Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving

July 18th, 2022 at 9:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors are a logical trade partner for the Nets in a potential Kevin Durant blockbuster due to their assets and attractive trade pieces. However, Toronto is unwilling to part with forward Scottie Barnes after his stellar rookie campaign and Brooklyn has insisted Barnes be part of the package, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the “Get Up” morning show (video link).

“Toronto doesn’t want to part with Scottie Barnes. That’s their stance,” he said. “Brooklyn, right now, wouldn’t consider a deal (with the Raptors) without Scottie Barnes.”

Barnes averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 3.5 APG as a rookie while flashing All-Star potential.

We have more on the Nets’ efforts to trade Durant and Kyrie Irving:

Durant and Irving know that neither will be dealt any time soon and have accepted that reality, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Quoting a source, Zagoria writes that the duo “know behind the scenes that it’s difficult, that it’s unlikely to happen” due to the Nets’ high asking price for each player. The source added that the duo “plotted” their exit and “realized very quickly” that a quick resolution wasn’t in the cards.
Durant requested a trade before his four-year extension kicked in. That’s one of the reasons why the market for his services has been lukewarm at best, Marc Stein writes in a Substack article. Clubs interested in Durant are worried more about keeping him happy over the next few seasons to avert another trade demand than they are about any decline in his skills. Durant turns 34 next month.
Guard Langston Galloway is one of many free agents still looking for an NBA offer. Galloway told Robin Fambrough of the Baton Rouge Advocate that the Durant-Irving saga has impacted him and other players on the market. “Right now (Durant) and (Irving) are holding things up,” Galloway said. “Once what those guys do is decided, things will fall into place for the rest of us.”

Lakers Rumors: Irving, Trade Targets, Westbrook

July 18th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

It remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers will be able to work out a trade with the Nets for Kyrie Irving, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN believes L.A. has at least one more major roster move up its sleeve this offseason, as he stated on Monday during the network’s latest episode of Get Up (video link).

“I think the Lakers will make a deal. Maybe more than one deal,” Wojnarowski said. “It may not be for Kyrie Irving, it may not be for an All-NBA player, an All-Star. But players like Eric Gordon in Houston, Buddy Hield in Indiana, players like Patrick Beverley, who came to the Jazz in a trade from Minnesota, who are role players are winning teams. What is the price for those kind of moves? I think they’re going to continue to be active on all those things.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Lakers aren’t eager to part with all of their most valuable trade assets for modest short-term upgrades, but they still feel the need to add more talent to the roster to take advantage of LeBron James‘ remaining prime years.

“When LeBron’s putting pressure on the front office, on the organization, teams are asking for a lot to do a deal with the Lakers,” Wojnarowski said. “Rob Pelinka‘s trying to keep from trading the 2027, 2029 unprotected first-round picks that obviously LeBron James doesn’t value greatly because he may not be around. He wants to win now. That’s the balance of being in the front office vs. having to serve the fact that you’ve got LeBron James still playing at an incredibly high level at an age we’ve never seen a player play at that level.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

A potential trade sending Irving to the Lakers is “not completely dead,” per Wojnarowski, but such a deal still hinges in large part on what the Nets do with Kevin Durant. “The Nets are more focused on trying to find a deal for KD before they would even move Kyrie Irving,” Woj said. “I think there’s a good chance that Kyrie Irving is back in Brooklyn to start the season if Kevin Durant is back in Brooklyn.”
Russell Westbrook‘s public split with his longtime agent doesn’t bode well for the former MVP’s relationship with the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who says that dynamic between Westbrook and the team is becoming “more untenable with each passing week.” League sources tell Buha that the divorce between Westbrook and agent Thad Foucher caught several people around the Lakers by surprise.
Foucher’s statement, which hinted that Westbrook is seeking another change of scenery, may further hurt the Lakers’ leverage in trade talks, Buha writes. Multiple league sources tell The Athletic that potential trade partners are already asking for at least L.A.’s 2027 or 2029 first-round pick in order to take on Westbrook’s pricey expiring contract.
Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that the Knicks and Jazz are viewed by some people around the league as possible landing spots for Westbrook if the two teams complete a Donovan Mitchell trade. Stein explains that the Knicks may be more inclined to trade away Julius Randle and his long-term contract for a big expiring deal like Westbrook’s in that scenario, though it strikes me as a long shot that New York and L.A. would be able to find a mutually beneficial swap involving those two players.

