Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

FA Rumors: DeRozan, Crawford, Clippers, Dudley

July 1st, 2016 at 12:47am CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News has updates on a pair of free agent shooting guards, reporting (via Twitter) that the Sixers and Lakers have inquired tonight on DeMar DeRozan, who is meeting with the Raptors in Los Angeles. Toronto remains the strong favorite to re-sign DeRozan. Wolfson also tweets that Jamal Crawford has received calls tonight from the Sixers, Knicks, Clippers, Magic, and Heat.

Here’s more from across the NBA:

In addition to reaching out to Crawford tonight, the Clippers also met with Austin Rivers in Orlando and Jeff Green in Miami, doing due diligence on their pending free agents, tweets Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. After meeting with the Clips, Rivers is expected to talk to the Knicks and possibly the Trail Blazers on Friday, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).
The Nets, Jazz, and Suns are among the teams in pursuit of Jared Dudley, with the Wizards also in the hunt to bring back the veteran sharpshooter, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Utah had a meeting with Dudley tonight, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
League sources continue to tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) that the Kings may be preparing a “significant” offer for restricted free agent Dion Waiters. The Thunder would have the opportunity to match an offer sheet, but may not be aggressive in trying to retain Waiters now that they have Victor Oladipo.
The Thunder were indeed among the teams to reach out to Al Horford tonight, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. A Thursday report indicated that Oklahoma City has its eye on Horford as part of its pitch to keep Kevin Durant.
Speaking of Durant, during The Vertical’s free agency show tonight, Wojnarowski said that Jay-Z and Roc Nation tried to push Durant to take a free agent meeting with the Nets, but KD dismissed that idea (Twitter link via Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily).

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 30th, 2016 at 10:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are in a strong position to keep Kevin Durant as the final minutes tick away toward free agency, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. An unidentified friend of Durant’s says the Oklahoma City star’s decision is “90% made” after a meeting today with GM Sam Presti and assistant GM Troy Weaver. But Durant will go through with his meetings in the Hamptons Friday with the Warriors and Clippers, followed by the Spurs and Celtics on Saturday and the Heat on Sunday. OKC is hoping for another session with Durant after those meetings are done.

Durant was apparently swayed by the Thunder’s status as contenders and the extra cash he can receive by staying put. Oklahoma City can offer a five-year deal at about $30.6MM annually, compared to four years for other franchises with an annual salary in the neighborhood of $28.4MM. If Durant takes a two-year deal with the Thunder and opts out after next season, he could push that annual salary to approximately $40.7MM. According to Spears, that will most likely be Durant’s decision.

Durant hopes to make up his mind “sooner rather than later” after the meetings are wrapped up, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sources told Stein that today’s sit-down with the Thunder lasted five hours and “went well.”

Even so, the Warriors remain confident as they get their chance to talk to Durant, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Kennedy describes Durant as “intrigued” by the possibility of joining a team that just broke the regular season record for wins.

Durant likes the idea of joining forces with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, writes Marcus Thompson of The San Jose Mercury News. A source told Thompson that if Durant signs with the Warriors, he would have a say in constructing the rest of the roster and in recruiting veterans to accept a discount for a chance at a title. One area of need could be a new center, as the Warriors have talked about trading current starter Andrew Bogut.

Clippers To Pitch “Big Four” Scenario To Durant

June 30th, 2016 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers will be one of the first teams to sit down with Kevin Durant on his free agent tour, with KD on track to meet with the Clippers and Warriors on Friday. And according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register and Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi of ESPN.com, the Clippers will attempt to sell Durant on a scenario that would see him playing alongside Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, creating a “big four.”

It has long been assumed that, if they were to land Durant, the Clippers would have to jettison one of their top three players for cap purposes. However, Los Angeles is exploring scenarios that would allow the team to keep Paul, Griffin, and Jordan, while adding Durant. Per ESPN’s report, all three players have been invited to the Clips’ meeting with Durant in The Hamptons, which will be led by owner Steve Ballmer and coach Doc Rivers.

Selling Durant on such a scenario may not be easy, and it won’t be simple to actually execute either. Even if the Clippers were able to trade J.J. Redick, Paul Pierce, C.J. Wilcox, and the rights to Brice Johnson without taking any salary back, and renounced all their pending free agents, the team wouldn’t have enough cap room to offer Durant a maximum-salary contract. By my count, Durant would have to start at around $23.5MM in that scenario, and the Clippers would be left with only the $2.898MM room exception – and minimum-salary deals – to fill out their roster around their “big four.” A max salary for Durant is expected to start at approximately $26.6MM.

