Warriors Rumors

Warriors Notes: Curry, Iguodala, Oakland Arena, Green

February 16th, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the Warriors slated to retire the No. 9 jersey of former four-time champ Andre Iguodala next weekend, All-Star point Stephen Curry recently looked back on the role his former teammate played on those four title squads, writes Grant Afseth of RG.org.

Iguodala spent eight seasons with Golden State, earning NBA Finals MVP in 2015 thanks to his clampdown defense of then-Cleveland forward LeBron James. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 boards, and 3.4 assists in his 452 regular season games for the Warriors.

“I speak for both of us [Draymond Green and himself] when we talk about honor. It’s going to be fantastic for the entire organization to welcome my brother back,” Curry told Afseth. “He helped us win a lot of championships.”

Iguodala’s jersey retirement ceremony will take place on February 23, the day of a matinee tilt against Dallas. That means longtime Warriors champ Klay Thompson, who signed with the Mavericks as a free agent last summer, will also be on hand for the big moment.

“His IQ, his impact on the game,” Curry said. “We obviously don’t win those without him.”

There’s more out of Golden State:

Curry was back at the site of many of those titles, Oakland Arena (formerly Oracle Arena), for his All-Star media obligations on Saturday. Curry suggested that he’d be open to returning to Oakland Arena for an encore appearance in the future, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I absolutely love the idea of coming back to play a game here,” Curry said. “It should be a regular season game.”
Green, another core member of the Warriors’ championship teams, offered up some harsh criticism of the league at large this week, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more threes, it’s no substance,” Green said. “I think it’s very boring.”
In case you missed it, the Warriors plan to sign former lottery pick forward Kevin Knox to a 10-day deal.

Hard Cap Details For Mavs, Warriors, Knicks, Lakers

February 15th, 2025 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

While 24 of 30 NBA teams are hard-capped at either the first or second tax apron as a result of one or more roster moves they made this season, the hard cap shouldn’t be an issue for the majority of those 24 teams.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, clubs will generally only be increasing their payrolls with 10-day deals or minor free agent signings, and most teams have more than enough breathing room below their hard caps to comfortably accommodate those moves.

There are a few exceptions though, so we’ll take a closer look in the space below at four teams whose hard caps will – or could – come into play down the stretch.

Before we dive into those specific situations, let’s provide some context: The cap hit for a full-season veteran’s minimum contract for 2024/25 is $2,087,519, which means those deals cost a team $11,997 per day over the course of the 174 days in the regular season. That amount is prorated based on how many days are left in the season — a minimum contract signed with 20 days remaining in the season, for example, would count for $239,945 against the cap.

In the space below, we’ll be referring to how many “days” of minimum deals each team can accommodate. For instance, a team that’s $100K away from its hard cap would be able to squeeze in eight days of a veteran minimum contract (which works out to $95,978), but not nine days (which would be $107,975). That club couldn’t sign a player to a minimum-salary contract until there are just eight days left in the season.

The cap hit for a rookie or a player with one year of NBA service comes in a little lower than the veteran’s minimum, but if the player is a free agent, it still counts as if it’s a veteran’s minimum deal for tax and apron purposes due to the tax variance rule. So a team up against a hard cap won’t be able to sign a rookie free agent any earlier than it could sign a veteran free agent.

The one exception is if the team holds the draft rights to the player — for instance, when the Knicks converted Ariel Hukporti from his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal back in November after drafting him 58th overall last June, Hukporti’s rookie minimum cap hit was equivalent to his tax and apron charge, since he wasn’t signed as a free agent. If one of the teams we’re examining below has the option to take this route, we’ll make note of it.

Let’s dive in…

Dallas Mavericks

Open roster spots: 1
Room below hard cap: $171,120
Veteran minimum days available: 14 ($167,961)

The Mavericks currently have four injured big men (Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell) and would likely welcome the opportunity to sign a free agent center using their open 15-man roster spot. However, their hard cap restrictions seriously complicate matters.

Since they can only accommodate 14 more days of a veteran minimum salary for the rest of the season, the Mavericks essentially have two options:

Wait until March 31 to sign a free agent.
Sign a free agent to a 10-day contract at any time, then wait until April 10 to either re-sign that player or add a new free agent.

