give it a go,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ll see how he holds up.”

Looney suffered a costal cartilage fracture in Game 2 and wasn’t expected to return for the remainder of the season. However, after receiving a second opinion on the injury, he came back in Game 4 before re-injuring himself in Game 5, leaving the contest.

Game 6 will be the Warriors’ final game in Oracle Arena.

“Win or lose, we’ll be able to share some emotion and say our goodbyes, and hopefully with one more game to play in Toronto,” Kerr said via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). “But it is a strange, unique night.”

Cameron Johnson Worked Out For Warriors

June 13th, 2019 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to his previously-reported workouts, Cameron Johnson (UNC) has auditioned for the Timberwolves, Celtics, Thunder, Sixers, and Warriors, tweets Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box.

Kevin Durant Undergoes Surgery On Ruptured Achilles

June 12th, 2019 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Warriors initially feared, Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon during Monday night’s win over the Raptors. Durant announced the news himself today in an Instagram post, confirming that he has already undergone surgery to repair the injury.

“My road back starts now!” Durant wrote on Instagram. “I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way.

“Like I said Monday, I’m hurting deeply, but I’m OK,” Durant continued. “Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three-peat. It’s just the way things go in this game and I’m proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I’m proud my brothers got the W.”

Speaking today to reporters, including Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Durant, agent Rich Kleiman, team doctors, and an outside specialist were all involved in the decision to clear KD to return for Game 5. According to Kerr, the club didn’t believe there was a risk of an Achilles tear, and wouldn’t have cleared Durant if that was thought to be a possibility.

“Would we go back and do it over again? Damn right,” Kerr said. “Our feeling was the worst thing he could do was re-injure the calf. The Achilles came as a complete shock.”

A ruptured Achilles tendon is one of the most serious injuries an NBA player can sustain, and there’s a good chance it will sideline Durant for most or all of the 2019/20 season. However, as we relayed on Tuesday night, that injury isn’t expected to deter KD’s suitors if and when he reaches free agency. The Warriors, Knicks, Nets, Lakers, and Clippers are still likely to pursue Durant, who may have his choice of maximum-salary offers.

Exercising his $31.5MM player option with the Warriors and putting off free agency until 2020 is another option for Durant, but with plenty of teams seemingly interested in topping that salary, that scenario is reportedly considered a “last resort.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Updates: Green Room, Culver, Samanic, More

June 12th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA continues to invite potential first-round picks to the Green Room for next Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Nassir Little (UNC), Romeo Langford (Indiana), and Tyler Herro (Kentucky) were the next invitees after the initial nine-player group.

According to Givony (Twitter links), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), PJ Washington (Kentucky) also received Green Room invites, as did international prospect Sekou Doumbouya. That brings us to 16 prospects who are expected to be in the Green Room on draft night, with four others still expected to be invited, per Givony.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Within his latest mock draft, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cites league sources who say that both the Suns and Hawks are high on Texas Tech swingman Jarrett Culver. However, it’s possible that neither team will have a shot at him without trading up — Woo has Culver coming off the board at No. 5 to the Cavaliers in his mock.
Croatian forward Luka Samanic has a busy workout schedule, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), who adds the Warriors and Spurs to the list of teams Samanic has auditioned for. He also has workouts lined up with the Hawks and Bucks.
UCF guard Aubrey Dawkins has worked out for the Celtics, Pelicans, Knicks, and Raptors, and still has the Mavericks, Rockets, and Hornets on his workout schedule, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links) provides a pair of updates on pre-draft workouts for prospects, reporting that Chris Silva (South Carolina) is working out for the Heat and Spurs, while Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s) worked out for the Cavaliers and Mavericks and has the Sixers and Rockets on tap.

Woj’s Latest: Durant, Conley, Pacers, Draft Rumors

June 12th, 2019 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

On Tuesday night, we relayed a pair of rumors from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said on the network’s televised mock draft special that the Lakers, Mavericks, and Knicks are among the teams interested in pursuing point guard Kemba Walker, but also cautioned that the Lakers aren’t considered frontrunners for any top free agents.