As the Clippers prepare their pitch to Durant, the Thunder’s brass is meeting with the former MVP today. However, since teams aren’t permitted to discuss contract parameters prior to July 1st, Oklahoma City is seeking a second meeting with Durant in The Hamptons next week, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links). Those contract discussions likely wouldn’t take long – there’s little doubt the Thunder would offer a full, five-year max – but a second meeting would allow the team to get the final word after Durant has heard pitches from all his other suitors.

Western Rumors: Durant, Duncan, Bass, Wolves

June 30th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Within a piece on Kevin Durant‘s free agency, Royce Young of ESPN.com passes along a handful of interesting tidbits, writing that Durant has privately “raved to friends” about newly-acquired Thunder guard Victor Oladipo. Young also suggests that, after finishing this past season with the NBA’s third-highest payroll, the Thunder still “have plenty of cash stashed away to keep on paying.”

According to Young, Durant built a strong connection with Billy Donovan during the coach’s first year in Oklahoma City, which is a positive sign for the Thunder. As Young explains, Durant is a big believer in the importance of coaching, and has wanted the sort of long-term relationship with a coach that Tim Duncan has with Gregg Popovich. Donovan – whom the Spurs previously considered as a possible eventual successor to Popovich, according to Young – is a candidate to become Durant’s Popovich, assuming KD remains with the Thunder.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Speaking of Duncan, his cap number will increase to about $6.4MM in 2016/17, since he cashed in on an incentive bonus worth $750K after the Spurs won 62+ games, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Duncan had previously been set to earn $5,643,750 on the player option he exercised this week, but the bonus should increase his salary to $6,393,750. The future Hall-of-Famer is still debating whether or not to continue his playing career.
As the Timberwolves survey the market for free agent bigs, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that Brandon Bass is another potential target on the team’s radar.
The Trail Blazers have amended the language in Cliff Alexander‘s contract, moving his salary guarantee date from June 30th to July 25th, reports Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (via Twitter). The move will allow Portland to delay its decision on Alexander until after the free agent period — the team could cut him or guarantee his salary later, depending on how the summer plays out.

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 30th, 2016 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 7:10am: Stein fills in the rest Durant’s schedule, tweeting that he’ll meet with the Clippers on Friday and the Celtics on Saturday. So KD’s full lineup of meetings will look like this:

June 30th: Thunder
July 1st: Warriors and Clippers
July 2nd: Spurs and Celtics
July 3rd: Heat

WEDNESDAY, 11:17am: Durant’s meeting with the Heat will occur on Sunday, according to an ESPN.com report from Broussard and Stein.

11:00am: Kevin Durant‘s schedule for the next several days is beginning to take shape, with a handful of reporters filling in the details on the star forward’s free agent tour. According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard (via Twitter), Durant will have his first meeting with his current team, sitting down with the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Once free agency officially begins on Friday, Durant will head to the Hamptons in New York for the rest of his meetings, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Durant will meet with the Warriors on Friday afternoon in the Hamptons. Meanwhile, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Spurs’ pitch to the former MVP is scheduled for Saturday.

In addition to meeting with the Thunder, Warriors, and Spurs, Durant also has sit-downs lined up with the Heat, Celtics, and Clippers, and those meetings will take place over the first few days of July, says Broussard (via Twitter). The ESPN reporter adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks are still receiving consideration for a meeting, while the Lakers won’t get one. There’s no mention of the Hawks, who are also trying to “wedge their way” into the Durant sweepstakes, but it doesn’t look like Atlanta will get an audience with KD.

Durant has said that his top priority for his next destination is competing for a championship, and being able to do so immediately. Wojnarowski recently reported that the 27-year-old has plans to go on a publicity tour starting on July 9th, so he’ll likely make a decision before that date.

While a two-year contract with an opt-out after the first year makes the most financial sense for Durant, who could land a much larger max contract in 2017, there have been increased rumblings that he’s not eager to go through the free agent process again in a year, so it’s possible he’ll sign a long-term contract with the team he chooses.

Kyler’s Latest: Durant, Conley, Whiteside, Rondo

June 28th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The prevailing wisdom heading into free agency has suggested that Kevin Durant is likely to sign a two-year contract with a second-year player option this summer. After all, opting out a year from now and signing a long-term deal at that point figures to be the best way for the star forward to maximize his earnings.

Still, we’ve heard whispers that Durant may prefer to simply sign a long-term pact now to avoid having free agency looming over him for another year, and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders cites sources close to the former MVP who echo that sentiment. According to Kyler, Oklahoma City remains the frontrunner for Durant, but the free-agent-to-be will hear out and consider all his suitors, and could make a long-term commitment to the team he signs with, whether that’s the Thunder or another club.