If they had a good candidate among their draft-rights-held players to fill that 15th roster spot, the Mavericks could accommodate a rookie minimum deal for up to 25 days.

But none of their two-way players fit the bill, and their only draft-and-stash possibility is 20-year-old forward Melvin Ajinca, who is currently playing for ASVEL in France. Bringing Ajinca stateside isn’t a practical solution, so they’ll have to stay patient.

Golden State Warriors

Open roster spots: 3
Room below hard cap: $1,372,306
Veteran minimum days available: 114 ($1,367,685)

On the surface, the Warriors’ restrictions don’t look too bad — 114 days is a lot!

But Golden State is currently carrying just 12 players on standard contracts and must get back to 14 by February 20, since teams can dip below that roster minimum for no more than two weeks at a time (or 28 total days in a season).

A rest-of-season contract signed on Feb. 20 would cover 53 days, which means two rest-of-season deals would total 106 days. If the Warriors go that route, they wouldn’t be able to squeeze in a 15th man until there are just eight days left in the season.

It sounds like the Warriors are more likely to sign a pair of players to 10-day contracts on Feb. 20 — they’ve already reportedly reached a 10-day deal with G League standout Kevin Knox, and I expect a similar agreement with a second player will be reported in the coming days.

Those 10-day contracts would eat up 20 of the club’s remaining 114 days (leaving 94) and would allow Golden State to go another two weeks from March 2-15 with fewer than 14 players under contract. At that point, there would be just 29 days left in the season, so the Warriors could fill all three of their remaining roster spots and stay below the hard cap.

There are other variations in play for the Warriors here. For instance, if they sign a pair of players to back-to-back 10-day contracts on Feb. 20 and Mar. 2, they could dip back down to 12 players for the second half of March before filling their remaining three roster openings with just a couple weeks left in the season. Of course, there’s also no obligation for them to fill that 15th roster spot as soon as they’re eligible to.

It looks like the Warriors will have to go the free agent route. Their two-way players were signed as undrafted free agents and they have no good candidates among their draft-and-stash players to sign to rookie minimum deals unless they want to try to get 2020 second-rounder Justinian Jessup out of his contract in Germany. I don’t see that happening.

New York Knicks

Open roster spots: 1
Room below hard cap: $540,127
Veteran minimum days available: 45 ($539,876)

The Knicks have been unable to sign a 15th man for much of the season and a relatively quiet trade deadline didn’t materially change their situation. The one minor change? Having reduced their team salary by $4,825 in their Jericho Sims/Delon Wright swap, the Knicks can now sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract on February 28 rather than March 1.

Ten-day signings are also a possibility for New York if the team wants to bring in someone before Feb. 28 or doesn’t want to make a full-season commitment as soon as it legally can.

The Knicks also hold the draft rights to more than a dozen international players and could promote two-way player Kevin McCullar to the 15-man roster on a rookie minimum deal as soon as today, if they want to. But I expect they’ll be looking to add a 15th man who can actually help the team down the stretch or in the playoffs, which means targeting an NBA veteran rather than a rookie.

T.J. Warren, who was with the Knicks in camp in the fall and is putting up big scoring numbers for the Westchester Knicks in the G League, looks like the top candidate to eventually become New York’s 15th man.

Los Angeles Lakers

Open roster spots: 0
Room below hard cap: $893,647
Veteran minimum days available: 74 ($887,795)

Unlike the three teams listed above, the Lakers don’t have an open roster spot to fill and don’t need to wait at all to make another veteran free agent signing. Still, I’m including them here because they’re the only other team within $1MM of a hard cap and there’s a chance they’ll consider another roster move.

For instance, if the Lakers want to bring in another free agent center and waive one of their current players (likely Cam Reddish) next Wednesday, before their post-All-Star schedule begins, a veteran minimum deal would cover 54 days and would carry a cap hit of $647,851. That would leave the team just $245,796 (or 20 days) shy of its hard cap.

Note: Data from Sports Business Classroom was used to confirm team salaries.

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2024/25

February 14th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ten NBA teams are still operating in luxury tax territory in the wake of last Thursday’s trade deadline, but this season’s total projected luxury tax payments – and the clubs projected to be taxpayers – have declined significantly in recent weeks.

As of January 23, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) observes, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $17.8MM apiece, which would have been the largest payout in NBA history.

