Kevin Durant

Suns Notes: Durant, Booker, Okogie

March 31st, 2023 at 8:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant finally made his Suns home debut on Wednesday, scoring 16 points against Minnesota in a 107-100 victory. He admitted he was eager to show the Phoenix fans how he’s blending with his new teammates, Nick Friedell of ESPN relays.

“It was hard for me to get sleep (Wednesday),” Durant said. “It was hard for me to stop thinking about the game. Sometimes you can want it too bad. And you come out there and play like you start rushing and start being uncharacteristic. I’m glad I’m back. I’m glad I’m into the zone of playing again and being around the guys and being one of the guys again, just keep building from here.”

We have more on the Suns:

Durant told Shams Charania of The Athletic that he’s still rooting for the Nets and holds no ill will toward the organization. Durant asked to be traded before and then during the season. “I want the best for that organization. I wanted the best for us every game,” he said. “I hated it had to go down like that. I wasn’t trying to prove the Nets is a (bad) organization. I was trying to prove that the Nets are a great organization, that they care about their players, want the best for their players. Certain (stuff) just didn’t work out.”
Devin Booker told Sam Amick of The Athletic that he becomes even more of an offensive threat with Durant drawing defensive attention. “The thing about Kev is that he’s one of the best scorers – if not the best scorer – to ever play the game. But he still plays the right way,” Booker said. “He makes teams pay for double teaming, and he’ll get off it quick. We just hoop. We make reads We make plays, and we start with a structure and our sets. He fits right into that and he knows what we’re doing.”
Josh Okogie, a free agent after the season, has emerged as the team’s fifth starter. He knows his offensive contributions are simply a bonus, he told Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic. “I’m always focused on the defensive end,” Okogie said. “The opportunities that I saw early, it was just that I never really think about scoring. I just try to do my job just to get stops, being about position on defense, try to get the rebound and bring energy to the team.”

Kevin Durant Expected To Return On Wednesday

March 28th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 28: Barring a last-minute setback, Durant will return to action on Wednesday vs. the Timberwolves, Charania reports (via Twitter).

MARCH 24: Suns star Kevin Durant is making progress in his injury recovery and could potentially return to action next Wednesday in a home game vs. Minnesota, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania suggests that March 29 contest will be the target barring a setback in Durant’s rehab process.

Durant saw his Suns debut delayed while he recovered from an MCL sprain that he suffered as a member of the Nets. He eventually played his first game for Phoenix on March 1 and then suited up for the team’s next two games, all victories. However, prior to his fourth appearance as a Sun, he sprained his left ankle during warmups — he has been sidelined since then.

When they announced Durant’s diagnosis on March 9, the Suns said he would be reevaluated in three weeks, which would be on March 30. That’s a day after the new return target date reported by Charania. Still, March 29 would be three weeks since the day Durant sprained his ankle, and it’s worth noting that Charania’s reporting at the time of the injury suggested the Suns would reevaluate the 34-year-old in two weeks.

Assuming Durant is cleared to return next Wednesday, he would miss the Suns’ next three games but would be back with seven left on their schedule. That would give him more than enough time to get ramped up in advance of the postseason, even if he sits out one half of the club’s back-to-back set on April 6 and 7.

In addition to getting Durant up to speed for the playoffs, the Suns could also use him back in their lineup to secure a favorable postseason seed. Phoenix is currently fourth in the Western Conference at 38-34, but has lost five of seven games since Durant went down and only has a 2.5-game lead on the No. 11 Thunder.

Suns Notes: Durant, Ayton, Booker, Shamet

March 22nd, 2023 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns won their first three games with Kevin Durant in the lineup, but they’ve gone into a skid since his injury that could put them in danger of falling into the play-in tournament, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is just 2-4 since Durant sprained his left ankle during warmups two weeks ago. The Suns are still fourth in the Western Conference standings, but they’re just two-and-a-half games away from the seventh spot, which is currently occupied by the Thunder and Mavericks.

Durant will miss his seventh straight game tonight, and although he recently started participating in shootarounds, there’s no indication of when he might be able to return. He’s scheduled for a medical reevaluation later this month, according to Rankin.

“We have some things to clean up,” Devin Booker said of the team’s recent play. “We know roles are going to change when KD comes back, but polishing everything up before he comes back is important, too.”

