- Kevin Durant was disappointed in himself for making seven turnovers in the opener of the second-round series against Denver on Saturday. However, Durant isn’t fretting about the Suns falling behind in the series, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (video link). “It’s just like any other game, to be honest. It’s not that deep,” he said. “On the road, we want to try to get one of the first two games here. Just look at the film and see what we can do better.”
Suns center Deandre Ayton is confident that Phoenix will rebound after its 125-107 blowout loss to the higher-seeded Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“We will be a completely different team Game 2,” Ayton said. “I can tell you that. The physicality, we’re going to turn it up a notch. They were playing Nuggets basketball but they were playing a little too [comfortably].”
Ayton had a modest night. In just over 30 minutes, he scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and chipped in seven rebounds. However, the 6’11” big man was a team-worst minus-21 when he was on the floor.
There’s more out of Phoenix:
- The Suns currently have the lowest-scoring bench in the league, Rankin writes in a separate piece. Reserve point guard Cameron Payne is working his way back into game shape after a lower back injury kept him unavailable for all but four minutes in Phoenix’s five-game first-round series win against the Clippers. Rankin notes that Payne is hoping to help improve his team’s backup luck against Denver. “I’m just ready to get back out there and do whatever I can help our team get to the next round.” In just 48 games during an injury-plagued 2022/23 regular season, Payne averaged 10.3 PPG. Payne played just five minutes in Game 1 of the Denver series, scoring five points on 2-of-3 shooting during garbage minutes.
- All-Star Suns shooting guard Devin Booker proved he truly belongs among the league’s elite thanks to a stellar performance in the first round, opines Rankin in another Arizona Republic story. Booker has improved defensively and as a passer, but his biggest attribute remains his multifaceted scoring touch. To wit, he outscored the Clippers by himself during a decisive third quarter of Phoenix’s closeout Game 5 win, 25-24, while connecting on 10-of-11 from the floor. He scored 27 points against the Nuggets in Game 1, on 10-of-19 shooting.
- Though the Suns actually connected on a better percentage of their field goals (51.2%) than the Nuggets did (47.5%) in Game 1, the disparity in made three-pointers proved to be a big part of why they ultimately lost by 18 points, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. In the postseason thus far, teams are attempting 35 triples a game, while the Suns shot just 23 threes in that Game 1 loss, and many of those tries happened with the game already well out of reach.
Suns star Kevin Durant has agreeed to a lifetime contract with Nike, writes David Brandt of The Associated Press. Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the only other NBA players to ever sign similar deals.
“It means a lot, man,” Durant said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s something that I’ve been working towards since I was a kid and having a partnership with Nike. To be in that company is a blessing. Looking forward to what we can do in the future.”
Durant’s relationship with the athletic wear company began in 2007, Brandt adds. He has released 15 signature shoes during that time, and a 16th is due out soon. The new contract will include shoes and other apparel, as well as “community and philanthropic collaboration focused on grassroots basketball.”
“I did think that if I stay focused and stay locked in to what I know I can do, I could do some big things and I can have a huge partner like Nike,” he said. “It’s just a matter of staying focused and having that endurance to keep getting up and doing this every day. So yeah, I had confidence that I can do so. But I had to put in a lot of work to get here.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury unveiled a new arrangement on Friday that will move their games off cable, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The teams won’t renew their contract with Bally Sports Arizona, which has expired. Instead, games will be broadcast on free TV and will be available online through the streaming firm Kiswe on a direct-to-consumer service. “We’re not focusing on money. We’re focusing on winning, success and taking care of fans, taking care of the community,” new owner Mat Ishbia said. “What happens is you always end up making money. It always works out. We’re going to have more fans than ever before. … And more people buying merchandise because they’re bigger fans.”
- Former NBA player Guerschon Yabusele was suspended for five games following a wild EuroLeague brawl late in a playoff contest between Real Madrid and Partizan Belgrade, according to an ESPN report. Yabusele slammed ex-NBA player Dante Exum to the court, causing him to rupture a tendon in his toe.
- FIBA has announced the results of Saturday’s draw for this year’s World Cup. Thirty-two teams are in the competition, which will be held from August 25 to September 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Qatar will host the World Cup in 2027, according to an AP story.
- The Suns matched Indiana’s offer sheet to retain Deandre Ayton. Now, their center will play a pivotal role in their second-round series when they face the Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Ayton is eager for the challenge, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “It’s going to be fun,” he said. “They’re the best. Suns basketball, we want to compete and beat the best. That’s what we’re looking forward to. We know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be a great series where mano play against mano.”
