Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Notes: Durant, Irving, Booker, Roster Depth

March 6th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Playing his first close game since joining the Suns, Kevin Durant provided a reminder of what a dangerous clutch-time scorer he can be, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Durant had 37 points in Sunday’s win at Dallas and hit a tough jumper over Tim Hardaway Jr. with 12.4 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner.

“Once I had him on my hip, I felt like I was in good position to just stop on a dime,” Durant said. “Glad I made it.”

In just his third game since returning from an MCL sprain, Durant was supposed to be on a minutes restriction. However, coach Monty Williams allowed him to stay on the court for 40 minutes as the game remained close throughout.

“I was out there for a while,” Durant said. “I didn’t look over to (Williams) on purpose. I wanted to keep playing, but I’m glad he trusted me out there. Glad the training staff trusted me. Hopefully we can build on this from here.”

There’s more on the Suns:

There was drama surrounding Sunday’s game because it marked the first meeting between Durant and Kyrie Irving since they both asked the Nets for a trade last month. But Durant said afterward that he had “no emotions at all,” noting that he played against Irving many times before they teamed up in Brooklyn, Rankin adds. In an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” Monday morning (video link), Brian Windhorst observed that Durant and Irving didn’t interact at all during the game, adding, “The only relationship they have right now is zero relationship.”
The Suns’ rivalry with the Mavericks was punctuated by a verbal altercation between Devin Booker and Luka Doncic late in Sunday’s game, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After Doncic missed a floater in the final seconds that would have tied the score, he took exception to a comment from Booker and they went nose to nose before being separated. “You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly,” Booker told reporters. “Here you go. We got some smoke.”
The Suns are considered to be among the favorites in the West after adding Durant, but they’ll need to overcome a lack of depth after giving up important rotation pieces in the trade with Brooklyn, Windhorst writes in an ESPN story. He notes that Josh Okogie, who has been inserted into the starting lineup, missed all eight of his three-point attempts Sunday, while Torrey Craig was just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Pacific Notes: Durant Vs. Irving, Clippers, Huerter, Russell

March 4th, 2023 at 11:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant is downplaying Sunday’s matchup against Kyrie Irving, calling it “just another game,” writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. The former teammates shocked the league when they signed with the Nets as free agents in 2019. They went through nearly four tumultuous seasons before both requesting trades last month, with Durant going to the Suns and Irving being sent to the Mavericks.

“I understand the entertainment aspect and a lot of people on the outside got the game circled on their calendar, but for both teams, just regularly scheduled programming,” Durant said. “Getting back to work and seeing how you can get better as a unit.”

Sunday’s game will be just the third for Durant with Phoenix, which has posted two comfortable wins since he returned from an MCL sprain. Irving is a little more established in Dallas, and he’s excited about facing Durant for the first time since their partnership dissolved.

“I’m looking forward to it — playing against the Suns, playing against the new-look Suns with KD,” Irving said. “I think it’ll be an exciting time just for us to compete again with each other. He’s my brother for life, but when we’re stepping out there, I’m looking forward to the competition, friendly competition.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is trying to stave off any panic after watching his team fall to .500 with five straight losses, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. L.A. is suddenly in the midst of a tight race just to make the playoffs, but Lue believes the team is close to putting things together. “The losses hurt, but we have played some good basketball in stretches and we’ve played against some good teams as well,” Lue said. “So (my job) is to challenge us to see where we are at after acquiring our new pieces through trades (who came in) not knowing what we want to do offensively and defensively. I thought our new guys have done a good job. (I need to) just try to get those guys up to speed and keep doing the good things we have been doing.”
Kevin Huerter wasn’t around for any of the Kings‘ darkest days, but he’s thrilled to be part of the group that’s about to break a 16-year playoff drought, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Acquired from the Hawks last summer, Huerter is impressed by the passion he’s witnessed from Kings fans. “I haven’t seen the lows that this city has gone through, so for me it’s great,” he said. “There’s so much excitement around the city. It feels like everybody here is following us. You can’t go in public without everybody saying they’re seeing the Kings.”
D’Angelo Russell was hoping to return from a sprained right ankle on Sunday, but the Lakers have already ruled him out, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Russell, who has played in just four games since being acquired at the trade deadline, was able to scrimmage this week.

Suns Notes: Durant, KD Ripple Effect, Shamet

March 3rd, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant said he felt “great” after debuting for his new team on Wednesday and will be good to go for Phoenix’s game in Chicago on Friday, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Following a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury, Durant will remain on a minutes limit for the foreseeable future, but he played 27 minutes in his first game as a Sun, which was more than he anticipated.

