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Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving

June 30th, 2022 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant‘s trade request increases the chances of a Kyrie Irving trade to the Lakers, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic report.

A straight Irving for Russell Westbrook swap would not work financially, so the Nets would either have to add another contract or include a third — and perhaps fourth team — for salary-matching purposes. Irving would be a better fit for LeBron James and Anthony Davis than Westbrook, providing better spacing offensively.

A potential deal could also lead the Lakers to part with first-rounders in 2027 or later.

If the Nets don’t want Westbrook’s salary, a third team could take that contract, with one of the Lakers’ picks and potentially Talen Horton-Tucker and/or Kendrick Nunn being involved.

A source told the Athletic that the chances of the Lakers landing Durant in a deal involving Davis is “zero.” Their focus, apparently, is on Irving.

We have more on the Durant/Irving situation:

  • The Nets don’t appear to be interested in Deandre Ayton, sources told John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Thus, a potential trade with the Suns may not include the restricted free agent or it would have to involve a third team.
  • Irving is “fully supportive” of Durant’s trade request, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (hat tip to RealGM). Irving knew Durant trade request was possible when he opted in to the final year of his contract.
  • Ben Simmons would be the major impediment to the Nuggets getting involved in the Durant sweepstakes, Mike Singer of the Denver Post notes. League rules stipulate that teams can’t have two players on a rookie scale max extension that have been acquired via trade. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. would both fit that description.
  • In the days before Irving’s choice to opt-in, sources close to Ayton raised the possibility of an Ayton-Mikal Bridges deal with the Nets, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. It was unclear at that time whether or not Durant was going to ask for a trade.
  • In the same piece, Alex Schiffer says he’s heard the Nets want multiple All-Stars in any deal for Durant.
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Kyrie Irving Granted Permission To Explore Trade Scenarios

June 27th, 2022 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

12:17pm: According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), sources with knowledge of the situation increasingly believe that Irving is willing to decline his player option and sign with the Lakers for the $6.4MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

In that scenario, Fischer writes, Irving could get a raise and a longer-term deal from the Lakers in 2023. The team still doesn’t project to have enough room to offer him a max contract at that point, but could theoretically get close.

Meanwhile, in his full story on the Irving situation, Wojnarowski writes that Durant “remained an advocate” for the Nets to give Kyrie a long-term deal.

11:42am: The Nets and Kyrie Irving haven’t made any real progress toward reaching an agreement that will keep him in Brooklyn going forward, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.

In fact, according to Winfield, Irving’s camp has requested and received permission from the Nets to speak to other teams about potential trade scenarios. Alex Schiffer of The Athletic and Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links) have heard the same thing.

Although those reports suggest Irving’s camp is looking into possible “sign-and-trade packages,” many of the teams said to be on the point guard’s wish list wouldn’t have the ability to acquire him via sign-and-trade due to their proximity to the projected luxury tax line.

Sign-and-trade talks also technically aren’t allowed until free agency begins this Thursday evening, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter). While teams and agents often play fast and loose with those rules, they may be a little more hesitant to do so this year after two teams were penalized last year for “gun-jumping” violations related to sign-and-trade agreements.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Sign-And-Trades]

Opt-in-and-trade scenarios – in which Irving picks up his $36.9MM player option for 2022/23 – would be more viable for many potential trade partners. Kyrie has until Wednesday to make a final decision on his option, and there’s a sense in both league and player circles that he may have played his last game in Brooklyn, says Winfield.

According to Wojnarowski, however, no teams besides the Lakers are seriously considering the idea of pursuing Irving, and Brooklyn isn’t believed to have interest in any trade package L.A. could realistically offer.

Wojnarowski’s report is similar to what he said during a TV appearance on Friday (hat tip to NetsDaily). At that time, Woj described the talks between the Nets and Irving as “acrimonious,” but suggested that no teams besides the Lakers were thought to have serious interest in the point guard. The other clubs reported to be on Irving’s wish list are the Mavericks, Heat, Clippers, Knicks, and Sixers.

“The interest isn’t mutual in several of these places,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN.