There’s more on the Suns:

Deandre Ayton will miss his second straight game tonight with a hip contusion he suffered last Thursday, Rankin adds. Bismack Biyombo took over as the starting center in Sunday’s game at Oklahoma City, and coach Monty Williams expressed confidence in his backups’ ability to contribute while the stars are injured. “You obviously need the guys that are important to the program, but all of our guys are,” Williams said. “That’s why player development, being ready to play is important also. That doesn’t diminish what Kevin and DA bring to the table. We all understand that, but we’ve prided ourselves having guys ready to play.”
With 11 games remaining, Booker understands that the Suns need to finish strong to give themselves the best possible chance in the playoffs, Rankin states in another Arizona Republic story. “You want homecourt advantage,” Booker said. “Honestly, if that’s not the case, I’m fine, too. I don’t think you want to be in the play-in. I think them adding the play-in kind of dices things up. It’s a one-game thing, but we just want to be there.”
Landry Shamet provides a balance of offense and defense that could lead to an important role for the rest of the season, observes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Bourguet assesses the strengths and weaknesses of all the Suns’ wing options and notes that Durant’s injury has prevented Williams from establishing a set rotation around his top four players.

Trade Breakdown: Kevin Durant To The Suns (Four-Team Deal)

March 21st, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Rory Maher

This is the ninth entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into the biggest blockbuster of the year, a four-team deal between the Suns, Nets, Bucks and Pacers.

Trade details

On February 9:

The Suns acquired Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.
The Nets acquired Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, the Suns’ 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028, the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick, the Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet (from Pacers).
The Bucks acquired Jae Crowder.
The Pacers acquired Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, a 2023 second-round pick (likely the Cavaliers’ second-rounder; from Bucks), the Bucks’ 2024 second-round pick, the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick (from Bucks), and cash ($1.36MM; from Nets).
Note: The Bucks acquired the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick in a prior trade.

The Suns’ perspective:

After posting a losing record for seven straight seasons – and missing the playoffs for 10 straight – the Suns had a remarkable turnaround in 2020/21, going 51-21 and reaching the NBA Finals, ultimately losing in six games to the Bucks. Last season, the Suns held the league’s top record at 64-18, but had a meltdown in their second-round loss to Dallas, getting blown out at home in Game 7.

Phoenix was reportedly high on Durant’s list of preferred destinations when he requested a trade this past offseason, but there were rumors of low-ball offers from rival teams and Brooklyn was said to be disinterested in obliging his request.

A few weeks later, there were questions about Deandre Ayton’s eagerness to be back in Phoenix after he signed a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet from the Pacers over the summer amid tensions with head coach Monty Williams. The Suns quickly matched, however, signaling they still valued the former first overall pick, even if his role sometimes fluctuates.

In mid-September, former owner Robert Sarver was suspended by the NBA for a year and fined $10MM for workplace misconduct, including racist and misogynistic comments, following a lengthy investigation. He subsequently decided to sell his controlling stake in the franchise to Mat Ishbia, which was finalized shortly before last month’s deadline.

Finally, right before training camp opened, Crowder said he wasn’t going to participate, as he was reportedly unhappy with Williams after being told he would come off the bench (he had started the previous two years). The Suns then made an announcement saying the two sides would work together to find Crowder a new team.

Despite all the turmoil, ‘22/23 started out pretty well, with Phoenix going 15-6 over its first 21 games. Unfortunately, Johnson tore his meniscus during that span, and Chris Paul was sidelined by a foot injury until early December. The Suns lost five straight shortly thereafter, with star guard Devin Booker going down with a groin injury in mid-December.

Obviously, Crowder being away while Johnson was hurt didn’t help. Torrey Craig did an admirable job filling in, as did Ish Wainright, who was promoted to a standard deal from a two-way contract last month. But ideally, neither player would be logging heavy minutes on a championship-caliber team.

Paul is 37 years old (38 in May), and he is not the same player he was when the Suns made the Finals a couple years ago. He’s still good, just not on the same level, particularly from a scoring standpoint. That’s a huge deal, because he was Phoenix’s second-best player during the previous two seasons.

The Suns reportedly offered up Paul in an effort to land Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn shortly before Durant made his own request. I don’t know if those rumors are true, but either way, CP3 stayed put.

