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Trade Rumors: Durant, Irving, Lakers, Warriors, Sexton, Mavs

July 4th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

With nearly three months until training camps get underway, the Nets have time on their side and are in no rush to complete trades involving Kevin Durant and/or Kyrie Irving, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a Sunday appearance on SportsCenter (video link).

As Wojnarowski explains, the Suns and Heat – believed to be Durant’s preferred landing spots – “don’t really have the ability to do one-on-one deals” with Brooklyn and give the Nets the pieces they want, so three- or four-team scenarios will have to be explored.

“The market is still taking shape,” Wojnarowski said. “I think it’s incumbent on some of the other teams to be creative and start bringing to Brooklyn ideas, going out and seeing if they can get players (and) picks that would put the kind of package it would take to get Kevin Durant.”

As for Irving, Wojnarowski described the point guard’s trade market as “slow-moving.”

“The Lakers have yet, I’m told, to be aggressive in trying to put a deal together to get him from Brooklyn,” Wojnarowski said. “That may come, that may evolve with time, but so far right now there’s no traction really on deals with either Irving or Kevin Durant. They’ll develop over time.”

Here are a few more rumors related to Durant and other top NBA trade candidates:

The Warriors‘ stars aren’t pushing the front office to acquire Durant, but would welcome such a deal if it happened, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Still, Thompson, citing multiple sources within the Warriors’ organization, stresses that a reunion with Durant is “highly unlikely.” Marc J. Spears of ESPN previously reported that Golden State had interest in the two-time Finals MVP.
While the Mavericks are rumored to have some level of interest in Cavaliers restricted free agent guard Collin Sexton, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com doesn’t view Dallas a likely landing spot. As Fedor explains on the Wine and Gold Podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype), the Mavs don’t have cap space and the Cavs aren’t attracted to the pieces Dallas could offer in a sign-and-trade. Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade would also hard-cap the Mavs, who project to be above the tax apron this season.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype considers possible destinations for Donovan Mitchell in the event that the Jazz are willing to make him available, while John Hollinger of The Athletic proposes five hypothetical trade packages for Durant.

Heat Notes: Durant, Highsmith, Jovic, Summer League

July 2nd, 2022 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could try to improve their bargaining power in a potential Kevin Durant trade by negotiating with the Thunder to remove protections on the 2025 first-round pick owed to OKC, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

If Oklahoma City agrees to accept the pick with no lottery protection, Miami will be free to offer Brooklyn first-rounders in 2023, 2027 and 2029 without violating the Stepien rule. Teams aren’t permitted to trade draft picks that are more than seven years away, but the Heat could also include pick swaps in 2024, 2026 and 2028.

Chiang says the Heat are in a “holding pattern” as they wait for the next step in the Durant drama. They haven’t made any moves since reaching agreements to re-sign Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo shortly after free agency began Thursday afternoon.

The Nets can’t acquire Bam Adebayo as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster and the Heat would prefer to keep Jimmy Butler, so any trade offer would have to be built around Tyler Herro. Chiang notes that Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry are sufficient to match salary, while inexpensive players such as Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven could be added to sweeten the offer. It’s unlikely that would be enough to interest the Nets, who reportedly have received interest in Durant from more than half the league.

League rules prevent Miami from trading Dedmon or Oladipo until December 15, while first-round pick Nikola Jovic, who signed his rookie contract today, can’t be included in a trade for 30 days.

There’s more from Miami:

Haywood Highsmith received a $50K guarantee on his 2022/23 salary by remaining on the roster past Friday’s deadline, Chiang adds. The second-year small forward joined the Heat in late December on the first of three 10-day contracts, then was given a standard deal in March.
Highsmith has an opportunity for a larger role next season after P.J. Tucker‘s departure to Philadelphia, Chiang notes in a separate story. Highsmith, who scored 11 points in today’s Summer League opener, is working to model himself after Tucker as a three-and-D player.
Jovic is still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game and that was evident in today’s debut, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. He made just 1 of 6 shots and grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes of action. “I know he wanted to play better,” said Summer League coach Malik Allen. “I just think it was moving really fast. I told him just to keep his head up. He was frustrated. That learning curve is going to continue to be there for him.”

Heat Sign Nikola Jovic

July 2nd, 2022 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

First-round pick Nikola Jovic has officially signed with the Heat, the team announced in a press release.

The Serbian forward was the 27th pick in this year’s draft. Assuming he receives the full 120% of the rookie scale, which is standard, Jovic will earn approximately $2.2MM in his first season and $11.5MM across the four-year deal.

