Jonathan Kuminga Rumors

Pacific Notes: Bogdanovic, Murray, Kuminga, Crowder, Suns

February 27th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

As the February 6 deadline neared, Bogdan Bogdanovic was prepared for the fact that Atlanta would likely be trading him to a new team. However, he didn’t know that team would be the Clippers, as Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops relays.

“Seven days before the trade, I knew I was going to change teams,” Bogdanovic told RTS. “I didn’t know where I was going to end up, I even thought I might be in Toronto or New Orleans. … There were about ten teams in the mix, it’s a tricky period when you don’t know where you’ll be.

“But I’m glad I ended up with the Clippers, I’m happy.”

The veteran swingman has his best outing as a Clipper on Wednesday in Chicago, recording 14 points (on 5-of-7 shooting), six assists and a block. Los Angeles outscored Chicago by 13 points in his 25 minutes during the five-point victory, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes (subscriber link), Kings forward Keegan Murray was battling a nagging foot injury for the first few months of 2024/25. The injury limited his effectiveness, particularly his outside jump shot. However, he rested a couple of games in early January to let his foot heal and has been far more efficient ever since. Murray, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, recorded a season-high 26 points (on 9-of-16 shooting) in Wednesday’s victory at Utah. He also chipped in six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes.
The Warriors have been on a roll since they traded for Jimmy Butler, going 6-1 over that span. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, their next challenge will be reintegrating Jonathan Kuminga back in the lineup — the impending restricted free agent has been out since Jan. 4 due to a significant ankle sprain, but he’s inching closer to a return. “The main thing I want for JK is to not press when he comes back,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s not an easy spot to come back into where team’s rolling, contract stuff this summer. He’s going to have a lot on his mind. I want to make things as smooth and easy as possible. I want him to understand that it’s not going to happen right away. He was playing the best basketball of his career before the injury, and it’s not going to happen the first night where he’s going to get back to that level. It will take a little time.”
Kerr added that he wants Kuminga to study Butler on the offensive end. “He’s the perfect guy for JK to emulate,” the Warriors‘ head coach said. “What makes Jimmy special is that he doesn’t try to be special. He plays fundamental basketball. He never turns it over. He just makes the simple play over and over. I want JK to learn some of that … attacking the rim, nothing there, jump stop, pass the ball. That’s a great basketball play.”
Veteran forward Jae Crowder says a rift with former head coach Monty Williams was the reason he was away from the Suns during 2022/23 campaign and eventually led to him being traded at the 2023 deadline, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Crowder finished that season in Milwaukee, but only played 18 games.

Pacific Notes: LaVine, Ellis, Kawhi, Kuminga

February 26th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an up-and-down first couple weeks in Sacramento for Zach LaVine, who was making just 43.0% of his shots from the floor – including 26.4% of his three-point tries – and had a -6.6 net rating as a member of the Kings entering Monday’s matchup with Charlotte.

However, LaVine enjoyed his best game of the season as either a King or a Bull on Monday, pouring in 42 points on 16-of-19 shooting in a blowout win over the Hornets. Sacramento outscored Charlotte by 36 points during his 31 minutes of action.

“I was just waiting,” said teammate DeMar DeRozan, who also played with LaVine for three years in Chicago (story via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). “It took long enough. I kept telling him the whole game, ‘Just shoot it,’ and that’s the outcome. … It’s nothing new for me. I think it was just cool to have the bench going and the crowd going as well.”

Interim Kings head coach Doug Christie said after the game that he believes LaVine has been focused more on fitting in and deferring to teammates than playing his own game. While Christie acknowledge that’s a commendable approach, he hoped to see the two-time All-Star be more assertive offensively.

“I’ve known Zach and the way he plays and what he’s capable of,” Christie said. “I have had conversations, and to his credit, I thought he’s been trying to fit in, but we need him to be himself so we can figure out how to best support him. That doesn’t mean he’s going to come out and get 42 every night, but be aggressive and stay aggressive.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Kings guard Keon Ellis exited Monday’s win over Charlotte after just nine minutes of action due to a right ankle injury, but the team has gotten good news on that front. The injury was considered minor and Ellis has been upgraded to available for Wednesday’s game in Utah, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
After missing games on Sunday and Monday – both Clippers losses – due to left foot soreness, star forward Kawhi Leonard isn’t on the injury report for Wednesday’s game in Chicago, according to the team (Twitter link). That suggests Leonard will be active as the Clippers, in the midst of a long road trip, look to snap their three-game losing streak.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will remain sidelined for Thursday’s game in Orlando, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is in the final stages of his recovery from an ankle sprain that has sidelined him since January 4 and has been scrimmaging, according to Slater, but the 22-year-old is still waiting for the final green light from trainer Rick Celebrini. A return in the middle of Golden State’s five-game road trip, which begins tomorrow and runs through next Thursday, looks like a possibility, Slater adds.