But the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Clippers, and Sixers all ducked the tax line with their pre-deadline moves, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills. Milwaukee, for instance, had been projected to pay about $74.8MM in tax penalties, but has since reduced that figure by more than half, according to Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.

Here are the current projected tax penalties, per Pincus’ data:

Phoenix Suns: $152.26MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $84.85MM
Boston Celtics: $53.45MM
Los Angeles Lakers: $52.53MM
New York Knicks: $36.45MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $32.66MM
Denver Nuggets: $20.36MM
Golden State Warriors: $12.36MM
Dallas Mavericks: $6.39MM
Miami Heat: $4.18MM
Total: $455.49MM

These numbers will fluctuate a little before the end of the season. For instance, the Lakers recently increased their projected bill when they signed Alex Len to a rest-of-season contract, and the Warriors will need to make multiple roster additions in the near future, which will cause their bill to rise. Various contract incentives that go earned or unearned could also impact the end-of-season tax figures.

Based on the current figures from Pincus, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $11.4MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 20 clubs).

As significant as the Suns’ tax penalty projects to be, especially for a team currently flirting with .500, it won’t be a single-season record — Golden State has actually exceeded $152.26MM in tax payments in each of the past three years (2022-24).

Assuming these are the 10 teams that finish the season in tax territory, the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2025/26 if they’re taxpayers again next season.

Suns Notes: Durant, Micic, Martin, Washington

February 14th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant is hoping he won’t get a harsh reception from Warriors fans during All-Star Weekend, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Suns star ended hopes for a potential three-team trade last week when he said he didn’t want to return to the Bay Area. Durant, who was named Finals MVP while leading Golden State to championships in 2017 and 2018, pointed that he has “a couple of murals in that arena.”

“For a couple of days, I know it’s going to be hard, but for a couple of days, you can forget about how I left the Warriors or how I came to the Warriors or me not wanting to go back to the Warriors and just appreciate the weekend,” he said. “Appreciate the players that’s there and hopefully people can get off that (expletive) and just appreciate basketball.”

More than his All-Star reception, Durant is concerned about salvaging the season for the Suns, who are currently 11th in the West at 26-28, a game and a half away from the play-in tournament. Phoenix dropped three straight games heading into the break and will need a strong finish against a difficult schedule to reach the top 10.

“Hopefully everybody gets their minds clear, enjoy their break with their families, get their bodies right and then come back and put our foot on the gas and try to get this thing turned around,” Durant said.

There’s more from Phoenix:

Last week’s trade to the Suns means former EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic is on his third team since coming to the NBA in 2023, Rankin notes in a separate story. Although there have been rumors that he will consider returning to Europe this summer, Micic tells Rankin he’s fully committed to making things work in Phoenix. “Honestly, I never considered going back to Europe as long as I had a contract in the NBA,” he said. “The reason I came here was definitely for my own challenge, coming out of the comfort zone. I always expect something like this, but as long as I have an NBA contract, I’ll be 100% dedicated to this.”
Cody Martin, who was acquired from Charlotte in the same trade with Micic, has been a long-time target of general manager James Jones, Rankin adds. Jones scouted Martin when he was in college at Nevada and has remained interested in adding him to the roster. Martin has been sidelined since January 24 with a sports hernia, and the Suns are hoping he can return shortly after the All-Star break. “It’s never a good feeling working your way out of stuff,” he said, “but I think the biggest thing is that it’s just part of the game. Just figuring out how to get over the hump and getting back as soon as you can.”
Coming off an 11-point game on Wednesday night, two-way player TyTy Washington will get to showcase his skills at Sunday’s NBA G League Next Up Game, Rankin states in another piece. The 23-year-old point guard is trying to establish himself as an NBA player after moving around frequently since being selected with the 29th pick in the 2022 draft. “Good opportunity,” he said of this weekend’s event. “A lot of NBA people are going to be there. A lot of All-Stars are going to be out there. Just go out there and keep that in the back of my mind. Playing not only for myself, but for my team and for everybody else that’s watching.”

Stephen Curry: ‘No Hard Feelings’ Regarding Kevin Durant

February 14th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry has “no hard feelings, no resentment” toward Kevin Durant for not wanting to return to the Warriors, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

As Curry, Durant and LeBron James get ready to reunite at All-Star Weekend for the first time since the Summer Olympics, Youngmisuk examines the failed trade attempts that would have teamed up Curry and James last season and Curry and Durant a week ago. The latest deal was scuttled when Durant told Curry that it “didn’t feel right” and “wasn’t the time” for him to return to the Bay Area.