Western Notes: Suns, Ayton, Durant, McGee, Kings

July 17th, 2022 at 6:59pm CST by JD Shaw

The Suns matched the Pacers’ four-year, $133MM offer sheet to keep Deandre Ayton in Phoenix, but some mending is still needed between the two sides, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on NBA Today (video link).

Wojnarowski specifically mentioned coach Monty Williams and star guard Chris Paul, two key pieces of the Suns’ team, as figures who could help smooth things over with Ayton. Phoenix dealt with chemistry issues related to the former No. 1 overall pick toward the end of the season and ultimately lost to Dallas 4-3 in the second round.

For his part, Ayton averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season, helping the Suns achieve the league’s best record at 64-18. Phoenix also made the NBA Finals just in 2021, so the team should still be viewed as a title contender entering next season.

There’s more from the Western Conference tonight:

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link) lists five reasons why the Suns shouldn’t give up on pursuing Nets superstar Kevin Durant despite matching the Pacers’ offer sheet for Ayton. Durant has proven he’s still a top-three player in the world, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season. That scoring mark was his highest since 2013/14 with Oklahoma City, when he won the league’s MVP award.
The Mavericks signed veteran center JaVale McGee to a three-year, $17MM deal that contains a $6MM player option in the final season, Hoops Rumors has learned. McGee is expected to start alongside Christian Wood — who was also recently acquired by the team — to begin the season. McGee was one of the league’s best backup centers last season.
Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee examines some summer league finale notes for the Kings. Sacramento defeated Houston on Saturday despite missing Keegan Murray and others, winning 92-81. The team was lead by Jeriah Horne‘s 20 points.

Atlantic Notes: Dragic, Irving, Bogdanovic, Raptors, Sixers

July 15th, 2022 at 3:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Goran Dragic admitted in a recent interview with Zoran Mijatović of Slovenian outlet Vecer that his stint with the Nets last season was a difficult one, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I already talked to Chicago last year, but then things unfortunately took a different direction,” Dragic said, via Google Translate. “Well, not unfortunately, it just happened as it did and I chose Brooklyn. Last year I decided the way I did.

“I played with some stars, like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and I have to admit that it was quite difficult because the focus was not the team, but more the individual performances of the individuals,” Dragic said.

The veteran guard decided not to join the Mavericks because there wasn’t a path to regular playing time, but he’s happy he signed with the Bulls in free agency.

“It was really tough last year, but that’s part of the sport. I’m happy that I came to the club environment that I wanted, in which I know that I will play, where I can get to consistency again, and that’s what I’m most happy about,” Dragic said, per Lewis.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

In an appearance on Get Up (video link), ESPN’s Nick Friedell said he “would be very surprised if (the Nets) dropped (Kyrie Irving) back in to start training camp.” Friedell, who covers the Nets for ESPN, also said he thinks Durant will start the season with Brooklyn.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently relayed on The Lowe Post podcast that the Raptors might be interested in Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (hat tip to RealGM). “If the Jazz and Raptors do a trade, I think Bogdanovic would be the guy going to Toronto, not Donovan Mitchell,” said MacMahon. “Just saying.” “Spicy,” replied Zach Lowe. “I’ve heard rumblings there,” added MacMahon. “Nothing imminent or anything close to it. I think he’s a guy… the Raptors can certainly use a 6’8″ shooter like Bogdanovic. For the Jazz in a rebuild, they’re obviously trying to move him.” Bogdanovic holds a career three-point percentage of 39.2% and Toronto was 20th in the league in three-point shooting last season at 34.9%, so he could be a decent fit with the Raptors. The 33-year-old is on an expiring contract worth $19.5MM next season, so matching his salary might be a little difficult, assuming Toronto is interested.
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com covers a number of topics related to the Sixers in his latest mailbag column. He believes free agent acquisition P.J. Tucker projects to be a starter next season, joining incumbent starters James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid.

Suns ‘Not Counting On’ Kevin Durant?