Josh Giddey Is Only 2025 RFA To Meet Starter Criteria So Far

February 25th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When a player on an expiring contract is eligible for restricted free agency, his qualifying offer is determined in part by whether or not he met the “starter criteria” during the season – or two seasons – leading up to his free agency. As we explain in our glossary entry, a player meets the starter criteria when he achieves one of the following:

He plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency.
He averages either 2,000 minutes or 41 starts in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency.

If a top-14 pick coming to the end of his rookie contract fails to meet the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer declines. Conversely a player who was drafted at No. 10 or later or who went undrafted altogether can increase the value of his qualifying offer by meeting the starter criteria.

In many cases, an increase or decrease to a qualifying offer won’t materially affect the player’s restricted free agency, since a QO is just a one-year contract offer issued in order for the team to retain its right of first refusal. The player has the option of accepting it, but in most cases it functions as a placeholder until the RFA signs an offer sheet with a rival team or negotiates a new multiyear contract with his current team.

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, for example, will likely sign a lucrative long-term deal when he reaches free agency this summer, so it won’t matter all that much if he falls short of the starter criteria and his QO drops from the standard amount of $10,240,287 to $7,976,830.

But for a player who is less likely to secure a significant payday but still a good bet to receive a qualifying offer, a difference of a few million dollars between potential QOs could have a major impact on how his free agency plays out. That difference may affect how willing a team is to put the qualifying offer on the table and how likely the player is to simply accept it.

With all that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which potential 2025 restricted free agents have actually met the starter criteria so far this season and which ones are on track to do so. The first list is a short one: Bulls guard Josh Giddey is the only player to meet the starter criteria so far.

Giddey had a huge head-start because he made 80 starts for Oklahoma City in 2023/24, meaning he just needed to make two starts this season in order to achieve an average of 41 for the past two seasons. He made his second start for the Bulls way back on October 25, which means his qualifying offer this summer will be $11,142,057 instead of dropping to $7,976,830.

None of the 10 other potential restricted free agents have met the starter criteria though. Of those players, the following three were lottery picks, with their default qualifying offers noted in parentheses:

Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors ($10,240,287)
Davion Mitchell, Heat ($8,741,210)
Ziaire Williams, Nets ($8,353,153)

Kuminga has only started 10 games this season and will fall short of the starter criteria, which will bump his QO down to $7,976,830. Mitchell and Williams still have a chance to get there though — Mitchell has 28 starts under his belt, while Williams has 26. They both need to reach 41 to achieve the starter criteria, and they’ve been regular starters for their respective teams as of late. If they hang onto their starting jobs and stay healthy, they’ll surpass 41 starts.

Again, Kuminga’s free agency is unlikely to be affected by his smaller qualifying offer, since his offer will likely just serve as a placeholder and a last-resort fallback option. Maybe the Nets will be slightly less inclined to give Williams a qualifying offer if it’s worth $8.35MM instead of $7.98MM, but that’s such a small gap that it’s unlikely to affect the team’s QO decision either way. The same goes for Mitchell and the Heat.

The other seven players on expiring contracts who are eligible for restricted free agency are Cam Thomas (Nets), Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Quentin Grimes (Sixers), Tre Mann (Hornets), Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), and Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers). Jaden Springer, Chris Duarte, and Bones Hyland were also part of this group before being waived this month.

Of those players, only Thomas has a realistic chance of meeting the starter criteria. He started 51 games last season, which means he needs to get to 31 this season. He’s at 17 and the Nets have 25 left to play. If Thomas can return from his hamstring strain relatively soon, which seems likely, he has a good shot at starting 14 games and reaching the necessary threshold. That would increase his QO from $5,993,172 to $8,741,210.

