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Paul George Trade Roundup: Kawhi, Davis, Trade Request, Durant

July 6th, 2019 at 10:31am CST by marksuleymanov

In a shocking move early Saturday morning, the Thunder agreed to trade one of their two superstars, Paul George, to the Clippers. The move facilitated the Clippers pairing George with Kawhi Leonard, who agreed to a four-year pact with the organization earlier in the morning.

The landscape of the league has been altered with the Clippers and their crosscourt rival Lakers expected to dominate headlines this forthcoming season. The process that led to the Clippers becoming one of the NBA’s powerhouses included a lot of moving parts, a lot of communication and a heavily involved Leonard.

Before George to L.A. became a possibility, Leonard had reached out to Kevin Durant about the possibility of the duo teaming up with the Clippers, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Leonard told Durant he “admired him, and had tremendous respect for him as a competitor,” according to Shelburne. While Durant appreciated the recruitment from Leonard, he was already set on pairing with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn.

Therefore, the process moved on and Leonard set his sights on pairing with another superstar: Paul George.

Here are some more tidbits on George being traded to the Clippers:

In Shelburne’s report, she noted that Leonard’s camp attempted to delay the consummation of the Anthony Davis to the Lakers trade until “as late as Sunday.” No reason was provided to the Lakers, only that the request be honored if the organization wanted to stay in the running for his services. We had relayed that Leonard’s free agency decision was holding up a series of moves, the Davis trade being one of them.
Shelburne also noted that Leonard, who is known for his quiet demeanor both on and off the court, took an active, engaging role during free agency. “For a quiet guy, he’s a hell of a recruiter,” one source told her. Sam Amick of The Athletic heard a similar account of Leonard’s activity during free agency: “Kawhi recruited the hell out of him,” one source told Amick. “He did a number on Paul.”
The Thunder organization was blindsided by George’s trade request, ESPN’s Royce Young writes. It was just one year ago when George decided to forego free agency and re-sign with OKC on a long-term pact. The Palmdale, California, native had long been rumored to want to play for his hometown Lakers; now he will return home but will suit up for the Clippers.
With George gone, the Thunder secured quite the haul their now-former superstar. While OKC had planned to compete next season, led by George and Russell Westbrook, the focus is now on a rebuild. Brett Dawson of The Athletic examined how and why the trade went down and which directions are available to the Thunder. Whether it’s dealing Westbrook and going full rebuild or trying to build a roster more suited toward their MVP’s style, OKC has a lot of decisions to make.

Atlantic Notes: Payton, Raptors, Robinson, Jordan

July 5th, 2019 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Elfrid Payton will be given every opportunity to become the Knicks’ starting point guard next season, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Payton agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with a team option for the second season. Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina are the other candidates for the starting role, though the team has shopped Ntilikina, Begley continues. It’s unclear whether the Knicks would consider a backcourt pairing of Payton and Smith, who started at the point after being acquired from the Mavericks last season.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors have to make more roster moves, regardless of whether Kawhi Leonard stays or goes, Blake Murphy of The Athletic notes. They currently have 10 players under standard NBA contracts, one on a two-way and another on an Exhibit 10 deal. With the Raptors’ needs in mind, Murphy takes a deep dive into the options still on the free agent market at each position.
Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson has been invited to join the Select Team at USA Basketball’s training camp, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Robinson averaged 7.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.4 BPG in his rookie campaign.
The competition between centers Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan will be the biggest preseason battle in Nets’ camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Allen, 21, is seemingly a core piece for the franchise but the presence of Jordan, a close friend of Kevin Durant who agreed to a four-year, $40MM contract, creates a potential dilemma. Jordan may have lost a step, Lewis notes, but he’s been a starter throughout his career.

Free Agency Notes: Durant, Knicks, Cousins

July 3rd, 2019 at 2:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant‘s decision to go to the Nets was not an easy one to make. Golden State, New York, and Brooklyn were reportedly in contention, but it’s beginning to sound like the two Atlantic Division teams were always the frontrunners, as Mark Berman of The New York Post writes.

There were people in Durant’s camp that wanted him to go to the Knicks, according to Jay Williams (former NBA player and friend of Durant’s). Williams also said that the Knicks trading away Kristaps Porzingis was not a factor in KD’s decision.

Here’s more from around the league:

There’s pretty much no chance that the Wizards add DeMarcus Cousins, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Washington brought back Thomas Bryant in free agency and the team is committed to developing him.
Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com examines the Knicks strategy this offseason and makes the case that they made the moves possible given that no stars were coming in free agency. New York will have cap flexibility next summer and the team will likely get one more chance to land a top pick in the lottery.
The Cavaliers didn’t have the flexibility to make major free-agent signings this offseason, but next summer, the team projects to have the ability to make a big splash, Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays. Cleveland will have upwards of $55MM in cap room, assuming they don’t add any long-term salary before then.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Sumner, Nets, De Colo

July 2nd, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The first-round draft pick the Pacers will send the Bucks in their sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon is lottery-protected in 2020, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. And if it doesn’t convey in 2020, it’s lottery-protected for five more drafts after that before becoming unprotected in 2026, Lowe adds. In other words, barring a catastrophe in Indiana, Milwaukee will be getting a pick in the back half of the first round, likely next year.