By mid-January, the Suns were just 21-24, and the season was slipping away. They recovered well leading up to the trade deadline, going 9-2 over that span to sit with a 30-26 record prior to February 9. Still, the damage had been done. I don’t think the Suns make this trade – specifically the way the deal was structured – if they still believed they were a real championship contender without acquiring Durant.

Ishbia played a major role in the deal. Even before he was officially approved by the league’s Board of Governors, a report came out saying the Suns were willing to make win-now moves, and he talked about being aggressive just before the deadline. He was also quickly willing to sign off on the extra $40MM the deal cost the Suns in salaries and tax penalties, a stark departure from the previous ownership group.

A report from ESPN indicated that president of basketball operations James Jones wanted to negotiate the inclusion of Bridges or add protections to the first-round picks, but the Nets held firm in their demands. The Suns also may have had another deal lined up for Crowder, but he ultimately was included in this trade as well.

Durant is in the first season of a four-year, $194MM extension. Booker, Durant and Ayton are all under contract through at least ’25/26. If healthy, those three alone make up a very strong (and expensive) core. It remains to be seen how long Paul will be around – his $30.8MM contract for next season is guaranteed for $15.8MM, and it is fully non-guaranteed in ‘24/25.

Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is a former league MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA member and four-time scoring champion.

In 981 career regular season games (36.7 MPG), he has averaged 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .499/.384/.886 shooting. In 155 career playoff games (40.4 MPG), he has averaged 29.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.2 BPG on .476/.356/.866 shooting. He is the definition of a superstar.

Despite being 34 years old and tearing his Achilles tendon four years ago, he continues to play at an incredibly high level. In fact, when healthy, you could easily make a case for Durant being the best player in the league this season.

In 42 games (35.7 MPG), he has averaged 29.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.5 BPG on .566/.386/.931 shooting, good for an absurd .681 true shooting percentage. The FG%, FT% and TS% are all career highs. He is shooting 62.9% on twos, which is ridiculous considering the majority of his shots are mid-range jumpers.

Durant is also playing very motivated and strong defense in ‘22/23, which surprised me a bit because he had coasted on that end at times the past couple seasons. His teams have gone 29-13 this season when he has played, which is the equivalent of the second-best winning percentage (69.0%) in the league, only trailing the Bucks (71.8%).

Durant can do everything on the court at a high level. He’s 6’10” with a 7’5” wingspan, but he possesses guard-like skills, with elite shooting and excellent ball-handling. His passing has improved throughout his career, and when he tries, he is a top-tier defender. He is a matchup nightmare.

After playing in just four games from 2020-22 due to a couple of left foot surgeries, Warren finally returned to the court for the Nets in December, averaging 9.5 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .510/.333/.818 shooting in 26 games (18.8 MPG).

He clearly wasn’t at his best physically or from a production standpoint (he averaged a career-high 19.8 PPG on .536/.403/.819 shooting the season before getting injured), but he was still contributing off the bench. Warren has hardly played in his second stint with Phoenix, however, averaging just 6.4 MPG in eight games. He’s on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, so he might not be back next season.

A few weeks after the trade was completed, Ishbia claimed the move carried “no risk.” That, of course, isn’t true.

Durant has gone down with a sprained MCL a few seasons in a row. You could say that’s a fluke, since it has involved players falling into his knee. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s played 35, 55 and 42 games over the past three seasons after missing all of ‘19/20 with a torn Achilles.

His ankle sprain on a routine layup while warming up prior to his fourth game with Phoenix was concerning. I could very well be wrong, but to my eyes, it didn’t look like he slipped; it looked like his ankle just gave out and rolled.

Durant is in his 16th season, has made several long playoff runs, and has also played in the World Cup (once) and the Olympics (three times) for Team USA. He’s still incredible, but the tread on his tires are pretty worn.

Giving up Bridges and Johnson stings. They were key role players for Phoenix who both improved tremendously throughout their Suns tenures, which we’ll get into more shortly.

Anytime you give up an unprotected pick in a future season it’s a risk. The Suns gave up three beyond 2023 — four if you count the 2028 pick swap, which will only be exercised if Phoenix is worse than Brooklyn.