The 19-year-old averaged 11.7 points per game this season while playing for Mega Basket in Europe’s ABA League. He was named the league’s top prospect for the just-completed season and was Junior ABA League MVP in 2021.

Jovic is making his debut with Miami in today’s Summer League California Classic in San Francisco.

Kevin Durant Rumors: Raptors, Pelicans, Suns, Heat

July 2nd, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested on Friday that Toronto is “lurking” as a team to watch in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes today that the Raptors believe they can put together the best package for Durant that the Nets are likely to receive.

Grange describes the Raptors as “optimistic” rather than “confident,” noting that there’s a sense Durant is at least open to the idea of playing in Toronto, even if the team is not atop his wish list.

However, Grange cautions that the Nets may not agree with the Raptors’ assessment that they can offer the best package for Durant. Additionally, Grange’s story suggests Toronto has remained opposed to making reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes available so far.

While the Raptors have all their future draft picks and have several solid veterans on good contracts – including All-Stars Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, as well as OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. – it’s unclear if they’d be able to make a deal for Durant without putting Barnes on the table.

“That’s the billion-dollar question,” one source said to Grange.

Here’s more on Durant:

In the latest episode of ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast (video link), Tim Bontemps said he believes “Toronto thinks it’s in the game” in the Durant sweepstakes, while Brian Windhorst said he still considers the Suns the favorites, since it’s rare for superstar players not to end up where they want to go.
Windhorst (video link) has heard that the Pelicans view head coach Willie Green – an assistant in Golden State during Durant’s Warriors years – as an asset in the chase for the former MVP. As Windhorst explains, the hope would be that if the Nets like what the Pelicans have to offer, Green would get the opportunity to sell Durant on New Orleans.
With New Orleans being mentioned as a possible Durant landing spot, Scott Kushner of NOLA.com wonders whether or not the Pelicans should seriously pursue the 34-year-old.
Within his latest look at the Durant situation, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that the Nets would want more than Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges in a trade with the Suns and says that any Heat package built around Tyler Herro “wouldn’t scratch the surface of what the Nets want.”
Brooklyn is seeking teams’ best assets, Scotto writes, including All-Stars, rising young players, and “substantial” unprotected draft picks and swaps.

Latest On Kevin Durant

July 1st, 2022 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After speaking to “a couple” NBA general managers, Marc J. Spears of ESPN (video link via Talkin NBA) outlined during an appearance on NBA Today what sort of return the Nets are seeking as they explore the trade market for Kevin Durant.

“A young or future All-Star,” Spears said, “lots of picks, the ability to swap picks, and another starter.”

Spears went on to say that Durant “might not have as much control of the situation as one would think,” not only because he has four years left on his contract but because there are so many teams involved in the bidding. According to Spears, about half the league’s clubs remain interested.

Here’s more on Durant:

Sam Amick of The Athletic explains that Phoenix is Durant’s preferred destination in part because of his close relationship with Monty Williams, who was an assistant for the Thunder in 2015/16. The bond between the two men grew deeper after Williams’ wife was killed in a car accident in February 2016, Amick writes.
While Phoenix may be atop Durant’s wish list, Amick has gotten the sense that the Nets would want something more – or something “different” – than a Suns package headlined by Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. Cameron Johnson is a player who might help move the needle for the Nets, Amick adds. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) suggests that any deal between the Suns and Nets would likely see Phoenix giving up the maximum amount of first-round picks (four) and pick swaps (three).
The Heat are also on Durant’s wish list, but Amick says the former MVP would only want to play on a Miami team that features Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. Amick is understandably skeptical that a package centered around Tyler Herro would gain any momentum.
The Nets have been “emboldened” by the returns in the Rudy Gobert and Dejounte Murray trades, which both included multiple unprotected first-round picks, Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on ESPN’s televised NBA Free Agency Special on Friday evening. Wojnarowski added that he doesn’t believe the Nets are in any rush to make a deal, since they want to fully assess all their options.
Wojnarowski also said during ESPN’s NBA Free Agency Special (video link) that he believes the Raptors are “lurking” as a possible suitor for Durant, given their combination of players and draft picks, as well as their track record for making this sort of deal (for Kawhi Leonard in 2018).

Free Agent Rumors: LaVine, Harden, Gallinari, Haslem

June 30th, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Just before free agency officially began on Thursday evening, Shams Charania said on Stadium’s free agency show (video link) that he expects Zach LaVine to take a little time to finalize his decision as an unrestricted free agent.

“He’s going to speak with the Bulls tonight and they’re going to make an offer,” Charania said. “Both sides will talk in the lead-up to free agency, later tonight, tomorrow. I do not expect Zach LaVine’s decision to be a night-one decision. He’s going to take some time to deliberate. He’s going to have max offers potentially in the marketplace as well.”