July 15th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns‘ decision to match Indiana’s offer sheet for Deandre Ayton may take them out of the bidding for Kevin Durant, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests on his latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Real GM).

Ayton can’t be traded until January 15 and will have veto power over any deal for the next year. He was believed to be an important part of any package that Phoenix might offer the Nets for Durant.

“I think they have, and by the way they’re not alone… How do I want to put this? I think the position they’re taking is that they’ve made their offer for Kevin Durant. And their offer is their offer. And it’s not an offer that the Nets are interested in,” Windhorst said. “I’m not even sure the Suns can put together an offer that the Nets would be interested in by themselves. I think this is where the other teams are as well.”

Windhorst added that the Durant trade market is stagnant right now because all the interested teams are unwilling to come anywhere near Brooklyn’s asking price. He adds that the Pacers were trying to take advantage of the situation, gambling that Phoenix would either let Ayton go or agree to a sign-and-trade.

Although the Suns declined to offer Ayton a max extension when he was eligible, they were willing to bring him back under the terms of Indiana’s offer, possibly with an eye toward trading him later on.

“This is them partially saying ‘We’re not counting on Kevin Durant. We have a 64-win team. This is going to take us into the tax,'” Windhorst added.

Windhorst stated that the Suns should now be considered a longer shot to acquire Durant, although he doesn’t eliminate them entirely. He reported that the latest offer from Phoenix doesn’t include Mikal Bridges or the team’s full complement of future first-rounders and pick swaps.

The developments in Phoenix could affect Durant’s desire to join the Suns, ESPN’s Nick Friedell said in an appearance on “Get Up” this morning (video link). He adds that the Nets are hoping Durant might become more willing to start the season in Brooklyn and see how things work out.

Kevin Durant Rumors: Leverage, Raptors, Bridges, Suns

July 14th, 2022 at 1:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on NBA Today on Wednesday (video link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the Nets have been been “really turned off” by the offers they’ve received for Kevin Durant thus far.

“If some of the trade packages that have been floated to me are true, I agree with them, I think that they should expect more for Kevin Durant with four years left on his contract,” Windhorst said. “But the other teams in the league just don’t believe that the Nets have a lot of leverage here… and the offers they are making are reflective of that belief.”

As Windhorst details, the Nets are acting as though they’re fine with holding onto Durant into the season if acceptable offers aren’t presented. As of yesterday, Windhorst said that he wasn’t “sensing any traction” on a potential trade.

A source tells Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca that Brooklyn has an “unreasonably high” asking price for the star forward, and the Raptors have been unwilling to include Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes or the maximum amount of first-round picks in any Durant offer to this point. The two sides have had preliminary discussions regarding Durant, but nothing serious.

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports that there has been talk during Summer League indicating that the Suns have been reluctant to include Mikal Bridges in a package for Durant, which is part of the reason why there has been no headway on a deal. Those around the league refer to Bridges as the “key piece” in any offer.

Frankly, if those rumors are true, it sounds like Windhorst might be right about the lack of suitable offers for Durant.

If Bridges hasn’t been included, then the Suns aren’t serious about acquiring Durant at this stage. Bridges is a high-quality role player and a very good defender, but Durant is an all-time great.

The Raptors have other possible pieces to dangle, like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa — so their reluctance to include Barnes or the full complement of future first-rounders is more understandable. I don’t include Fred VanVleet in that group because I don’t think Toronto would consider moving him — he’s too important to the team’s culture, plus his on-court production improves nearly every season.

Even if he’s entering his age-34 season, Durant performed at an MVP-caliber level when he was healthy last season, averaging 29.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 6.4 APG on .518/.383/.910 shooting in 55 games (37.2 MPG). He’s a 12-time All-Star, a four-time scoring champion, has been named to 10 All-NBA teams, is a former MVP and a two-time Finals MVP — a résumé doesn’t get much more stacked than that.

Heat Notes: Martin, Durant, Two-Ways, 2023 Cap

July 13th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Before Caleb Martin re-signed with the Heat, he drew interest from another team that was preparing to give him an offer sheet which would’ve exceeded the three-year, $20.4MM deal he received from Miami, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Martin spoke several weeks ago about wanting to remain with the Heat and ultimately stuck to that stance, accepting a deal that used up the taxpayer portion of the team’s mid-level exception.