“I didn’t think I’d play that much, to be honest,” Durant said after the Suns’ win over Charlotte. “I thought I’d be hovering around 19, 20 minutes, but coach (Monty Williams) is a player. He’s been there before, so he understands I needed a couple extra minutes to get some rhythm and he gave me that so I’m grateful for it.”

Williams said the plan is to gradually increase Durant’s workload until he’s comfortable playing 36-to-38 minutes per night.

“You’re not going to do that if you’re scaling it back,” Williams said, according to Rankin. “Then all the sudden you go from 20, 20, 20, 20, then you go 30, that’s where I think you can get yourself in trouble. I’m trying to do my best to build him up.”

Here’s more on the Suns:

Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports identifies five promising signs from Durant’s debut, including the secondary rim protection KD provides and the options the Suns now have for staggering their stars. While Devin Booker (15-of-26) and Deandre Ayton (7-of-10) won’t be that productive or efficient every night, Durant figures to make their lives much easier on offense, Bourguet writes.
Speaking to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports about his Suns debut and how things ended in Brooklyn, Durant said he had no regrets about signing a four-year contract extension with the Nets during the summer of 2021, even if it hurt his leverage when he first requested a trade last offseason.
Suns guard Landry Shamet, who hasn’t played since January 16 due to right foot soreness, said on Wednesday that he feels like he’s getting close to returning. However, he has since headed back to Phoenix for treatment and will be reevaluated next week, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. According to Shamet, his foot sometimes feels good for a few days before flaring up again. “We’re just hopeful that he can get some answers as to why it keeps popping back up,” Williams said.

Pacific Notes: KD, Suns, D-Lo, Westbrook, Clippers

March 2nd, 2023 at 12:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Superstar forward Kevin Durant had a successful debut with the Suns on Wednesday, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The 34-year-old had been out of action since January 8 after sustaining a right MCL sprain, but he contributed 23 points (on 10-of-15 shooting), six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 27 minutes during Phoenix’s 105-91 victory in Charlotte.

“I feel like I fit in pretty well. Everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible,” Durant said. “I just got to keep grinding, man, and this jersey on me will look normal as games go on.”

Durant had never been traded in the middle of a season prior to being sent to Phoenix from Brooklyn last month, and he admitted he was nervous about his first game in Suns uniform.

“New environment, new situation, new teammates, I mean I always feel I got to prove myself to my teammates and my coaches every single day no matter what I’ve done in the league,” Durant said, per Windhorst. “So I feel like there’s pressure to be who I am every day.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Suns head coach Monty Williams said after the game that Durant will be on a precautionary minutes restriction for “at least the next week,” as Shane Young of Forbes Sports relays (via Twitter). Williams was noncommittal about Durant’s status for Friday’s game in Chicago, Young adds.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell continues to be hampered by a sprained right ankle. He told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he will miss Friday’s game versus Minnesota, his fourth consecutive absence (Twitter link). When asked if he could potentially play Sunday against Golden State, Russell wasn’t sure. “We’ll see once we get through Friday,” he said.
Wolves guard Austin Rivers believes Russell Westbrook is a “natural fit” with the Clippers, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com. “He starts, that’s exactly what he wanted to be in that situation,” Rivers said before Tuesday’s matchup with the Clippers. “The pressure’s not on him to close games. They got two closers, so he gets to go play and just kinda be him and not have to worry about all the pressure. I think it’s a great fit, honestly.” Rivers, who played with Westbrook in Houston a few years ago, explained that the Clippers’ shooting should give Westbrook more room to drive and make plays. Westbrook has put up strong individual numbers with the Clippers, averaging 16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 9.3 APG (4.3 TO) and 2.3 SPG on .529/.444/1.000 shooting, but the team is 0-3 with him in the lineup thus far, Azarly notes.

And-Ones: Cheatham, Summer League, Udoka, Team USA

March 1st, 2023 at 6:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Zylan Cheatham, who has appeared in NBA games for the Jazz and Pelicans since 2019, will resume his playing career in the EuroLeague. According to reporting from BasketNews.com, German club Bayern Munich added Chatham to its roster ahead of today’s deadline for EuroLeague teams to register new players.

After going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, Cheatham began his professional career on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, spending his entire rookie season with the team, though he only appeared in four NBA games.

Cheatham was sent to Oklahoma City in a sign-and-trade for salary-matching purposes during the 2020 offseason in the deal that landed Steven Adams in New Orleans, but was waived by the Thunder a week later. Since then, he has primarily played in the G League, though he did sign 10-day contracts with Miami, Utah, and New Orleans last season.