“You need everybody to be all bought in no matter what the history you have,” Curry said. “And I respect KD. It’s all about having peace of mind and happiness. Neither one of us controlled that [trade] situation. It’s just you want to make sure somebody wants to be somewhere. Other than that, I’m not trying to convince anybody to be somewhere they don’t want to be.”

Durant was reportedly blindsided by the proposed three-team deal, which also involved Jimmy Butler going from Miami to Phoenix. Durant hadn’t considered leaving the Suns, although his future appears less certain this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract.

Durant enjoyed the greatest success of his long career during his three seasons with Golden State, making three straight trips to the NBA Finals and earning Finals MVP honors as the Warriors won titles in 2017 and 2018.

However, there was a downside, as Durant was frequently criticized for leaving Oklahoma City in free agency in 2016 to sign with a Warriors team that was coming off a 73-win season. Durant also had a highly publicized on-court dispute with Draymond Green, and there were reports that he wasn’t fully happy sharing the spotlight with Curry. After suffering an Achilles tear during the 2019 Finals, Durant left Golden State to sign with Brooklyn.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he completely understands any reluctance Durant has to come back.

“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” said Kerr, who also coached Durant in the Olympics. “He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”

Curry adds that he doesn’t expect things to be awkward “at all” with Durant when they get together this weekend. Instead of focusing on the decision to nix the trade, Curry wants to savor the time he gets to spend with Durant and James, recognizing that there won’t be many more opportunities as they all near the end of their careers.

Youngmisuk notes that things have turned out fine for the Warriors, who were able to acquire Butler directly from Miami when the Durant deal fell through. Golden State is 3-1 since Butler arrived, and Curry is confident that his team can handle anyone in a seven-game series.

“I think it all worked out as it probably was supposed to,” Kerr said. “For Jimmy, it’s a fresh start. For us, it’s a different vibe, different look. Kevin didn’t feel [a reunion], so it wouldn’t have been healthy for him to come here or for us if he didn’t want to be here. Obviously, we would’ve been thrilled with either one of them. But I think it all worked out as it was supposed to.”

Pacific Notes: Butler, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Ellis

February 14th, 2025 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green called new teammate Jimmy Butler a “franchise changer” after the Warriors withstood a late Rockets rally in Thursday’s win at Houston, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Golden State, which led by as many as 24 points, was only ahead by four when Butler returned to the game with 4:42 remaining. He helped lead a 9-2 run that gave the Warriors a much-needed win heading into the All-Star break.

“He’s a franchise changer,” Green said. “He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”

Butler was the team’s major addition at last week’s trade deadline after a long search to find another scorer to take some of the burden off Stephen Curry. He contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists on Thursday, as Golden State is now 3-1 in the four games he has played and looks ready to move up the standings after the break ends.

“Jimmy, he’s a real deal,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, just a complete basketball player, methodical, under control all the time, plays at his own pace, never turns it over, sees the game and then can get to the line frequently. Great closer, not in the traditional sense where he’s going to be Kevin Durant and make four straight mid-range jumpers, but it’s more of a complete game. Get to the line, make the right pass, get somebody else an open look, get a defensive stop, get a rebound. He’s a fantastic player.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ben Simmons had an impressive debut with the Clippers in Thursday’s win at Utah, delivering 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the former All-Star for fitting in quickly in his first game with his new team, relays Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I thought he did a great job, just reading the game, his IQ, making the right play, aggressive to the basket,” Lue said.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta, made his Clippers debut on Wednesday, per Anthony DeLeon of The Orange County Register. The veteran shooter described the experience as “a new journey” and said he’s excited to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
Keon Ellis has played an important role in the Kings‘ recent surge, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The third-year guard scored 27 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.

And-Ones: Anthony, Curry, Ionescu, Thornwell, Cook

February 13th, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Rory Maher

NBC Sports is hiring former NBA star Carmelo Anthony to be one of the network’s top studio analysts when it starts broadcasting games again next season, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

According to Marchand, NBC recently had discussions with Charles Barkley, but those talks have ended. Barkley, a Hall-of-Famer and longtime analyst for TNT, will continue his role on “Inside the NBA” as part of an agreement with ABC/ESPN, even though TNT lost its broadcast rights for 2025/26.