Those picks from 2027-29 in particular could be extremely valuable. Durant will be 37 when his contract expires after ’25/26. Will he still be playing at this level, and will the Suns want to keep him if he’s not?

The Suns knew the risks. But the West is seemingly up for grabs, and they had faltered in their quest to make it back to the Finals.

I can’t say adding Durant made Phoenix the favorite in the West, but he nearly carried the Nets to the Finals with both Irving and James Harden injured a couple years ago. If healthy, this team will be extremely dangerous.

The Nets’ perspective:

The Nets were literally an inch or two away from sending Milwaukee home in Game 7 of their second-round series in 2021, which saw the Bucks prevail in overtime after Durant’s foot was on the three-point line on a potential game-winning buzzer-beater. The Bucks went on to win the championship.

There’s an alternate reality where the Nets win the title, and maybe everything is different.

Instead, Harden, Irving and Durant all requested — and were eventually granted — trades.

The Nets are no longer contenders. They have gone 6-10 since the deadline, which is probably worse than I expected, but they did completely remake their team. Adding four players and then immediately inserting them as heavy minutes starters 65% of the way through a season — in the middle of a playoff race — is a pretty rough way to get acclimated.

That said, it’s hard to imagine the Nets getting better value than they did for Irving and Durant.

There’s no way to get equal short-term value for a player of Durant’s caliber. It’s not possible. He’s too great, and teams that are trying to contend obviously aren’t interested in completely mortgaging their present chances.

One of the things I found fascinating about this deal is that it went against conventional thinking. Many league executives believe the offseason is a better time to make a blockbuster deal as opposed to the trade deadline, as more options are available and there are more teams desperate to improve their title chances.

Yet if the rumors of the low-ball offers for Durant in the summer were true, the Suns were far more willing to meet the Nets’ demands in February than they were several months ago, and Brooklyn received an extremely valuable package at a time when only one other unprotected first-round pick swapped hands (the Nets received the Mavs’ 2029 pick as part of the Irving deal).

The Grizzlies reportedly offered four first-round picks for Bridges alone after this deal was announced. We don’t know what the protections might have been on those first-rounders, but it still shows how valued he is by opposing teams.

That value has undoubtedly increased further given the way he has performed since joining the Nets. Through 16 games (34.4 MPG), Bridges is averaging 25.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 SPG on .496/.439/.892 shooting (.633 TS%).

There were signs that he was broadening his game this season with Phoenix even before the injuries forced him into a larger role, as he was averaging career highs in PPG (17.2) and APG (3.6) to go along with 4.3 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .463/.387/.897 shooting in 56 games (36.4 MPG). But I doubt even Bridges himself saw this breakout coming.

I’ve always admired Bridges because he’s the rare athlete who not only adds to his game and improves every year, but he also maximizes what he’s physically capable of. He has yet to miss a game in his five NBA seasons, a consecutive streak of 381 regular season games (416 including the playoffs).

I will say that expanding his offensive game — and perhaps being worn out from that lengthy streak — has affected his defense. Bridges was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in ‘21/22, and if I were a voter, I wouldn’t have him on either All-Defensive team this year. He still brings a lot of positives, but he hasn’t played at the same level on the less glamorous end of the court.

Still, a 26-year-old wing who might be just entering his prime as he potentially develops into a star, on what is turning out to be an extremely team-friendly contract (he’s in the first season of a four-year, $90MM extension)? Wow. That’s quite a centerpiece.

Johnson is a quality player as well. His scoring efficiency has taken a hit (.434/.336/.800; .576 TS%) because the Nets are lacking in the shot-creation department, but he’s still averaging career highs in PPG (16.5), RPG (5.0), SPG (1.5) and MPG (31.0) through 15 games with Brooklyn.

He is skinny for a power forward (he’s listed at 6’8” and 210 pounds), which can lead to him getting pushed around on the block, and he isn’t a great rebounder, but he has a good understanding of positional defense and is an overall solid defender. Like Bridges, he’s an unselfish ball-mover who very rarely turns it over.

A strong three-point shooter (39% career) who leverages that ability to drive and finish, the former 11th overall pick will be a restricted free agent in the summer. He just turned 27 earlier this month, so he’s theoretically just entering his prime.

I expect the Nets to re-sign him to a deal in the range of what Bridges received after De’Andre Hunter got a similar extension before the season started (I thought Hunter was overpaid given his injury history and inconsistency, but still).