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

The NBA has officially confirmed the dates for this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, announcing (via Twitter) that it will take place from July 7-17.
Teams are beginning the vetting process of former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Bulpett explores what teams want to know about Udoka and what steps he might have to take to land a new job following his year-long suspension and his subsequent exit from Boston.
Suns forward Kevin Durant and Kings forward Harrison Barnes are among the former Olympic medalists who are part of USA Basketball’s Board of Directors. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press explores what that role entails, noting that Durant has sought to have real input on the program, rather than just having an honorary seat at the table.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic polled a handful of players at All-Star weekend about what they’d change about the NBA and received some interesting responses, including Anthony Edwards criticizing the concept of load management (“Just play, man. If you 80 percent, you got to play. I don’t like all this sitting, missing games and stuff”) and Tyrese Haliburton advocating for the league to expand (“The talent in the world right now is amazing, so to add two more teams would be good for our league”).

Kevin Durant On Track For Suns Debut On Wednesday

February 28th, 2023 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Superstar forward Kevin Durant is expected to play his first game for the Suns on Wednesday in Charlotte against the Hornets, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The announcement had been anticipated, as a report last week indicated that Durant and the Suns were targeting March 1 for his return from a right MCL sprain that has sidelined him since January 8.

Of course, back when Durant suffered that injury, he was still a member of the Nets. His injury absence resulted in a prolonged slump in Brooklyn and was one domino that led to Kyrie Irving‘s trade request. After the Nets sent Irving to Dallas, Durant quietly requested a trade of his own and was sent to Phoenix at this month’s deadline in exchange for a package headlined by Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and four unprotected first-round picks.

Durant’s new teammates, including Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Chris Paul, have repeatedly expressed excitement to play alongside the former MVP, and head coach Monty Williams said on Sunday that KD was “itching to get out there,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

With Durant in their lineup, the Suns will take aim at securing one of the top seeds in the West. The 33-29 squad currently holds the No. 4 spot in the conference, but seven teams are within three games of the Suns in the standings and chasing Phoenix for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Suns Notes: Payne, Durant, Sarver, Wainright, Saric

February 25th, 2023 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns began to get some reinforcements back on the court on Friday, with Cameron Payne (right foot sprain) playing for the first time since January 4.

As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets, Payne was on a minutes restriction. After averaging 24.0 MPG in his first 28 appearances, he played just 16 minutes on Friday, but he made the most of his limited time, scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Of course, the return Phoenix is really waiting for is Kevin Durant‘s — the star forward has been out since January 8 due to an MCL sprain, but is close to making his Suns debut, with a recent report suggesting that Wednesday is believed to be his target date. His new teammates can’t wait to see him take the floor for the Suns.

“It’s hard to put to words,” Booker said after going through a full practice with Durant on Thursday, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I can’t wait to do it against other teams.

“… It makes things a lot easier. We just had one scrimmage. It was obviously less attention on me, less attention on Chris (Paul) and the other guys. We all know how to play the game. Like I said before, I think our games complement each other well.”

Here’s more on the Suns:

After reporting earlier this week that Robert Sarver‘s year-long suspension remains in place even though he no longer owns the Suns, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic says that Sarver’s representatives believe that ban should have ended when the longtime Suns owner sold the franchise. As Rankin explains, Sarver’s reps supported their belief by pointing to specific legalese in the closing documents of the sale to Mat Ishbia, but an NBA spokesperson has reiterated that the suspension – which prohibits Sarver from attending NBA and WNBA games – will remain in place until September 13, 2023.
Ish Wainright, who received a promotion from his two-way deal to the 15-man roster on Friday, said that he was so happy about signing his new contract that he began vomiting, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. “I was so excited, I started throwing up,” Wainright said. “Ran to the restroom, let everything out. My brother came in, was freaking out, like, ‘Yo, are you all right?’ I was like, ‘I’m just excited.'”
Dario Saric‘s departure from Phoenix at this month’s trade deadline was overshadowed by the Durant blockbuster, but the veteran forward’s stint with the team was underrated and shouldn’t be overlooked, according to Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who says Saric played a key role in building the Suns’ culture over the last few years.

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Durant, Carmelo, Payton

February 22nd, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ front office met with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, along with Tyronn Lue and his coaching staff, to assess the team’s needs following the trade deadline, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The group determined that a veteran point guard would be useful, particularly after trading away Reggie Jackson and John Wall, which led to the decision to pursue Russell Westbrook if he became available.

Westbrook signed with the Clippers after a buyout with the Jazz and could debut with his new team Friday night. The 34-year-old guard will try to rehabilitate his image in L.A. after spending a rocky season and a half with the Lakers.

There’s risk involved for both sides in the new arrangement, Youngmisuk notes. The Clippers are playing their best basketball of the season, winning 10 of their last 14 games, and will now try to integrate one of the league’s most polarizing players into their lineup, possibly as a starter. Westbrook, who will be a free agent this summer, faces the possibility of tanking his value even further as he seeks his next contract.