“There were options, for sure,” Martin said. “But I just kind of laid back and just waited to see what would happen. Obviously my first priority was wanting to stay (with the Heat). So that’s my biggest thing, is I wanted to stay here. But obviously I had to keep all options open and see what the best option was and the financial situation.”

With P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris no longer in the picture in Miami, Martin will likely be asked to play more minutes at power forward in 2022/23. He said this week that he doesn’t have any problem with that assignment and plans to “bulk up” this offseason to prepare to match up against stronger players.

“I think that’s part of being versatile, is me being able to do something like that,” Martin said. “You could sit here and say that I’m not a four or a wing or whatever, but I think I’m a basketball player and I adjust to any position. So if the guys need me to play the four, it might look a little bit different. But I’m going to get the job done and I’m going to learn the things I need to pick up on.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

A league source tells Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that initial discussions between the Heat and Nets about a possible Kevin Durant trade were “hot and heavy,” but those talks cooled off when Brooklyn wasn’t satisfied with Miami’s package.
At least one of the Heat’s current two-way players (Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart) seems likely to be replaced before the season begins, according to Jackson and Chiang, who say the team may be eyeing a power forward to fill a two-way slot.
Addressing the Heat’s free agent moves during a radio appearance on 790 The Ticket, general manager Andy Elisburg said the team recognized it was “unrealistic” to bring back all its free agents due to various Bird rights limitations, but was happy to re-sign Martin, Victor Oladipo, and Dewayne Dedmon. “We hoped to bring back at least one, but certainly two or three of our guys,” Elisburg said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “And so, being able to do that, is great.”
In a separate story for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman looks ahead to the Heat’s 2023 cap situation, noting that the team already projects to be over the cap and could reduce its flexibility further if Tyler Herro signs a lucrative new extension.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

July 13th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Although a couple other teams were briefly linked to Nets guard Kyrie Irving since free agency began, his trade market appears to be “Lakers or bust,” according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. With Irving apparently generating little interest as a trade chip, both he and the Nets are sending out signals that they’re willing to continue their relationship.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday (video link), Brian Windhorst said the “vibe” coming out of Brooklyn is that the Nets are comfortable entering the fall with both Irving and Kevin Durant still on their roster.

“This could be a negotiating position, or it could be a smart decision if you don’t like the trade offers that you have,” Windhorst said. “The market for Durant has not been as lucrative as the Nets were hoping, and the market for Kyrie is very thin. It’s essentially the Lakers and the trade offer isn’t great. If you don’t like what you have, do you just sort of close ranks and look at restarting it?”

Meanwhile, a source close to Irving tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Irving hasn’t asked to be traded and has “every intention” of playing for the Nets in 2022/23.

“How did we get into this situation about (a) trade, when he opted in?” Lewis’ source said. “Here is the situation: He opted in, which means he had and he has every intention of playing with the Brooklyn Nets. KD decides he wants out and now everybody is talking about trading Kyrie, right?

“Kyrie has not asked for a trade. Now, if the Nets don’t want him, that’s something totally different. Kyrie has not said he wants a trade. He opted in. (So where did) the trade conversations come from? Is it because, KD requested a trade and now everybody’s like, ‘Let’s trade Ky?’ Kyrie opted in.”

It’s true that there has been no indication Irving has explicitly requested a trade like Durant has, but it’s still hard to take the source’s comments at face value.

Reporting from several outlets in June indicated that Irving was seriously exploring other destinations and only opted into his contract with the Nets after it became clear that none of the teams on his wish list were prepared to make him a lucrative, long-term offer in free agency. Since then, multiple reports have suggested Kyrie would like to end up with the Lakers.

Still, even if the comments from Lewis’ source are an attempt by Irving to save face and win the PR battle, the fact that the All-Star guard is apparently open to spending 2022/23 in Brooklyn is good news for the team. It means the Nets shouldn’t feel any pressure to accept the Lakers’ best offer for Irving if it falls short of their asking price.