The 2023 first-rounder from Phoenix would currently land at No. 21 overall. That’s fine, but that’s not really what the Nets were after. As previously mentioned, it’s those picks that are several years down the line that hold premium value, as there’s no way to predict what the Suns might look like at that point.

The mechanics of this trade were complicated with so many moving parts. Even though on paper it seems like a two-for-two deal, the Nets were able to treat the parts with Phoenix as two non-simultaneous trades.

By rerouting Crowder and taking back only Bridges and Johnson for Durant, the Nets generated two traded player exceptions — one is worth a modest $1,836,090 (Warren’s cap hit), but the other is the new largest TPE in the league at $18,131,946. That’s the difference in salaries between Durant ($44,119,845) and Bridges ($20,100,000) plus Johnson ($5,887,899).

Flipping Crowder to Milwaukee and then sending three of the five second-rounders to the Pacers also saved the Nets an enormous amount of money toward the luxury tax. In total, this deal cut their tax bill by about $90MM. That’s some impressive bookkeeping by Brooklyn’s front office, because if you can’t legitimately contend, there’s no reason to be paying a massive tax bill.

A possible rising star in Bridges, a plus player in Johnson, four unprotected first-rounders, an unprotected pick swap, two second-rounders, and $90MM in tax savings for a 34-year-old generational superstar who has dealt with significant injuries in each of the past four seasons. A pretty impressive haul, even if the Nets could be searching for another player of Durant’s caliber for many years.

The Bucks’ perspective:

I’m going to keep Milwaukee’s and Indiana’s sides of the deal relatively brief. The Bucks gave up three non-rotation players (one of whom – Nwora – is under contract through next season at $3.2MM) and five second-round picks for a player who started for the team they defeated in the Finals two years ago.

The Bucks had been linked to Crowder for several months, practically as soon as he became publicly available. It was a strange, long, and winding pursuit, but they still ultimately landed him. He later said Milwaukee was his preferred landing spot and that he had no regrets about his lengthy holdout.

Crowder has been a quality 3-and-D forward for several years. He is more of a willing three-pointer shooter than a great one, holding a career mark of 34.7% from deep, but he is a solid defensive player who understands how to play in lots of different schemes.

The 32-year-old is also an underrated passer who rarely turns the ball over – important qualities in a role player. Considering how long he was out, I’ve been pretty impressed with his play thus far for the Bucks, as he’s averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.2 RPG while shooting 39.4% from behind the arc in 11 games (18.7 MPG).

Crowder, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury, is on an $10.18MM expiring contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this summer. The Bucks will have his Bird rights if they want to bring him back.

Five second-round picks seems like a lot for what could be a rental player. But really, only three of those picks have some upside: Indiana’s 2025 pick (sent back to the Pacers), and Milwaukee’s 2028 and 2029 seconds (to Brooklyn).

The 2023 pick is currently 55th overall (via Cleveland) and the 2024 pick will likely be late in the second round as well. Both of those picks are headed to Indiana. The Bucks can just buy second-rounders in the next couple drafts if they really want to (they control their own this year, currently the last pick), but dealing away several at once did reduce their flexibility for future moves. Still, if Crowder helps them win another ring this season, it will have been well worth it.

The Pacers’ perspective:

This trade showed the value of a retooling club operating below the salary cap, as the Pacers waited until the last minute to take advantage of their remaining cap room. They were able to take on Nwora (a player they like), Hill (an Indianapolis native) and Ibaka (who was waived), on top of adding three second-rounders, purely from having the roster and financial flexibility to do it.

A third-year forward out of Louisville, Nwora showed flashes of upside with Milwaukee, but was unable to carve out a consistent role as a young player on a contending team. The 2020 45th overall pick shot 37.6% from deep in 130 games with the Bucks, but didn’t shoot well on twos (43.9%) and struggled at times defensively.

In fairness, it’s hard to be consistent in anything when you never know how long you’re going to play and one mistake might mean you’re benched. That’s not a knock against Nwora or the Bucks — it’s just the reality of a young player trying to learn on the fly for a championship contender.