Marchand also hears that current ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson has drawn interest from Amazon for next season. ’25/26 will be the first season in which Amazon has the broadcast rights for NBA games.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu were expected to have a rematch after last year’s well-received three-point shootout at All-Star weekend. However, that won’t take place this weekend in San Francisco after all, according to Joe Vardon and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.” Vardon and Slater hear that Curry and Ionescu were only interested in holding the event if it was expanded to feature more NBA and WNBA players; those plans essentially fell through when Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark announced that she wanted to focus on the WNBA’s three-point contest in Indianapolis later this year.
Former NBA guard/forward Sindarius Thornwell has left Zastal Zielona Góra to join the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, the Polish team announced (via Twitter). According to Zastal, Thornwell was technically bought out of his contract after a lucrative offer from the Flying Tigers (hat tip to Sportando). A former second-round pick, the 30-year-old wing spent four seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Orlando during the ’20/21 campaign.
Thornwell isn’t the only former NBA player heading to China, as veteran guard Quinn Cook has agreed to a rest-of-season deal with the Fujian Sturgeons, agent Zac Benalloul tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cook, 31, won a pair of championships with the Warriors and Lakers over the course of his five years in the league (from 2016-21). The former Duke Blue Devil played in Puerto Rico and Taiwan last season. This will be his second stint in the CBA.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Butler, Expectations, Curry

February 12th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Acquiring and extending Jimmy Butler added a significant chunk of money to the Warriors‘ payroll for the next two seasons after this one, with Butler set to earn approximately $26MM more per year than Andrew Wiggins would have. With that in mind, Anthony Slater of The Athletic asked team owner Joe Lacob whether the trade and extension for Butler will complicate Golden State’s ability to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga during the 2025 offseason.

“Why?” Lacob said. After Slater pointed to the salary numbers noted above, Lacob replied, “Yeah, so?”

In other words, the addition of Butler hasn’t diminished the Warriors’ interest in a new deal with Kuminga, according to the club’s owner.

“Absolutely,” Lacob said when asked directly whether Golden State plans to pay what it takes to retain the restricted free agent forward. “One hundred percent. Are you kidding me? I love that guy. We love him.”

Kuminga’s name came up last week when the Warriors were rumored to be in pursuit of Suns forward Kevin Durant. Reporting indicated that the teams discussed a deal that would have sent Kuminga to Phoenix as part of a package for Durant.

Although Lacob couldn’t – and wouldn’t – discuss those negotiations publicly, he suggested that Golden State would only have considered parting with Kuminga if the club absolutely had to in order to acquire a star player.

“Anybody can be traded,” Lacob said. “Anybody. Well, almost anybody. But we would never do that unless it was something incredibly significant. Incredibly significant. I think players understand that.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Kuminga referred to the trade for Butler as “great for us,” according to Slater. “I think it’s actually great for me, being around him, trying to pick up some of the stuff he does,” Kuminga said. “I feel like I see myself kind of like having a similar type of game.”
Kuminga, who has been out since January 4 due to a sprained right ankle, is expected to remain sidelined when the Warriors resume play following the All-Star break, per head coach Steve Kerr. “I wouldn’t anticipate him playing those first few games right after the break,” Kerr said on Monday (story via The Associated Press).
The Warriors, who will enter Wednesday’s action ranked 10th in the West at 27-26, believe they’re capable of claiming one of the six guaranteed playoff spots in the conference. “Sixth seed is the goal,” Kerr said after Monday’s win in Milwaukee, according to Slater. The No. 6 Clippers are 29-23, with a 2.5-game cushion on Golden State.
The Warriors are 2-0 since Butler made his debut for the team, but the star forward doesn’t believe he’s 100% yet and is confident he’ll be able to make a more significant impact, as Slater relays. “You gotta think, I haven’t played basketball in a month,” Butler said on Monday. “My wind is nowhere close to where it needs to be. I can’t wait until I’m back in basketball shape where I’m used to being. I won’t miss free throws as much. I’ll have lift on my jump shots. Right now, I’m just gassed. I’m glad we’re winning. But I gotta get in better shape.”
Butler has 28 free throw attempts in his first two games as a Warrior, becoming the first Golden State player to get to the foul line that often in a two-game span since Durant in 2018, Slater adds. Stephen Curry, who has scored 34 and 38 points in his first two games alongside Butler, told Slater and other reporters after Monday’s win, “Every possession just doesn’t feel as hard.”