A report earlier today indicated that LaVine is expected to return to the Bulls on a five-year contract expected to be worth the maximum. However, it seems the 27-year-old wants to at least gauge his options before officially committing to Chicago.

Here are a few more free agency rumors:

James Harden and the Sixers intend to meet this weekend to negotiate his new deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Harden declined his $47MM+ player option for 2022/23 this week and reportedly intends to sign a new contract at a lower starting salary to help accommodate the team’s reported deals with P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.
Danilo Gallinari‘s free agent decision could come down to the Bulls and Celtics as he considers his next team, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Fischer suggests Chicago is willing to offer most of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception (about $8MM) while Boston will likely be limited to the taxpayer MLE ($6.5MM), but Gallinari still may prefer the C’s. The veteran forward is reportedly being waived by San Antonio.
The Heat sent a delegation of employees to Udonis Haslem‘s vacation home in Orlando to pitch him on returning to the team for a 20th season, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Obviously, the Heat don’t expect to face significant competition for Haslem, but they want to show his “continued importance and value” to the organization, says Reynolds. Haslem is reportedly still mulling whether or not to continue his playing career.

Heat Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon

June 30th, 2022 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The Heat have officially re-signed Dedmon, the club announced in a press release. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the deal is conditionally guaranteed for the second year.

“Dewayne brings essential attributes to the center position, including size, length, physicality, rebounding, scoring and a defensive mentality to protect the rim,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He has proven to be a great veteran for us and we are fortunate to have him back.”

Oladipo and the Heat adjusted the terms of his deal, so he’ll be signing for two years instead of one.

JUNE 30: The Heat have reached agreements with a pair of their own free agents. Veteran guard Victor Oladipo is signing a one-year, $11MM contract to remain in Miami, while center Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to a two-year, $9MM pact, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Miami had Oladipo’s Bird rights and Dedmon’s Early Bird rights, so the team won’t have to use its mid-level or bi-annual exception to complete the deals.

A two-time All-Star, Oladipo has appeared in just 60 regular season games since the start of the 2019/20 season due to a series of injuries related to his quad.

He missed most of the ’21/22 campaign while recovering from a surgery, but showed flashes of his old self down the stretch, averaging 12.4 PPG and 3.5 APG on .479/.417/.737 shooting in eight games (21.6 MPG). The former All-Defensive First Teamer also exhibited his old versatility on defense.

A report earlier this week stated that Oladipo was considered unlikely to remain with the Heat, but the two sides ultimately worked out an agreement. It’s possible the club increased its efforts to re-sign Oladipo as a result of losing P.J. Tucker to Philadelphia; it’s also possible Oladipo didn’t get the kind of offers he sought on the open market. Of course, that earlier report may have just been erroneous. In any case, the 30-year-old is on track to return to Miami for another season.

Dedmon will once again slot into the Heat’s depth chart as a backup at the five. The nine-year veteran, who will turn 33 next month averaged 6.3 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 67 games (15.9 MPG) this past season.

More Than Half Of NBA Teams Have Inquired On Durant

June 30th, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Since word broke this afternoon that Nets star Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, more than half of the teams in the NBA have called to inquire about the former MVP, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said during an appearance on NBA Today this afternoon (video link via Malika Andrews).

The Suns and Heat have been mentioned as two of Durant’s preferred landing spots, but the Nets are expected to take the best deal available to them rather than focusing on sending the veteran forward to a specific destination.

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Warriors are probably the only team that can be ruled out as a landing spot for Durant. I’d also be shocked if the Nets were willing to send him to the cross-town Knicks.

Early indications are that the Nets aren’t especially inclined to acquire Deandre Ayton via sign-and-trade as the centerpiece of a Durant deal, Fischer writes, adding that – from Brooklyn’s perspective – any deal with Phoenix or Miami would likely have to start with Devin Booker or Bam Adebayo. However, both of those players are on designated rookie extensions, prohibiting the Nets from acquiring either one unless they move Ben Simmons.

Given that the Rockets control the Nets’ draft picks (either outright or via swap rights) for the next several years, don’t expect Brooklyn to pivot to a full-fledged rebuild as part of a Durant trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during the same episode of NBA Today (video link)

Windhorst isn’t sure if the Nets will get a superstar in return, but expects them to target selfless, team-first players, citing Suns forward Mikal Bridges as an example. As Windhorst observes, those are the types of players GM Sean Marks spoke about wanting during his end-of-season media session in May.

“We’re looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball, and be available,” Marks said at the time.

Windhorst also says his phone is “blowing up” with executives wondering where Kyrie Irving is going to end up. There has been no indication that Irving has requested a trade, but he seems far less likely to remain in Brooklyn for the final year of his contract if Durant is traded.