During ESPN’s draft special, Wojnarowski offered up several more tidbits worth passing along, so we’ll round them up in the space below (all links via Sagar Trika unless otherwise indicated):

Picking up his 2019/20 player option with the Warriors is probably a “last resort” for Kevin Durant, since he should still receive maximum-salary or near-max offers as a free agent, Wojnarowski said this morning on Get Up (video link via ESPN). We heard on Tuesday that Durant’s Achilles injury isn’t expected to deter suitors, even if it keeps him out for all of next season. Marc Berman of The New York Post confirmed today that the Knicks remain very interested in signing Durant.
Wojnarowski identifies the Jazz, Pacers, and Celtics as potential suitors for trade candidate Mike Conley (Twitter link). Of course, Boston would only make sense as a trade partner for the Grizzlies if Kyrie Irving leaves.
According to Wojnarowski, the Pacers are interested in bringing back Bojan Bogdanovic and would also like to re-sign Thaddeus Young, assuming the price is right (Twitter link).
The Hawks are a team to watch on draft night and may be a candidate to move up to No. 5, in Wojnarowski’s view (Twitter links). Woj expects GM Travis Schlenk to be creative and would be surprised if Atlanta ends up using both the No. 8 and No. 10 overall picks.
Even if the Suns and Bulls draft point guards with their first-round picks, they’d each likely try to sign a veteran in free agency, says Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Thunder are in “absolute win-now mode,” and Wojnarowski believes they’ll be aggressive with the No. 21 pick in trade talks (Twitter link).

Achilles Injury Not Expected To Deter Durant’s Suitors

June 11th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant‘s Achilles injury won’t change the offseason plans for several NBA franchises. The Warriors, Knicks, Nets, Lakers, and Clippers are all expected to pursue Durant, with his injury unlikely to cool their enthusiasm, sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.

There’s optimism around the league that Durant will come back from the ailment and remain among the NBA’s elite, making him worthy of a maximum-salary investment this summer.

“It’s not like he’s gonna fall from the top player in the league to number 50, even with the Achilles,” a league executive told Aldridge. “Maybe he falls into the top 10. I still think KD is a guy that’s going to score 20, 25 a game.”

Aldridge suggests that that the price for Anthony Davis has gone up as a result of the Durant injury. Durant could miss all of next season and with one fewer star available to suit up, the scarcity of those elite players in both the free agency and trade market may give added leverage to the Pelicans.

The Achilles injury won’t stop Durant from seeking a new deal. He’s long been expected to turn down his $31.5MM player option for next season, though with the injury, the decision is no longer a slam dunk. Durant officially has until June 29 to make a contractual move.

Warriors Notes: Looney, Durant, Iguodala

June 11th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Warriors center Kevon Looney believes he will be able to play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

“They’re comfortable with me going out there as long as I can tolerate the pain,” Looney said (via Mark Medina of The Mercury News). “I feel like I should be able to play in Game 6.”

Looney was originally injured during Game 2 and at the time it was reported that he would be done for the series. He came back in Game 4 and played again in Game 5, but aggravated the fracture near his chest and rib and was unable to return. Looney underwent x-rays following the contest and “everything came back clean,” per the big man.

“They said nothing got worse, but it’s about me dealing with the pain,” Looney said. “I feel confident I should be able to play through it.”

Here’s more from Golden State:

Prior to his latest injury, the Warriors were planning to offer Kevin Durant a long-term deal with the understanding that if the former MVP wanted to depart at any point during the contract, Golden State would accommodate that wish, Frank Isola of The Athletic hears. Isola adds that this type of arrangement could still be on the table even if Durant is forced to sit out the entire 2019/20 season.
Andre Iguodala has hinted that he doesn’t have many more years left in him, but he’s confident he’ll return to the Warriors next season, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays on Twitter. “I’ll be here next year for sure, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll have our core back and we’ll try to make another run at it,” Iguodala said.
Earlier today, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports relayed that Durant wasn’t “anywhere close” to 100% prior to Game 5. Throughout the process of returning, Durant was experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, the scribe added.