The others will remain eligible for their standard QOs, based on draft position (or their prior salary, in Walker’s case), as follows:

Tre Mann, Hornets ($6,964,982)
Isaiah Jackson, Pacers ($6,422,431)
Quentin Grimes, Sixers ($6,311,825)
Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets ($5,983,683)
Santi Aldama, Grizzlies ($5,940,797)
Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers ($2,524,624)

Warriors Notes: Starting Five, Hield, Kuminga, Butler, Curry

February 23rd, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

In their last game before the All-Star break, the Warriors used their 33rd starting lineup of the season: Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski.

The group helped lead the team to a road win in Houston and earned another start coming out of the break on Friday in Sacramento. After Golden State registered a blowout victory in that game, head coach Steve Kerr said he plans to stick with this starting five despite its lack of size, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“I hope so. Because we’ve had a million different starting lineups this year. It’d be nice to stick with this for the rest of the season,” Kerr said. “I think it’s the best two-way starting group we can put on the floor. You get Moses’ shooting, you get BP’s play-making to go with Steph and Jimmy. Then Draymond and Jimmy at the five and four defensively behind the play. We lack size, but we have a lot of brainpower back there.”

Butler, the tallest player in the lineup at 6’7″, admitted that it’s “definitely” the smallest starting five he has been part of, Slater writes. Still, the Warriors’ big trade-deadline acquisition is confident in the quintet’s ability to make it work.

“I like it,” Butler said. “I do. You’ve just got some feisty individuals out there that’s fighting, scrapping on both sides of the ball, sharing the ball, scoring, getting stops. Small or not, we’re getting it done.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Buddy Hield has started 22 games for Golden State this season, including 12 in a row from January 22 to February 12. He has returned to the second unit following Kerr’s latest lineup change, but the Warriors’ coach said the veteran sharpshooter remains “a huge part of what we’re doing,” according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. “The way we’re starting is not a reflection of his play,” Kerr said prior to Friday’s win, in which Hield scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes off the bench.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has been out since January 4 due to a right ankle sprain, participated in his first 5-on-5, full-contact scrimmage on Saturday, according to Kerr (Twitter video link via Slater). While Kuminga appears to be nearing a return, he won’t play today vs. Dallas or on Tuesday vs. Charlotte, Kerr said. The plan is to reevaluate him prior to the five-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Orlando.
In another story for The San Francisco Chronicle, Gordon notes that Butler’s presence puts Golden State in position to run an efficient offense during the minutes when Curry is off the floor. “It’s huge, just having another number one option out there so when Steph goes off the floor, we still have a number one option that we can play through,” Green said on Friday. “He doesn’t shoot much. … He’s just going to make the right play. He’s going to put guys in position to be successful and the defense has to react to him, or he gets easy buckets.”
The Warriors are starting to “figure out a good chemistry” with Butler, according to Curry, who praised his new teammate for his underrated passing ability, per Grant Afseth of Athlon Sports.

Western Notes: Smith, Thybulle, Kuminga, Nuggets, Suns

February 21st, 2025 at 9:17pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Rockets forward Jabari Smith returned to action on Friday vs. Minnesota in the team’s first game after the All-Star break. Smith had been out since January 1 due to a fractured hand.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Smith had started each of his first 188 NBA regular season games, but he came off the bench on Friday for the first time in his professional career. As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes, head coach Ime Udoka explained before the contest that he wanted to take advantage of having Tari Eason available on the first end of a back-to-back and didn’t want to throw Smith into the deep end in his first game action in over seven weeks.

“Tari (is) coming off some really good games and getting him to the minutes where we want him to be,” Udoka said. “But it was just a little bit everything. I think easing (Smith) back into it a little bit, not really conditioning-wise, but you see how he looks in this game and everything’s kind of open moving forward.”

While Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks made up Houston’s starting five on Friday, Udoka will have some decisions to make once Smith has gotten back to full speed and Fred VanVleet returns from his right ankle injury. The Rockets’ coach said that he hasn’t yet decided what his starting lineup will look like when everyone’s healthy, according to Lerner.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Western Conference:

Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle, who has yet to play this season due to knee and ankle injuries, has started doing some light 3-on-3 contact work, but hasn’t yet been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages, according to head coach Chauncey Billups (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). Billups indicated that he isn’t sure how far away Thybulle is from making his season debut.
The Warriors provided an update on Jonathan Kuminga‘s recovery from his right ankle sprain this week, announcing (via Twitter) that he returned to practice on Wednesday. Kuminga has been sidelined since January 4 and head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that he expected the forward to miss the “first few” games after the All-Star break.
According to reporting from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops), the Nuggets are hiring former Serbian guard Nenad Miljenovic. It’s unclear what sort of role Miljenovic will have in the organization – Eurohoops refers to it as a “front office’ position – but he has a clear connection to Denver’s franchise player, having spent two years as Nikola Jokic‘s teammate with Mega Basket in Serbia from 2013-15.
In their first game after the All-Star break, the Suns made many of the same mistakes that resulted in six losses in seven games ahead of the break, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Star forward Kevin Durant showed some frustration in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to San Antonio – Phoenix’s fourth in a row — with the Suns’ defense struggling to get stops, barking at head coach Mike Budenholzer, “You need somebody who can guard,” according to Rankin.

And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

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.”

More On Kevin Durant: Curry Convo, Warriors/Heat Trade Talks

February 7th, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors and Suns began “secretly” talking about the possibility of a Kevin Durant trade early last week, according to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who say that the star forward and his longtime manager and agent Rich Kleiman didn’t learn about those discussions until the two teams played one another last Friday.

By Saturday, the two teams were far enough along in negotiations that Durant and Stephen Curry touched base to talk about the idea. Shelburne and Windhorst hear from sources that Durant told Curry a reunion with the Warriors “didn’t feel right” and that this “wasn’t the time” for them to team up again.

While the Warriors were discouraged by Durant’s stance, they didn’t give up on making a deal at that point, hoping that Durant might change his tune once he learned how far down the road Phoenix had gotten in those discussions without informing him, per ESPN.

The Suns have internally conceded that it was a mistake not to loop Durant into the process earlier, Shelburne and Windhorst say. The former MVP has been described as “blindsided” by being so heavily involved in trade rumors this week after having expressed a desire to stay in Phoenix.

“We should’ve gone through (Kleiman),” a team source told ESPN.

As Shams Charania reported earlier today, the Warriors, Suns, and Heat discussed a potential multi-team trade that would’ve sent both Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga to Phoenix, with Durant going to Golden State. Shelburne and Windhorst provide more details on those conversations, reporting that the Wizards were involved as well, as we speculated on Wednesday.

The four teams were negotiating a trade that would have looked like this, according to ESPN:

Durant to Golden State.
Butler, Kuminga, Jonas Valanciunas, two first-round picks (from the Warriors), two second-round picks (one each from Miami and Golden State), and pick swaps to Phoenix.
Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson, and the Cavaliers’ 2025 first-round pick (via Phoenix) to Miami.

There are some missing details there — among them, Jusuf Nurkic would’ve been involved and would’ve gone to the Wizards, who presumably would’ve sought at least a first-rounder from the Suns as a sweetener to take on that contract.

While it sounds like there was some momentum in those negotiations, the Heat ultimately weren’t sold on the deal. They sought the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick rather than Cleveland’s, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say that Golden State also had some reservations about the Suns’ steep asking price for Durant.

With Durant standing firm on his stance that he had no desire to go to Golden State, the talks fell apart.

After those discussions ended, there was a window for the Heat to potentially acquire Durant in a trade that would send Butler to Phoenix. Durant would have been more open to playing in Miami than Golden State, sources tell ESPN, and the Suns and Heat traded “visions” of what a deal might look like, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

However, the Suns were seeking a massive haul for Durant that included “a combination of talented young players and draft picks,” Jackson writes. According to both ESPN and the Herald, the Heat considered the price too steep and backed out, pivoting to a Butler deal with the Warriors that cut out Phoenix altogether.

The Suns were “deflated” by the outcome, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say that there were several times during the weeks leading up to Thursday’s deadline that Phoenix thought there might be a path to a Butler deal involving Bradley Beal.

However, sources tell ESPN that the Hawks and Wizards were believed to be the only teams considering taking on Beal, and it’s unclear whether he would’ve waived his no-trade clause for either team. The Suns reportedly never got close enough to a deal to approach Beal about it, eventually pivoting to exploring a Durant scenario without first informing the star forward.

As Windhorst noted on the latest Hoop Collective podcast, we’ll find out this coming summer whether those Suns trade talks involving Durant will sour him on the idea of remaining in Phoenix beyond this season.

Details On Warriors’ Pursuit Of Kevin Durant

February 7th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of ESPN provided some interesting details on the Warriors‘ “aggressive” pursuit of Suns star Kevin Durant, which included several different offers.