Here’s more from Kyler on a few of this summer’s top free agents:

Mike Conley is expected to listen to some free agent pitches, but will likely give the Grizzlies the last word, writes Kyler. Conley would like to see Memphis be aggressive about adding talent to fortify the roster if he’s going to return. If the veteran point guard decides to go elsewhere, the Mavericks, Rockets, Spurs, and even the Nets are among his potential landing spots, per Kyler.
The Lakers, Mavericks, Celtics, and Hornets are some of the teams expected to make a push for Hassan Whiteside if the Heat waver on offering him a max contract, says Kyler.
Kyler identifies the Heat as a potential dark horse in the Al Horford sweepstakes, if Whiteside does leave Miami. Horford is believed to be the next target on the team’s wish list, and that interest may be mutual, Kyler writes.
There’s mutual interest between Rajon Rondo and the Nets, who could be the favorites to land the point guard. However, according to Kyler, Rondo wouldn’t want to be Brooklyn’s only high-profile addition this summer, so the Nets might have to make a commitment to another notable free agent if they hope to lure Rondo.
Dwight Howard could end up being a primary target this offseason for teams like the Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Hornets, who aren’t necessarily expected to get involved with many top-tier free agents, per Kyler. Sources close to Howard and the Magic indicate to Kyler that the odds of D12 returning to Orlando are slim, despite the fact that the team expects to be active on the open market.
Kyler adds the Lakers and Grizzlies to the list of teams with interest in Ryan Anderson, and notes that there’s mutual interest between Anderson and the Wizards. Sources also tell Kyler that Anderson would prefer to land with a playoff team.

Hawks Want In On Kevin Durant Sweepstakes

June 28th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Six teams – including the Thunder – have lined up free agent meetings with Kevin Durant so far, but there are still a handful of other clubs vying for the opportunity to sit down with the star forward. According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, one of those clubs is the Hawks, who are trying to “wedge their way” into the KD sweepstakes.

As July approaches, Atlanta’s top free agent priorities involve re-signing Al Horford and Kent Bazemore, but the Hawks are also working to convince Durant and his representatives to allow them to make a face-to-face pitch. According to Stein, the chances of such a meeting occurring appear dim for now, but Grant Hill – a member of the Hawks’ ownership group – is expected to lead the club’s lobbying efforts, giving Atlanta a glimmer of hope.

Atlanta’s pursuit of Durant may be a long shot, but if the team falls short in its pursuit of its top target, it has at least one more big-name free agent on its list of possible alternatives. Stein reports that the Hawks are strongly considering pursuing Atlanta native Dwight Howard, who will also hit the open market this week.

According to Stein, the Hawks would go after Howard with the idea of playing him alongside Horford in their frontcourt. However, Howard could also represent a viable alternative at center if Horford ultimately signs elsewhere. While Atlanta is optimistic about retaining the All-Star center, Horford is expected to draw interest from the Lakers, Rockets, Magic, Pistons, Wizards, Celtics, and Nets, among other teams, Stein writes.

The Hawks are currently projected to have about $47MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2016/17, which includes cap holds for their two first-round picks, but not Jeff Teague‘s $8MM salary. Even if the team re-signs Horford, there could still be room for another max or near-max salary.

Six Teams Solidify Meetings With Kevin Durant

June 27th, 2016 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

8:08pm: Durant will not meet with his hometown Wizards, J. Michael of CSNMidatlantic.com reports. The Wizards have already moved on with their free agency plans, as league sources told Michael that the idea of returning home “doesn’t resonate” with Durant.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Durant and his representatives have now scheduled meetings with the Celtics, Clippers, and Heat, bringing the total number of meetings on tap for KD to six, reports ESPN’s Chris Broussard. A meeting with the Knicks also remains in play, but hasn’t yet been confirmed.

FRIDAY, 10:44pm: The Warriors, Spurs and Thunder will be the first three teams to land face-to-face recruiting meetings with Kevin Durant, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein adds that the meetings will take place next week and more teams are expected to be granted an opportunity to make a pitch. Durant’s representatives are working to solidify meetings with the Celtics, Clippers and Heat in addition to the aforementioned teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports.

Both the Warriors and Spurs are planning on having key members of their respective organizations in attendance, Stein adds. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be among the attendees for Golden State’s pitch, while San Antonio will have Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan among the attendees at its meeting. Sources tell Stein that the Warriors believe their chances of landing Durant have increased as a result of losing to the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Earlier this week, a source suggested to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that the Warriors appear to be the biggest threat to land the 2013/14 MVP should he leave Oklahoma City.