The Raptors have been granted permission to interviews a number of prominent assistant coaches for their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Toronto parted ways with Nick Nurse, who coached them to a championship, after the season. The Warriors‘ Kenny Atkinson, Bucks‘ Charles Lee, Suns‘ Kevin Young, Spurs‘ Mitch Johnson, Kings‘ Jordi Fernandez, Grizzlies‘ Darko Rajakovic and Heat‘s Chris Quinn are among the assistant they plan to interview. However, that list could expand.
Lee is one of the top candidates for the Pistons’ head coaching vacancy. Atkinson, of course, was previously the Nets’ head coach.
The Raptors will also look at ex-NBA head coaches, as well as NCAA and WNBA coaches. Regarding the latter, they have gained permission to speak with former Spurs assistant and current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. She led the Aces to last year’s WNBA championship.
As previously reported, they are also expected to interview current assistant coach Adrian Griffin.
Starting Suns center Deandre Ayton was a big part of Phoenix’s 4-1 series victory over the Clippers, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“He’s finding ways to impact winning,” head coach Monty Williams noted last week. “In Game 2, his mid-range shot kept us in the game and allowed us to gain some momentum and footing. (In Game 3), he wasn’t making the shots he typically makes, but he still found a way to impact the game. The rebound at the end was huge.”
For the series, Ayton averaged an impressive 16.0 PPG and 11.2 RPG, despite essentially functioning as the club’s fourth option on offense.
There’s more out of Phoenix:
- Though injury-prone All-Star Suns power forward Kevin Durant has been logging major minutes so far in these playoffs, Durant claims the heavy usage doesn’t bother him, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I want to be out there every minute,” Durant said. “I wish I could play 48 every game.” Across a whopping 43.8 MPG, Durant averaged 28.4 PPG (on .518/.458/.956 shooting), 7.6 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.0 BPG.
- Despite being on opposing sides of their just-wrapped playoff series, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has served as a mentor to Suns reserve wing Ish Wainright, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. “He’s like a big brother,” Wainright said. “I know things are not going to go the way that I wanted and I’m going to be patient. He was patient and that’s what I look up to. What’s mine is mine. God said that what’s yours is yours, so that’s how I live. What’s mine is mine and he showed me a way — Ty did it, why can’t I do it?”
- All-NBA Suns shooting guard Devin Booker has been solidifying himself as a two-way superstar throughout this stupendous playoff run, writes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. During the team’s Game 5 home closeout victory over the Clippers, Booker scored 47 points on 19-of-27 shooting from the floor, and also chipped in 10 dimes, eight boards, and two steals. Bourguet notes that Booker now has notched the most 30- and 40-point playoff games in the history of the franchise.
The Trail Blazers will start operating a G League affiliate next season, the team announced in a press release. The new team will play home games at the University of Portland and will practice at the Blazers’ facility.
The team name and other information such as the front office and coaching staff will be revealed at a later date, the Blazers added.
“I’m excited to welcome Jody Allen and the Trail Blazers ownership group to the NBA G League family,” said G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “The NBA G League continues to grow to meet the developmental demands of NBA teams, and today’s announcement is further proof of the value the league provides to the NBA every day. I can’t wait to watch the team tip off at the Chiles Center next season.”
The release states that the G League will grow to a record 31 teams, so the new affiliate will be an expansion franchise.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes that it usually takes 18 to 24 months to launch a G League franchise, but the Blazers are determined to have a team in place when the 2023/24 season begins this fall. Allen wants the organization to place a priority on player development, with Portland holding two first-round picks and a second-rounder in this year’s draft.
Wojnarowski adds that having their own affiliate will streamline the process when the Blazers send players to the G League. Currently, their players end up with teams run by rival organizations, such as the Kings and Clippers.
The move will leave the Suns, who sold their G League affiliate to the Pistons in 2020, as the only NBA team without a minor league operation. New owner Mat Ishbia is working to change that and hopes to add a G League team soon, sources tell Wojnarowski.
If Phoenix were to establish an expansion NBAGL affiliate, the league would have 32 teams — 30 affiliated with NBA franchises, plus the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes.
The second tax apron that’s included in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be phased in over two seasons, sources tell John Hollinger of The Athletic.
The new financial provision is designed to discourage excessive spending by the league’s wealthiest franchises. It is set at $17.5MM above the luxury tax threshold and places severe restrictions on teams that go above that figure.
Penalties for exceeding the second apron include the loss of the mid-level exception, a ban on including cash as part of trades and the inability to accept more salary in a trade than the team sends out. A team in the second apron will also be unable to aggregate salary in trades and cannot trade its first-round pick seven years in the future (ie. its 2030 pick in 2023/24) or sign players on the buyout market.