Meanwhile, Edmond Sumner‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will be worth $6.5MM, a league source tells Grant Afseth of The Kokomo Tribune (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether all three years will be fully guaranteed, but it sounds like Sumner will be getting more than the minimum.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

A source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times that Spencer Dinwiddie was “at the forefront” of a months-long push to convince Kyrie Irving to choose the Nets over the Knicks — and to push Kevin Durant in the same direction. While DeAndre Jordan spent the last two months of the season with the Knicks, he also came to view Brooklyn as a more favorable destination to team up with Irving and Durant, according to Stein, who says the veteran center “joined the chorus promoting the Nets” in recent days.
EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahce is in serious pursuit of Raptors RFA guard Nando De Colo, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, De Colo – who last wore an NBA uniform in 2014 – remains focused on getting back into the NBA. But if he doesn’t get an offer he likes within the next couple weeks, it’s possible he’ll sign with the Turkish club, says Carchia.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with veteran center Nikola Vucevic to talk to him about his new $100MM contract agreement with the Magic. “I feel rewarded for what I’ve done – not just last season, but what I’ve done throughout all of my years in Orlando,” Vucevic said of his new deal. “It means a lot for the team to reward me with this nice contract. It was important for me to be able to continue [my career] there and I’m glad we were able to agree on a deal that keeps me in Orlando for four more years.”

Latest On Kevin Durant’s Departure From Warriors

July 1st, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors owner Joe Lacob has issued a statement on Kevin Durant‘s impending departure from the franchise, thanking the two-time Finals MVP for his contributions on the court and in the community. After wishing Durant well in the “next chapter” of his career, Lacob concludes his statement with a strong declaration on KD’s place in Warriors history.

“As long as I am Co-Chairman of this team, no player will ever wear No. 35 for the Warriors again,” Lacob said.

[RELATED: Kevin Durant to sign with the Nets]

Lacob’s announcement is a major sign of respect for Durant, and comes just hours after Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated published a story which suggested that a perceived lack of respect in Oakland may have helped push the former MVP to Brooklyn.

According to Spears, Durant’s friend Kendrick Perkins believes that KD had “one foot out the door” this past season because the Warriors made him feel underappreciated. A source close to Durant also told Spears that there were several things that happened over the past year that contributed to the forward’s decision to leave.

Spears points to an early-season, on-court altercation with Draymond Green – in which Green reportedly “called [Durant] out with an expletive” and made it clear that the Warriors had won in the past without him – as one of a negative incidents that occurred during the last year. An awkward joke by GM Bob Myers about Durant’s contract situation during the team’s 2018 championship celebration was another, Spears notes.

“All [of those negative incidents] showed a lack of respect for one of the greatest players to put that uniform on and the fact that he took all that abuse and still put his career on the line to help them win,” a source close to Durant told Spears.

“It was time for him to leave Golden State,” Perkins said of Durant, per Spears. “They were taking him for granted.”

Warriors Agree To Acquire D’Angelo Russell Via Sign-And-Trade

July 1st, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 1: The Warriors will send a future protected first-round pick to the Nets as part of the deal to help incentivize them to acquire Durant via sign-and-trade, tweets Wojnarowski.

JUNE 30: The Warriors are trading for D’Angelo Russell, Treveon Graham, and Shabazz Napier from the Nets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The move would be made via sign-and-trade in exchange for Kevin Durant.

Russell will receive a four-year, $117MM maximum salary contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

It was reported earlier today that the Warriors may have an interest in turning Durant’s departure into a sign-and-trade with the Nets. If they hadn’t taken back any salary in the deal, the Dubs could have created a $30MM trade exception. Instead, they’ll land one of the top restricted free agents on the market.

Brooklyn replaced Russell with Kyrie Irving at the point guard position and the franchise was said to be open to helping Russell find a new home of his choosing, even if it meant committing to a sign-and-trade. The Nets wouldn’t look to take salary back in most scenarios, but since they are getting Durant from Golden State, sending Russell there wouldn’t hinder their ability to sign their new stars.

Russell was said to be eyeing a possible move to Minnesota to team up with his close friend Karl-Anthony Towns. Perhaps that was before a deal in Golden State seemed like a feasible option.

The Warriors must stay below the tax apron, which is set at approximately $138.9MM, to remain eligible to accept a sign-and-trade. Doing so with Russell and Klay Thompson receiving maximum-salary deals will be extremely difficult, so another move or two is likely coming for Golden State. As Wojnarowski tweets, Andre Iguodala may have to be moved. Shaun Livingston also appears unlikely to be back.