Durant is expected to have his agent Rich Kleiman and a few family members and friends alongside him during the initial meetings. The meetings are expected to take place in New York, according to Wojnarowski, although teams are still awaiting official word. It was reported last week that the meetings would take place in Los Angeles, where Durant owns a home.

The Knicks and Lakers remain hopeful about getting a meeting, Stein adds. Despite no definite report of a future meeting with Durant, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets that the Knicks are expected to get one.

The Rockets are not expected to get serious consideration, as was previously reported, and Stein adds that the Wizards are not optimistic about their chances of landing Durant.

Durant’s top priority for a destination remains competing for a championship and doing it immediately. A source tells Wojnarowski that Durant has plans to go on a publicity tour starting on July 9, and he expects to make a decision before that date.

Rockets To Push For Hassan Whiteside, Other FAs

June 27th, 2016 at 5:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Hassan Whiteside will be among the free agents the Rockets make a strong push for when the recruiting period opens later this week, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. A source tells Watkins that Houston will make a strong effort to sign either Whiteside, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, or Ryan Anderson.

The Rockets’ interest in Durant, who is the top target for a handful of teams, has long been known, but reports in recent weeks have indicated that the former MVP isn’t expected to seriously consider Houston. So far, Durant has lined up meetings with six teams – the Thunder and five rival suitors – but the Rockets aren’t on that list.

The Rockets’ fondness for Horford and Anderson has also been previously reported, though Atlanta is viewed as the frontrunner to bring back Horford, while Anderson will generate plenty of interest around the league. Of the four Rockets targets mentioned by Watkins, Anderson is perhaps the least likely to land a maximum-salary contract, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility even for him.

As for Whiteside, he’s hoping to make a decision early in free agency, so if he lands elsewhere, the Rockets should at least be able to move on quickly. The Lakers, Mavericks, and Celtics are among the clubs expected to vie with the Heat for the young center.

With Dwight Howard having opted out of his contract, Houston has room for at least one max player, and possibly two. General manager Daryl Morey suggested earlier this month that the Rockets are “ready-made” to add a star to complement James Harden, pointing to the size of the Houston market, the presence of Harden (and several solid role players), and the arrival of coach Mike D’Antoni as reasons why top-tier free agents would be interested in joining the Rockets.

Of course, the Rockets’ free agent search won’t be limited to max-salary players. Watkins mentions in his piece that Jeremy Lin could be among Houston’s targets this offseason, which is an intriguing possibility, given the success the point guard has had under D’Antoni in the past.

FA Rumors: Durant, Arthur, Wizards, Lakers, Bulls

June 27th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks would like to set up a meeting to make their pitch to Kevin Durant, but nothing has been agree to or scheduled yet, and it remains to be seen whether that sit-down will take place. Still, that hasn’t stopped Carmelo Anthony from making his own recruiting pitch to his friend and Olympic teammate, as ESPN’s Marc Stein details.

“I’m with KD now; he’s right downstairs. We’ve been together. We’ve been talking,” Anthony told ESPN. “I do consider myself part of the Knicks, so that (free agent) meeting has already taken place.”

While tampering policies prevent teams from making contact with free-agents-to-be or their agents to discuss deals before July 1st at 12:00am, the NBA typically doesn’t police interactions between players, leaving players like Anthony and James Harden free to attempt to woo Durant, even though the Knicks and Rockets may not formally meet with him.

Let’s check in on a few other free agency notes…

Durant may not be the only free agent to receive a call or a text from Carmelo. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets that Anthony has been selling the Knicks to a few other players as well.
The Wizards have interest in Darrell Arthur, who has declined his player option with the Nuggets to become a free agent, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Washington will be in the market for big men this summer, and Michael believes Arthur could be a nice complementary piece to Markieff Morris at power forward.
According to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, one could make the case that his team should target frontcourt players in free agency. However, as Kupchak explains to ESPN (video link), he isn’t entering free agency intent on upgrading a specific position — he believes the Lakers could use help everywhere.
Asked today about the Bulls‘ pending free agents, GM Gar Forman spoke positively about E’Twaun Moore, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com observes. Moore seems more likely to re-sign in Chicago than players like Joakim Noah or Pau Gasol, but the 27-year-old guard will generate a fair amount of interest on the open market as well.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical provides a breakdown of Durant’s various options in free agency and outlines the moves some of his suitors would have to make to land him.
Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star identifies five potential free agent targets for the Pacers, including three who finished the season with Charlotte.