Also, if a team exceeds the second apron and remains there in two of the four subsequent years, its frozen draft pick (the one that was initially seven years out) will get moved to the end of the first round, regardless of the team’s record in that season.
Hollinger points out that the Clippers and Warriors face the most immediate concerns about the second apron. Both teams are currently about $40MM above the luxury tax line and are locked into payrolls at the same level for next season. Hollinger notes that the only way for either team to substantially reduce its payroll over the next few years is to downgrade its roster.
He adds that the Bucks, Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns are also more than $17.5MM above the tax line this season, but they have easier paths to avoiding the second apron in the future.
There’s more on the new CBA:
- Teams that exceed the first apron by going $7MM above the tax will see their taxpayer MLE reduced to $5MM with a two-year maximum for signings, Hollinger adds. Like teams above the second apron, they will also be unable to take back more salary than they send out in any deal and will be prohibited from signing most players who get bought out.
- Any team that’s below the league’s salary floor on the first day of the 2024/25 season will not receive a tax distribution for that year, Bobby Marks points out in an ESPN writers’ discussion of the CBA provisions. That’s likely to encourage low-spending teams to add an additional free agent or two to make sure their payroll qualifies. Marks notes that the union also benefits from the addition of 30 more jobs with each team adding a third two-way slot, as well as growth in the non-taxpayer and room mid-level exceptions.
- The number of players that teams can have under contract during the offseason and training camp will increase from 20 to 21, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
- Devin Booker was an All-Star before the Suns acquired Kevin Durant, but Durant’s arrival has helped Booker take his game to another level, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. “You can’t leave (Durant), obviously. He draws a lot of attention,” Booker said after scoring 45 points in a Game 3 victory on Thursday. “A lot of the buckets I scored, I went right to him right after and said, ‘You opened that up.'”
- Reinserted into the Suns‘ starting lineup when the playoffs began in order to match up defensively against Kawhi Leonard, Torrey Craig has had a monster series so far, averaging 18.0 PPG and making 10-of-16 three-pointers (62.5%) through three games. As Doug Haller of The Athletic details, Craig’s performance is all the more impressive given the path he took to get here — he went undrafted in 2014 and spent the first three years of his professional career playing in Australia and New Zealand.
The Kevin Durant deal that shook up the NBA on the eve of the trade deadline never would have happened if the Suns hadn’t included Mikal Bridges, Nets general manager Sean Marks tells Nick Friedell of ESPN.
Marks had come to the realization that it was time to end the super-team experiment in Brooklyn that brought together Durant, Kyrie Irving and eventually James Harden. Durant was the last of the trio to be moved, and Marks wanted to create the foundation of a young team that could remain competitive while building for the future. The centerpiece of that was Bridges, who has become a star in Brooklyn, averaging 26.1 PPG in 27 games since the trade.
“We knew the end of an era was upon us,” Marks said. “When Kyrie had already moved, the discussions with Phoenix heated up and it became real, like, ‘All right, well, there’s a shift happening here, right? Are we resetting, retooling, rebuilding?’ We were able to come to terms with that knowing that the package we were getting back in return was something that has a clear pathway.
“We’ve never sort of had a group of young guys before that were under contract, proven, healthy and you can see a pathway of, ‘Hey, I can see what this may look like in two, three years from now.’ … Not just Mikal, but all of them, where do they all take their games to? Who’s the next person that takes that leap?”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Veteran guard Goran Dragic is the latest player to indicate that there was significant behind-the-scenes turmoil with the Nets, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Dragic, who finished last season in Brooklyn, said he had an offer to stay but he chose to sign with the Bulls to get away from the drama. “I could have re-signed with Brooklyn, but I didn’t want to be in that situation, because it was a little bit crazy,” Dragic said. “I just tried to find a team that’s calmer and to be more stable. I thought that would be with Chicago.”
- Facing Joel Embiid is a difficult matchup for Nic Claxton, so coach Jacque Vaughn wants him to use his speed to his advantage, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Claxton needs to find a way to get some easy baskets after being held scoreless Monday.
- Vaughn wouldn’t commit to playing Cam Thomas in Game 3, Lewis tweets. The second-year guard wasn’t used at all in Game 2 after seeing four minutes in the series opener. “It’s always at the disposal of someone not getting minutes, and so who is that?” Vaughn asked. “Is that Spencer (Dinwiddie)? Is that Cam Johnson? Is that Mikal Bridges? Everyone is available to play it and in the wheelhouse to be prepared if their number is called.”