“If Kevin Durant is on the first train out, Kyrie Irving will be on the caboose as far as the Nets are concerned,” Windhorst said.

According to Fischer, league sources “continue to whisper” about Irving’s desire to join the Lakers and reunite with LeBron James. However, a trade between L.A. and Brooklyn would be challenging, since the Nets reportedly have no interest in Russell Westbrook.

Nets’ Kevin Durant Requests Trade

June 30th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Durant’s business manager Rich Kleiman tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that he and Durant are working with Nets general manager Sean Marks to find a new home for the former MVP. Durant made his trade request directly to Nets owner Joe Tsai today, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Multiple reports last week suggested that Durant was mulling his long-term future in Brooklyn, despite being under contract for the next four years on a maximum-salary contract. At the time, those rumors were believed to be tied to Kyrie Irving‘s efforts to secure a long-term deal with the Nets — once Irving decided to opt in, there was a sense that things may quiet down in Brooklyn for the time being.

Clearly, that’s not the case.

Word of Durant’s newfound availability breaks with the start of 2022 free agency just hours away, potentially upending many teams’ offseason plans. The Suns, for instance are shifting their focus to Durant, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Gambadoro tweets that Phoenix doesn’t want to gut its roster to get Durant, but he’s the club’s new top priority.

The 33-year-old will be one of the most valuable trade assets to ever hit the market, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who notes that Brooklyn will be seeking a “historic return.” No one on the roster is expected to be off-limits as the Nets engage in trade talks, Wojnarowski adds.

Durant has the Suns listed as one of his preferred destinations, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Heat have also been mentioned as a preferred landing spot for the 12-time All-Star, tweets Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

However, while Wojnarowski confirms that Phoenix and Miami are on Durant’s wish list, he says the Nets plan to get the best deal they possibly can (Twitter link). Since he’s under contract for four more seasons, Durant will have limited leverage to pick and choose his destination.

While the 2021/22 season was a disappointing one in Brooklyn from a team perspective, Durant was as good as ever. He appeared in just 55 games due to a knee injury, but averaged 29.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 6.4 APG on .518/.383/.910 shooting in 37.2 minutes per contest. He’ll earn approximately $44.1MM in 2022/23 and about $197.7MM in total through ’25/26, with no option on the final year.

According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Irving and Durant had no contact with the Nets after Kyrie picked up his option earlier this week, creating a “sense of inevitability” that a Durant trade request might be coming. There has been no indication yet that Irving has made a similar request, but it’s safe to assume Brooklyn will consider its options with the star guard if Durant is on the move — especially if the team shifts to rebuilding mode.

As the Nets begin exploring potential trade packages for Durant, it’s worth noting that they’re ineligible to trade for a second player who is on a five-year rookie scale extension via the “designated rookie” rule, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).

Teams are permitted to carry two “designated rookies” but only one can have been acquired via trade, and the Nets already have Ben Simmons. That rules out Brooklyn acquiring a player like, for instance, Bam Adebayo unless Simmons is dealt. And Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that the Nets are expected to hang onto Simmons.

The Nets would still be eligible to acquire a player like Deandre Ayton on a maximum-salary contract since he’s no longer eligible to receive a designated rookie extension. However, Ayton would have to be acquired via sign-and-trade, which would hard-cap the Nets for the 2022/23 league year, so the team would have to shed significant salary to make that a realistic option.

P.J. Tucker Unlikely To Return To Heat

June 30th, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

There will be significant interest in P.J. Tucker when free agency begins later today, and the veteran forward is considered unlikely to re-sign with the Heat, according to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Schiffer mentions the Hawks, Timberwolves, Nets, Bulls and Sixers among the teams that plan to target Tucker, adding that they will offer either the non-taxpayers’ mid-level exception of $10.49MM, or in the case of the Nets and Hawks, the taxpayers’ MLE of $6.48MM. Atlanta could also make a trade to shed salary and get below the tax line, opening up the use of the full MLE.

A report earlier this week suggested that Miami is willing to give Tucker a guaranteed three-year deal, but at less than the full MLE. It appears several teams are ready to outbid the Heat for his services.

Philadelphia has been rumored as a prime suitor for Tucker, as president of basketball operations Daryl Morey also signed him in Houston. Atlanta and Brooklyn have been mentioned as well, but Minnesota and Chicago are new to the list.

The 37-year-old Tucker is an elite defender who was part of the Bucks’ title-winning roster in 2021 and helped the Heat become the No. 1 seed in the East this season. He averaged 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for Miami and shot 41.5% from three-point range.