The 24-year-old has played quite well thus far for the Pacers, averaging 12.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.4 APG on .480/.426/.632 shooting through 13 games (22.8 MPG). He has drawn praise from head coach Rick Carlisle, and the Pacers are pretty thin at power forward, so he has a real shot to stick with Indiana. His $3.2MM contract for next season is quite affordable.

Hill, a longtime veteran guard now on his second stint with his hometown team, is on an expiring contract. It remains to be seen if he will find another club next season, but he’s had a long, solid career. For now, he’s a veteran presence on a retooling team.

Ibaka has yet to find a new team after being released by Indiana, and hasn’t been linked anywhere recently to my knowledge either. Unfortunately, the three-time All-Defensive team member hasn’t been the same since undergoing back surgery a couple years ago. He’s had a terrific career, winning a championship as a key reserve for Toronto in 2019.

The Pacers had to waive James Johnson, who they re-signed after he cleared waivers, and second-year forward Terry Taylor to complete the trade. Taylor had a nice run as a rookie last season, but wasn’t playing much this season; he caught on with the Bulls on a two-way deal.

As previously mentioned, a couple of the second-rounders the Pacers received in the deal don’t have a lot of value, and it remains to be seen where their own 2025 pick, which they reacquired in this trade, might land. Still, adding Nwora and three second-rounders without giving anything up was a shrewd move by Indiana, as it’s essentially found money.

Pacific Notes: KD, Klay, Brooks, Fox, Sabonis, AD

March 20th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns forward Kevin Durant has been able to do more on-court work lately, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show, adding that he believes there could be an update on the star’s status later this week (Twitter video link).

According to Charania, the Suns are “hopeful” that Durant will return to action before the end of month, or possibly in early April, though he does say the team will be cautious.

Durant has been out since March 8 after sustaining a left ankle sprain during a pregame workout routine. Charania reported the next day that he’d be reevaluated in two weeks, but the Suns said three. Either way, it’s a positive sign that the 34-year-old has been making progress in his recovery.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks continues to rankle members of the Warriors. He repeatedly shouted “you suck” at the defending champions from the bench in the closing minutes of Saturday’s victory over Golden State, with Klay Thompson responding by counting off four on his fingers, representing his championship rings (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). “I don’t care about Dillon Brooks,” Thompson told Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “When he retires, I don’t think anyone will ever talk about Dillon Brooks ever again. I promise you. It’s sweet right now, but wait 10 years.” According to Barnes, Brooks commended the Warriors’ accomplishments, but slipped in a dig as well. “He’s got four rings. That’s all he was saying. It’s motivation to us,” Brooks said. “We want a ring as well. Being able to go through the process of steps that we did last year, we keep going and learning from it all. It’s friendly trash talk, but I just hold a lot of real estate over there in San Francisco.”
Charania recently interviewed Kings All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis (Twitter video link). They covered a number of topics, including head coach Mike Brown, last year’s trade that brought Sabonis to Sacramento, Sabonis’ thumb injury, and their respective All-NBA cases, among others.
Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to play in both games of the team’s final back-to-back set in early April, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said on his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein (Twitter link via Fox Sports Radio). According to Haynes, Davis was given the option of either playing last week’s back-to-back at New Orleans (a win with Davis) and at Houston (a loss without him), or the back-to-back set on April 4th and 5th at Utah and at the Clippers. He obviously chose the latter.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Huerter, Kawhi, Powell, Durant

March 17th, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings clinched a winning record on Thursday for the first time in 16 seasons, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. While it’s certainly an accomplishment given all the losing the franchise has endured since 2005/06, the team has its sights set on loftier goals.

“I don’t think anybody on our team was coming into the season like, ‘We want a winning record,'” point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “But I think it’s good. I think it’s good for the franchise, it’s good for the city, it’s good for the fan base to finally get that out of the way.

“But, for us, we know that we still want to do bigger things.”

Sacramento has gone 10-2 since the All-Star break, holding the NBA’s best record during that span. At 42-27, the Kings are currently the No. 2 seed in the West and have the league’s top offense. With so many teams in their conference looking relatively weak, and the Kings on the verge of snapping another record-long streak (playoff drought), could a deep postseason run be on the horizon?