Kevin Durant Notes: Reactions, Ripple Effect, More

June 11th, 2019 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

Even though he was cleared to play in Game 5, Warriors star Kevin Durant wasn’t “anywhere close” to 100%, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. As family members, teammates, and confidants checked in on his status during his recovery from a calf injury, Durant said throughout the process that he was still experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, Haynes adds.

There was some resentment throughout Durant’s recovery about the way the Warriors handled updates on his progress, according to Haynes, who notes that KD’s possible return became a daily talking point once the club didn’t simply rule him out indefinitely.

Durant is now facing a possible worst-case scenario, as he suffered an Achilles injury during his brief return on Monday night. While an MRI has yet to confirm the diagnosis, the Warriors believe he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. An injury of that magnitude would sideline him not only for the rest of the NBA Finals, but for most or all of the 2019/20 season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Durant is heading to New York, rather than Oakland, for medical evaluations on his injured Achilles. The Warriors don’t expect to have an update on the two-time Finals MVP until at least late tonight or tomorrow morning, tweets Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group.

Here’s more on Durant’s injury:

Warriors guard Shaun Livingston pushed back against the idea that the team’s front office or training staff should be blamed for Durant’s injury, per Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. “I know for a fact that our team, [GM] Bob [Myers] and [head coach] Steve [Kerr], and the training staff, is not going to compromise their integrity [just to win a game],” Livingston told Beck. “They’re always going to put a player first because they look at guys as humans.”
Durant’s injury will have a significant ripple effect on the rest of the NBA Finals and the coming offseason, according to John Gonzalez of The Ringer. Gonzalez writes that teams like the Knicks and Clippers, who would have killed to sign a healthy KD, may have to re-evaluate their approach to free agency — assuming Durant even opts out of his Warriors contract, which is no longer a lock at all.
Marc Berman of The New York Post and Ian Begley of SNY.tv examine the impact of Durant’s injury on the Knicks, with both reporters suggesting that it may increase the likelihood of the franchise continuing a gradual rebuild rather than swinging for the fences this offseason.
While the Celtics were never considered a contender for Durant, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston wonders if the injury could affect the team anyway. As Forsberg observes, there has long been speculation that Durant and Kyrie Irving would consider teaming up this summer. If Durant is expected to miss all or most of the 2019/20 season – or if he opts in with the Warriors – that scenario may no longer be on the table, which could in turn increase the odds of Irving sticking with Boston for at least one more year.

Durant Suffers Achilles Injury; MRI On Tuesday

June 11th, 2019 at 7:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 11: The Warriors believe that Durant’s MRI on Tuesday will confirm a torn right Achilles tendon, league sources tell ESPN’s Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

JUNE 10: Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant suffered a right Achilles injury during Game 5 of the Finals, GM Bob Myers told the media after Golden State’s victory on Monday.

“The initial injury was a calf injury. This is not a calf injury. I don’t know how they are related but this is a different injury,” Myers said, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.

Durant will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

Durant returned to action after missing over a month with a right calf strain suffered during the conference semifinals against Houston. Durant played well, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes, before injuring himself when he planted the leg making an offensive move during the second quarter. He was helped back to the locker room by teammate Andre Iguodala, among others.

Naturally, Golden State will be questioned for allowing Durant to play. Myers said he’ll take the hit.

“He was cleared to play tonight, that was a collaborative decision,” Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweets. “I don’t believe there’s anybody to blame. I understand this world, if you have to, you can blame me. I run our basketball operations department.”

Durant departed the arena during the second half walking on crutches and wearing a walking boot, Shelburne adds in another tweet. If Durant suffered a tear, the injury would have giant implications on the free agent market.

Durant was expected to opt out of his contract — he has a $31.5MM player option for 2019/20 — and head into the market as the top free agent. Rumors of Durant joining one of the New York teams have been rampant and those plans could be shattered if Durant’s injury is significant. The Warriors have stated they plan to do everything possible to keep Durant.

Now, it’s possible Durant will opt into the remaining year of his contract if he’ll miss a good chunk of next season. Teammate DeMarcus Cousins didn’t return to the court for nearly a year after suffering a ruptured Achilles while he was still with the Pelicans.