According to Charania, one three-team framework involving the Heat would have seen Phoenix acquire Jimmy Butler from Miami, plus Jonathan Kuminga, first-round picks, second-round picks and pick swaps from Golden State. However, once Durant made it clear that he wasn’t interested in returning to the Warriors, they instead pivoted and acquired Butler themselves.

The Heat had an opportunity to acquire Durant as well, Charania reports, but the Suns declined their offer of Butler and Josh Richardson.

Charania confirms the Timberwolves were among the teams who made offers for Durant after Golden State’s failed pursuit. ESPN’s Bob Myers said yesterday that the Grizzlies were in that group as well, though Durant also wasn’t interested in playing in Memphis.

Speaking to reporters today, including Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial appeal (Twitter link), Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said none of the stars that the team made offers for were moved prior to Thursday’s deadline. Kleiman also said Memphis wasn’t in on the Butler sweepstakes, Cole adds (via Twitter).

“I’m not sure why we were pulled into that in the first place,” Kleiman said.

Charania once again reiterated that Durant did not expect nor want his name to be involved in trade rumors this season. Plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported on Thursday that Phoenix would likely revisit Durant trade talks this summer, while ESPN’s Brian Windhorst speculated on his podcast that Durant may be seeking a new destination this offseason.

Warriors Notes: Butler Trade, Curry, Kuminga, Wiggins, Green

February 6th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

The trade sending Jimmy Butler to the Warriors can be considered a backup plan for both parties, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Suns were Butler’s first choice and Golden State was hoping to reacquire Kevin Durant, but Durant had no interest in returning to the Bay Area, dousing any hopes for a three-team deal.

The Warriors paid what they believe is a “modest” price for Butler, according to Slater, parting with Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Dennis Schröder (who’s going to Utah), Lindy Waters (headed to Detroit), and a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2025. Sources tell Slater that Golden State’s front office doesn’t mind giving up the draft choice because it wasn’t excited about any of the prospects in the late lottery and beyond.

Slater considers the riskiest part of the deal for the Warriors to be the two-year, $111MM extension they gave Butler to make sure he’s happy in his new home. Because Butler declined his $52.4MM player option for next season, Golden State essentially added on one year at $58MM and gave him a contract that will expire at the same time as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

“Him signing an extension is big,” Curry said. “Knowing he’s committed for this next little run … I know there was a lot of drama down there (in Miami). Who really knows what the story is? We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy. I can put myself in his shoes. He’s been away from the game for a minute. He’s been frustrated for whatever reason. When you get into a situation that’s a fresh start, it establishes expectations that we’re all used to that we need to win. We all thrive off that energy.”

That financial commitment will likely result in at least two more years of high tax bills. Slater hears that the Warriors are willing to pay a “pricey figure” to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

There’s more on the Warriors:

News of the Butler trade broke shortly before the start of Wednesday’s game at Utah, which created an awkward situation. As Slater describes, coach Steve Kerr gathered his players in the locker room after warmups and informed them of the impending deal. He found it extremely difficult to break the news to Wiggins. “Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached,” Kerr said. “Just a beautiful soul. Just a wonderful human being. We don’t hang that banner in (2022) without him. Everything he brings every day, the laughter, the smile, the joy. I’m gonna miss him.”
Green’s name was floated in trade rumors as the Warriors explored the possibility of reacquiring Durant, but he tells Slater that he never checked with the front office to see if he might be dealt. “I always talk to (general manager Mike Dunleavy). But, no, what’s going to happen is going to happen,” Green said. “Ninety-five percent of the things you worry about never come true. If (I did get traded), then it just is what it is. My worries ain’t stopping it. So I wasn’t worried at all. I’ve been in a place of uncertainty overall. But what’s going to be is going to be. To sit and worry about it, this life is hard enough to worry about what you can’t control.”
Green stated that he has no concerns about playing alongside Butler despite their sharp personalities, Slater adds. Kevon Looney points out that Green has co-existed with other strong-willed players such as DeMarcus Cousins, Chris Paul, David West, Andre Iguodala and more. “Guys like that who are dogs, alpha males, they respect other people like that,” Looney said. “They kind of stay out of each other’s way. Draymond is a great connector. He’s a great leader. He makes things happen on the floor and off the court.”
An ESPN panel looks at how the trade will affect both the Warriors and the Heat, and is unanimous in believing that Golden State might not be Butler’s last NBA stop.