[UPDATE: Warriors trading Iguodala to Grizzlies]

With Thompson expected to miss most or all of the 2019/20 season with a torn ACL, Russell figures to share the backcourt with Stephen Curry next season in a revamped Warriors lineup. It will be fascinating to see if the club plans to move forward and build around all three guards long-term once Thompson is healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 30th, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks were not prepared to present Kevin Durant will a full-max contract offer, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Owner Jim Dolan had concerns about Durant’s Achilles injury.

New York now has Julius Randle locked in on a three-year deal. The Knicks were long rumored to be the favorite for Durant’s services, though rumblings began to surface during the postseason that the Nets were contenders. Durant will take his talents to the other side of the Williamsburg Bridge.

[RELATED: Kevin Durant To Sign With Nets]

Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman met with the Warriors GM Bob Myers today and delivered his decision to leave Golden State, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com relays via Twitter. The remainder of the contenders were informed later on in the day and Woj adds that the teams feel Durant handled the process well.

Durant’s deal with the Nets could end up being a sign-and-trade, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link).

There’s no word on whether the Warriors would want a player back or simply to open up a $30MM trade exception (as CBA rules state the amount would be his previous salary). Golden State could then absorb a player in a trade without having to worry about matching salary. Such an arrangement would likely involve the Warriors including an asset, as the Nets could easily carve out the required cap room to sign Durant outright.

Free Agent Notes: Harris, Leonard, Portis

June 30th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Tobias Harris is meeting with the Sixers to begin free agency, The Athletic’s David Aldridge tweets. Harris is seeking a full, five-year max deal.

Jimmy Butler is in Miami to begin his free agency tour and is expected to tell the Heat that he wants to sign with them. The Sixers will likely get a chance to speak with Butler before he signs elsewhere, as Miami doesn’t have the cap space necessary to offer Butler a max contract.

Here’s more from the start of free agency:

Magic Johnson said he has spoken to Kawhi Leonard and Dennis Robertson (Leonard’s uncle) after Leonard’s camp contacted him, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link). No meeting between the parties has been set up yet.
Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker are both operating as if they will not be back with the Wizards, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reports on Twitter. Both players were brought to Washington in the mid-season deal that sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago.
Julius Randle is on the Knicks‘ radar, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link). New York missed out on Kevin Durant, watching him sign with the Nets.
The Knicks are meeting with Reggie Bullock tonight, Aldridge tweets. Bullock is ready to commit to a “strong offer,” Aldridge adds. The Lakers would like to keep him, though New York will be among the teams which will have a chance to steal him away from Los Angeles.

Kevin Durant To Sign With Nets

June 30th, 2019 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

5:08pm: Durant has made it official by announcing via Instagram that he’ll sign with the Nets.

3:55pm: Free agent forward Kevin Durant plans to sign with the Nets, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Durant will make a formal announcement via Instagram once free agency officially opens at 6:00pm eastern time, tweets Wojnarowski.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Durant will sign a four-year, maximum-salary contract with Brooklyn. The deal will be worth $164,255,700.

[UPDATE: Durant will accept less than the max to accommodate a $40MM deal for DeAndre Jordan]

[UPDATE: Durant expected to be acquired via sign-and-trade involving D’Angelo Russell]

It’s a fascinating decision by Durant, who was long believed by league insiders to be eyeing a move to the Knicks if he opted not to return to the Warriors. However, as it became increasingly clear that KD’s good friend Kyrie Irving would sign with Brooklyn, there was increased speculation that the Nets could be in play for Durant too. He and Irving had reportedly discussed the idea of playing together, and now they’ll get that chance.

Of course, while the two stars will share a locker room in Brooklyn, they’ll have to wait a little longer to actually take the court together. Durant is expected to miss the full 2019/20 season as he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Additionally, the Nets will have to make at least one more roster move before they can technically sign both Irving and Durant. Because KD’s maximum salary is higher than Kyrie’s, Brooklyn is still about $1.2MM short of that second max slot, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

In addition to adding Durant and Irving, the Nets have reportedly lined up deals with DeAndre Jordan and Garrett Temple. They’ll join a core that features Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie. All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell will be headed elsewhere with Irving arriving in Brooklyn.

As for the Warriors, losing Durant means they’re no longer facing a record-setting luxury tax bill, but they figure to be aggressive in seeking ways to upgrade their roster with their two-time Finals MVP no longer in the mix.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Durant To Nets A Done Deal?

June 30th, 2019 at 3:43pm CST by clarkcrum

Marc Stein of The New York Times is reporting that the Nets are emanating an “undeniable vibe of confidence” that Kevin Durant will join his friend Kyrie Irving and announce tonight that he plans to sign with the Nets.

Brian Lewis of the New York Post adds that there are individuals within the Brooklyn organization – both players and front office employees – that are “quietly confident” that Durant will choose Brooklyn over the Warriors, Knicks, and Clippers.

Finally, Chris Broussard of Fox Sports hears that a team who was in the hunt to sign Durant now thinks that Durant is heading to Brooklyn as well.

As we noted earlier, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out if Brooklyn’s confidence is well-placed, as Durant will announce his decision online when free agency opens this evening.