“I do feel that that group believes in themselves,” head coach Mike Brown said, per Bontemps. “Not just because I’m telling them they’re good, but because they’ve gone out and proven it time after time after time, whether it’s individually in certain situations, or collectively as a team. When you have a team that believes, they can be dangerous. When you’ve got a collected team that believes, that can be a very dangerous team. That’s what our group is right now.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter is questionable for Saturday’s game in Washington, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. It was initially believed that Huerter sustained a mild hamstring injury on Thursday, but the team actually referred to it as mild strain of the popliteus muscle. As Anderson writes, the popliteus is located behind the knee and helps protect the lateral meniscus as well as providing stability to the joint. Huerter is considered day-to-day with the injury.
Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Orlando due to right knee injury management, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. It’s the first of a back-to-back, and the Clippers‘ star forward has yet to play in back-to-back games this season. There’s a good chance he’ll suit up on Sunday in Portland.
Clippers guard Norman Powell continues to be sidelined with a left shoulder subluxation. He was unable to practice on Friday and will miss his sixth straight game on Saturday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He’s going to be out for a little bit longer,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “… He’s out.”
Suns star Kevin Durant was able to get some shots up during Thursday’s shootaround, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. However, the 34-year-old forward will still be out at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated. “It’s just part of his progression,” head coach Monty Williams said. “He hasn’t done anything outside of that. We obviously have to not just be careful, but a lot of boxes need to be checked.”

Injury Notes: Nance, Mitchell, Kuzma, LeBron, Suns

March 14th, 2023 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing six games due to a left ankle sprain, Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. returned to action on Sunday vs. Portland. However, Nance logged just eight minutes and acknowledged after the game that he isn’t at full strength yet.

“I think it was pretty clear that I’m not 100%,” Nance said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “For me, it’s more about if I can play, you’re going to get what I got at all times. We got a win. I did my job.”

Even though Nance – who has averaged 22.0 minutes per game off the bench this season – couldn’t reclaim his usual rotation role in his first game back, head coach Willie Green appreciates the 30-year-old’s willingness to play through pain with New Orleans in the thick of a playoff race.

“Larry is a leader,” Green said. “He wants to be out there on the floor. He has been talking about it the last three, four days. These guys understand that coming down the stretch, it’s going to be a tight race for the playoffs. He’s trying to get himself ready for the last 14 games. It was huge to have him on the floor. His presence was felt.”

Nance isn’t on the Pelicans’ injury report for Tuesday’s game against the Lakers, so he’ll be available for that one, even if his minutes are once again limited.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have ruled out Donovan Mitchell (finger sprain injury management) for Tuesday’s contest vs. Charlotte, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Starting center Jarrett Allen (right eye contusion) is also unavailable for a second straight game.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against Detroit due to a sore right knee, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington is currently a half-game back of Chicago for the No. 10 spot in the East.
Lakers star LeBron James, who is making his way back from a right foot injury, did his first on-court activity at a Tuesday shootaround, taking a few free throws after he completed his weight lifting and rehab work, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter links).
Suns head coach Monty Williams called it a “good sign” that GM James Jones said Kevin Durant would probably be available now if the playoffs had begun. “With those kind of injuries, you tend to get better every day, and he’s getting around-the-clock treatment,” Williams said of KD (link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). The Suns’ coach added that Landry Shamet‘s return from a right foot injury isn’t imminent: “He’s just been getting up shots. He’s about the same. He’s just getting more treatment. Just trying to figure it out. How can we get back to a place he can get back to a full practice and then progress from there.”

Pacific Notes: James, Lakers, Clippers, Durant

March 13th, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers star LeBron James has shed the protective boot on his right foot, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange Country Register. It’s a sign of progress for James, who suffered a tendon injury on Feb. 26. It’s also an indication that James could return to action before the end of the season, assuming the Lakers remain in the postseason race.

“Everything is going according to plan,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

A loss to the Knicks on Sunday prevented the Lakers from reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season. Ham said time is running out in their postseason push, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times relays. “We have time, but we can’t waste any more time,” Ham said. “We can’t waste any more games.”
The Clippers are feeling a lot better about themselves after winning three straight following a five-game slide, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. “We took ownership of where this ship is going,” forward Paul George said. “Everybody’s dialed in to do their job. We’re sailing a lot smoother now. We’re kind of going downhill now so we are going to keep riding this thing and just keep tacking on and learning as we go.”
It’s unknown whether Kevin Durant will be back in the regular season but if the postseason were already upon us, he’d be toughing it out, Suns GM James Jones told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “It’s the type of thing that if the playoffs were to start today, he’d be out there. He’d be struggling a little bit,” Jones said.