Here’s more on Irving:

The Lakers don’t want to give up multiple first-round picks to trade Russell Westbrook, league sources tell Scotto. The belief, as Lewis writes, is that the Nets are seeking two first-rounders from L.A. (2027 and 2029) in any swap involving Westbrook and Irving.
One member of the Mavericks organization believes Irving would want to play for Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, whom he idolized growing up, according to Scotto. However, Scotto confirms that the Mavs don’t appear to have any real interest in trading for Kyrie, as Bleacher Report and the Dallas Morning News previously reported.
Rival executives and league insiders are “split” on whether the Lakers will be able to pull off a deal for Irving, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Many of those insiders believe any L.A. trade for Kyrie will be on hold until the Nets resolve Durant’s trade request, according to Woike, who wonders if the team could pivot to other targets like Buddy Hield or Eric Gordon instead of waiting on Irving.

Adam Silver Unhappy With Durant Situation

July 12th, 2022 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA commissioner Adam Silver isn’t happy about Kevin Durant‘s trade request after signing an extension last season, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes.

Silver said that players need to “meet their end of the bargain” after a franchise provides them with long-term security.

“This needs to be a two-way street,” Silver said. “Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation in return is that they’ll meet their end of the bargain. There’s always conversations that go on behind closed doors between players and representatives and teams, but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”

Silver said there will be negotiations with the Players’ Association regarding possible remedies to discourage players from seeking a trade after signing multi-year contracts, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.

“Its one of those issues that as we move into this collective bargaining cycle – we intend to discuss with our players association and see if there are remedies for this…We don’t want to see it playing out the way it is now,” he said.

Silver also addressed a number of other topics after the Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday:

With load management increasing every season, Silver would be in favor of rewarding players contractually for playing more often. “I’m all in favor of guaranteed contracts,” he said. “But maybe that on top of your typical guaranteed contracts, some incremental money should be based on number of games played and results of those games.”
He’s pleasantly surprised that league revenue topped $10 billion for the first time and basketball-related income reached a record $8.9 billion. “The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because it exceeded projections, and the projections represent where we think our business is going,” Silver said. “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came 2 1/2 years ago.”
The league is nearing “the last stage” of its investigation into the conduct of Suns owner Robert Sarver, Reynolds tweets.
Symptomatic persons will still test for COVID, but Silver could also see “pre-COVID protocols” becoming more of the norm again, Reynolds adds in another tweet.
Silver favors the age limit for the draft dropping from 19 to 18, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, and is “optimistic” that it could happen during the next collective bargaining cycle.

Kevin Durant Rumors: Price Tag, Raptors, Pelicans, Warriors

July 12th, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Reporting from the Las Vegas Summer League, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says there’s skepticism among league insiders that a Kevin Durant trade will happen anytime soon, and a sense that the situation could linger into training camp.

According to Scotto, five executives he spoke to in Vegas felt as if Minnesota overpaid to acquire Rudy Gobert and increased the Nets‘ asking price for Durant in the process, creating a larger gap between what Brooklyn wants and what potential suitors are willing to give up. One GM told Scotto that he believes Durant is worth “a James Harden-type package.” It’s unclear if that’s a reference to the price paid for Harden by the Nets or the 76ers.

Scotto suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Nets hang onto Durant for a while and wait for a “Godfather offer.” If that offer doesn’t come, the Nets may hope the former MVP changes his mind about wanting a trade and is satisfied to remain in Brooklyn at least for the time being.

Here’s more on the Durant market from Scotto:

The Raptors are still “hesitant” to include Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in any offer for Durant, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto speculates that a package centered around Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. could be Toronto’s starting point, but notes that the Nets would want more. Scotto is unsure how willing the Raptors are to put OG Anunoby in a package for Durant.
According to Scotto, multiple executives are skeptical that the Pelicans will make a strong push for Durant instead of seeing how a healthy Zion Williamson meshes with the promising roster that made the playoffs in 2021/22. Scotto adds that some execs also believe Durant wouldn’t want to be dealt to New Orleans.
The Warriors wouldn’t be inclined to give up all of their promising young players – Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody – in a trade for Durant, says Scotto.
According to Scotto, some rival executives think the Spurs and Pacers are preserving their remaining cap room to see if they can be a salary-dumping ground in a multi-team Durant trade, netting draft assets in the process.