Youngmisuk notes that the Clippers are hoping Westbrook can become a more successful version of Wall, a similar type of player, who was trying to revive his career after years of injuries. Wall was on a minutes limit for much of the season and rarely got to play with Leonard and George at the same time because they were managing injuries of their own.

“Sucked that John didn’t work,” George said, “but what John brought is what we need: A guy that can get up and down the floor and get us some easy baskets in transition.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kevin Durant will likely play his first game with the Suns on March 1 at Charlotte, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. There had been hope that Durant would be ready for Friday’s home game against Oklahoma City or Sunday’s nationally televised contest at Milwaukee, but sources tell Charania that next Wednesday is now the target date. Durant has been sidelined since suffering an MCL sprain on January 8.
Recent comments from Durant and Chris Paul about Carmelo Anthony have led to speculation that they may lobby the Suns to sign the 38-year-old forward, according to Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic. Anthony has been out of the league after playing 69 games for the Lakers last season.
Gary Payton II told reporters that he wasn’t surprised when he failed his physical with the Warriors, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Payton said he knew his body wasn’t 100% and explained that he took Toradol when he was with the Trail Blazers because “being a competitor, I just wanted to get out there.”

Suns Notes: Durant, Okogie, Craig, Ross, Sarver

February 22nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant is nearing a return from his MCL sprain, but it may not happen on Friday in his new team’s first game after the All-Star break, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link).

According to Windhorst, the tentative plan is to have Durant take part in a 5-on-5 contact workout on Thursday in Phoenix and to see how his knee reacts to that session. If all goes well, it’s possible Durant could make his Suns debut on Friday, but Windhorst believes that Sunday afternoon’s game in Milwaukee or Wednesday’s contest in Charlotte are more likely target dates for Durant and the team.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Once Durant is healthy, he’ll be one of four players locked into the starting lineup, along with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. With the fifth spot in the Suns’ starting group still up for grabs, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports considers whether Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, or Terrence Ross would be the most logical fit in that role.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic views Craig as the best candidate to fill out the starting five, but suggests Ross might be a better fit in the club’s closing lineup. Rankin also identifies a few other five-man groups that the Suns might utilize once Durant is available, including the club’s best “small” and “big” lineups.
Although Robert Sarver no longer owns the Suns or the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, his one-year suspension from the NBA remains in effect, sources tell Rankin. Certain terms of that suspension – such as a ban from attending the league’s Board of Governors meetings – are no longer relevant, but the suspension also barred Sarver from attending any NBA or WNBA games.

Suns Owner Ishbia: Durant Trade Involved “No Risk”

February 21st, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia believes the Kevin Durant blockbuster deal wasn’t risky at all, he told Chris Mannis of Sports Illustrated.

Ishbia made a big splash and acquired of one of the league’s biggest stars right after being approved by the league’s owners to take control of the franchise.

“I don’t look at it like a risk at all. I know what the vision is,” he said. “I’m going to own this team for 50 years, so like zero [risk]. I don’t need to come in and win in the first year. But at the same time, there’s nothing in my life that I don’t want to win at. We’re going to try to win everything we do.”

The fact that Durant is in the first season of a four-year extension played into the decision to make the deal with the Nets. The Suns gave up Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and several first-rounders in the deal, which turned into a four-team swap.

“It wasn’t a tough decision. We really didn’t want to give up some of the guys, because we love those guys,” Ishbia said. “They were winners and we didn’t want to give them up. But at the end of the day the right decision was, what do we do to maximize our team for today and for the next three to four years? This is going to be what the Phoenix Suns are about.”

Ishbia touched on a number of topics with Mannix:

Potential luxury tax penalties didn’t factor into the decision to make the trade. Ishbia is also unfazed by any future tax issues: “The financial piece was five seconds. They know I’m ready. That doesn’t bother me.”
Ishbia won’t meddle with GM James Jones and head coach Monty Williams in their jobs: “James will pick the best player. And that’s his job. I’m not calling Monty Williams to ask him why we played someone. That’s not my thing. I’ll watch the game like a fan and cheer the team on. That’s what my job is to do, is to be the biggest supporter, to give Monty Williams all the support he needs, to give James Jones all the support they need, to give the players all the support they need.”
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was the only owner who abstained from approving him as Phoenix’s owner. Gilbert and Ishbia both own major mortgage companies based in Michigan, but Ishbia says there’s no bad blood between them. “If I saw Dan today, we’d shake hands and say hello. We’re normal people. But we’re not giving each other advice and being friendly in the business side. I have no negativity towards him. He’s probably not one of the first owners I’ll call for advice on ticket sales or sponsorships, but I’m friendly to everybody. But I’m fine talking with him.”