Suns’ Durant Sprains Ankle, Out At Least Three Weeks

March 9th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Luke Adams

6:26pm: Durant will have his sprained left ankle reassessed in three weeks, the team has announced (Twitter link).

Durant’s return timeline will be determined by how he recuperates, says Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Swelling in the ankle has already improved, sources tell Charania.

7:03am: After Suns star Kevin Durant suffered an ankle injury during pregame warmups on Wednesday and exited Footprint Center in a walking boot, there’s concern within the organization that he’ll be diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain, according to Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic.

Durant is expected to undergo more testing on his ankle on Thursday to determine the severity of the sprain. However, because the team isn’t scheduled to practice until Friday, we may have to wait another day for an official update, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

If it’s deemed to be a Grade 2 sprain, it would likely sideline Durant for four-to-six weeks, jeopardizing his ability to play another regular season game, writes Moore. The Suns’ regular season finale is exactly one month from today.

Durant’s injury occurred when he was driving to the basket during warmups prior to what would have been his first home game as a Sun. He slipped and went to the floor as he attempted to jump for a layup attempt (Twitter video link via Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com).

Hopefully Durant’s injury is less serious than a Grade 2 sprain, but if that’s the diagnosis, he and the Suns can certainly count on a multi-week absence.

LaMelo Ball, Chris Duarte, and Justise Winslow are among the players who have suffered Grade 2 ankle sprains so far this season — Ball missed nearly five weeks, Duarte was out for a little over six weeks, and Winslow remains on the shelf nearly two-and-a-half months after injuring his ankle (though that recovery process seems abnormally long).

More recently, Anfernee Simons was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain last month and returned in just over two weeks, but aggravated the injury in his first game back; Hamidou Diallo was ruled out for at least three-to-four weeks after sustaining a Grade 2 sprain on Monday.

Durant, who was still recovering from an MCL sprain when he was acquired a month ago at the trade deadline, has only appeared in three games for his new club. However, teammate Chris Paul said after Wednesday’s win over Oklahoma City that he’s not worried about the Suns not having enough time to jell due to KD’s injury (Twitter link via Bourguet). For what it’s worth, Phoenix won all three of its games with Durant – all on the road – by an average margin of 13 points.

Injury Notes: Durant, Doncic, Ingram, Fox, Morris

March 8th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant missed what was supposed to be his first home game with the Suns after turning his left ankle during warmups Wednesday night, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Durant was taking part in an individual drill with coaches when he slipped on the floor as he started to shoot (video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). He landed on the court, but was able to get up and finish his workout, Windhorst adds.

Shortly afterward, the Suns announced that he would miss the game due to ankle soreness. Durant, who returned seven days ago after missing six weeks with an MCL sprain, reported some swelling in the ankle after the incident. He was in a walking boot after the game, Rankin tweets.

“We’ll get more testing done tomorrow,” coach Monty Williams said, “but right now it’s just an ankle sprain and we don’t have anything official to report.” (Twitter link from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports)

Durant has played just three games for Phoenix since being acquired from the Nets in a blockbuster trade last month. He’s averaging 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 69% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

Mavericks star Luka Doncic plans to get an MRI on Thursday after leaving tonight’s game with a left thigh strain, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Doncic was favoring his left leg as he walked into a post-game media session and replied “not good” when reporters asked how he felt, Lopez adds. Doncic said he has been dealing with pain in the thigh for about a week, according to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I think we all can see he’s not moving well, so shooting, defensive, it’s affecting everything,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s trying to fight through it and help his teammates, but he had to leave.”
In the same game, the Pelicans lost Brandon Ingram to a right ankle sprain late in the first half, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA. Ingram later returned to the team’s bench in street clothes. He missed two months of the season with a toe injury before returning in late January.
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox sat out Monday’s game with a sore left hamstring, but he expects to be ready for Thursday, tweets Sean Cunningham of KTXL. Fox is also experiencing wrist pain, but he plans to play through it.
Monte Morris played tonight after missing the Wizards‘ last six games with lower back soreness, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link).

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