Kevin Durant Admits He Was ‘Blindsided’ By Trade Rumors

February 10th, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns forward Kevin Durant admitted he was “blindsided” that his name came up in trade talks prior to last week’s deadline, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic.

However, he took the news diplomatically.

“Everybody’s bought and sold in this league,’’ Durant said. “Anybody can be up for auction. I understand that.”

Durant’s name surfaced in trade rumors after negotiations between the Heat and Suns regarding a potential Jimmy Butler deal stalled, mainly due to Miami’s unwillingness to take on Bradley Beal‘s contract. Butler ultimately landed with Golden State, while Durant and Beal stayed put. Durant reportedly balked at the idea of a second stint with the Warriors.

Durant tried to put a positive step on the process.

“It’s not a bad thing that people around the league want me to play for them,” Durant said, according to The Associated Press. “It’s not a bad thing my organization here is fighting off people to keep me on the team or even dangle me in a trade. It’s part of being in high demand.”

Phoenix reportedly might explore the possibility of moving Durant during this offseason. The Suns and Durant could also explore a two-year veteran extension. Durant is earning $51.2MM in 2024/25, followed by $54.7MM in ’25/26.

Durant is now concerned that the focus on him will intensify the remainder of the season, due to the trade rumors and speculation about what will happen this summer.

“I always had a goal of just playing my contract out and seeing what happens,’’ Durant said. per Haller. “I can’t focus on a year-and-a-half down the line. I know that will be a topic. That’s probably the most frustrating part about being in trade talks is that the microscope is going to be on solely just me the rest of the season. My body language. How I speak to (news reporters) after the game. How I’m looking on the bench. That stuff will be magnified, which sucks.”

Durant also addressed a report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that described the team’s locker room as toxic.

“I think it’s unfair and lazy to categorize our team as toxic when you come in there for five minutes throughout four months,” Durant said, per a Yahoo Sports tweet.

Durant hasn’t played since last Monday due to an ankle injury but is expected to return for Phoenix’s home game on Tuesday night against Memphis. He is 26 points from becoming the eighth NBA player to reach 30,000 career points.

Contract Details: Butler, Post, Mitchell, Craig, Two-Ways

February 10th, 2025 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Butler‘s new two-year contract extension with the Warriors became official last Thursday as part of the trade that sent him from Miami to Golden State, per RealGM’s transaction log. That deal, which replaces Butler’s player option for 2025/26, projects to be worth $54,126,450 next season and $56,832,773 in 2026/27.

Those figures hinge on a presumed 10% salary cap increase for the ’25/26 season. Butler’s deal will start at 35% of the cap, with a 5% raise for the second year. Based on the maximum possible cap increase, which is anticipated, that would work out to a two-year total of $110,959,223 for the newest Warrior.

Meanwhile, Hoops Rumors has learned that Quinten Post‘s new standard two-year contract is a minimum-salary contract that includes a team option for 2025/26. The Warriors will have the ability to either exercise that $1.96MM for next season or turn it down in the hopes of signing the big man to a longer-term contract as a restricted free agent.

Here are a few more updates on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Ajay Mitchell‘s new two-year, $6MM contract with the Thunder includes a guaranteed $3MM for the rest of this season, which comes out of Oklahoma City’s room exception. It also features a $3MM team option for 2025/26, which means – like Golden State with Post – Oklahoma City could decline the option in order to sign Mitchell to a longer-term deal as a restricted free agent this summer.
Torrey Craig‘s new contract with the Celtics is a one-year, minimum-salary deal, Hoops Rumors has learned, so the veteran wing will be back on the unrestricted free agent market during the coming offseason.
While Branden Carlson (Thunder), Orlando Robinson (Raptors), and Jordan Goodwin (Lakers) signed two-way contracts that will expire at season’s end, Ethan Thompson‘s new two-way deal with the Magic covers two years, so Orlando will have the option of keeping him on that contract through the 2025/26 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

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