Here are more updates on the Irving situation:

  • According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there are sources close to the situation who “strongly believe” Irving is trying to make his way to the Lakers. Amick, who gets the sense that LeBron James is “very open” to the idea, notes that most people around the NBA believe the Nets would have zero interest in taking on Russell Westbrook in any trade with the Lakers.
  • Amick has heard that the Knicks have no interest in Irving and expect him to end up remaining in Brooklyn. Amick describes the Clippers as in “wait-and-see” mode when it comes to Kyrie.
  • Even with the threat of Irving’s departure seemingly increasing and Kevin Durant‘s future uncertain, the Nets appear unlikely to relent and offer Kyrie a long-term maximum-salary contract, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said during a Monday appearance on Get Up (video link). “Everything I’ve heard, the max deal is not coming. The Nets are not going to be held hostage by the threat of Kyrie Irving (leaving) and then Kevin Durant following him out the door,” Lowe said. “They appear ready to actually take some kind of stand here. That doesn’t mean that there’s not going to be a fair compromise offer somewhere, wherever that lands.”
  • While Lowe did suggest that a compromise between Irving and the Nets is possible, he believes Kyrie’s flight risk is real: “I do think this is a precarious situation for the Nets. I don’t think this is the kind of thing where it’s actually kind of calm and the media is blowing this out of proportion. I do think there are scenarios where in a week he’s gone and the Durant situation is wobbly.”
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FA/Trade Rumors: Ayton, Centers, Turner, Beal, Saric, Lakers

June 13th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Echoing comments made last week by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article that Suns center Deandre Ayton – a restricted free agent this summer – may be the biggest name to change teams in the coming weeks.

Phoenix is “increasingly expected” to explore sign-and-trade scenarios involving Ayton, according to Stein, who says there’s plenty of skepticism around the NBA about the team’s desire to make a significant financial commitment to the young center.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report conveys a similar sentiment in his latest round-up of NBA rumors, suggesting there’s “considerable skepticism” that the Suns will re-sign Ayton. The Pistons, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Hawks, and Raptors have all been mentioned as possible suitors for the former No. 1 overall pick, Stein notes.

Here are a few more updates from Stein and Pincus on some of this year’s top free agents and trade candidates:

  • According to Pincus, some sources believe that the Spurs (Jakob Poeltl), Bulls (Nikola Vucevic), Hawks (Clint Capela/John Collins), and Pacers (Myles Turner) are among the teams that could be willing to move their current centers in a package for one of the offseason’s top available big men (Ayton, Rudy Gobert, etc.). Grizzlies center Steven Adams also may be a summer trade candidate, though he’s well-liked in the locker room, says Pincus.
  • While both Pincus and Stein have talked to sources who believe the Pacers are likely to keep Myles Turner, Stein notes that the situation could change if the big man wants to play out his expiring contract rather than agreeing to an extension, since Indiana may not want to risk losing him for nothing next year.
  • According to Stein, one or two teams hopeful of landing Bradley Beal believe the All-Star guard wants to be the Dirk Nowitzki of D.C., sticking with the Wizards for his entire career.
  • While Dario Saric‘s $9.24MM expiring contract makes him an obvious trade candidate, Pincus writes that the Suns are hopeful the forward can return to form after missing last season due to an ACL tear, and may not be looking to move him.
  • If the Lakers have any hope of trading Russell Westbrook without including a first-round pick, they’ll likely have to take on at least one or two players earning $15-25MM annually on multiyear deals, Pincus writes, citing veterans like Davis Bertans and Duncan Robinson as hypothetical examples. Rival executives and agents don’t expect the Lakers to get clarity from LeBron James on his long-term intentions before the draft or free agency, which will complicate L.A.’s decision-making process — the team would be more comfortable taking on pricey multiyear contracts with a guarantee that LeBron is sticking around long-term, Pincus observes.
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And-Ones: Okobo, Cleveland, James, Rupert

June 9th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Elie Okobo is expected to sign with Monaco, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The No. 31 pick of the 2018 draft, Okobo is still monitoring his NBA options but if he doesn’t get an offer, he’ll join the Monaco club. He averaged 14.5 PPG for ASVEL Villeurbanne last season. Okobo played in 108 NBA games with Phoenix from 2018-20.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Australia’s Adelaide 36ers have signed Antonius Cleveland on a two-year deal, according to Sportando. The 28-year-old shooting guard played last season with the Illawarra Hawks, averaging 14.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG and getting named the NBL’s Best Defensive Player. Cleveland played 28 games in the NBA, including 11 with Dallas during the 2019/20 season.
  • What does LeBron James want to do after his NBA career? He expressed a desire to become an owner of an NBA franchise in Las Vegas, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. “I want to buy a team, for sure,” James said on his new “The Shop” show. “I want a team in Vegas.”
  • Potential 2023 first-round selection Rayan Rupert will play for the New Zealand Breakers next season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes. Rupert, a French 6’7” wing, is currently projected by ESPN as the No. 21 pick in next year’s draft. Rupert, 18, has drawn comparisons to Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges because of his defensive versatility.
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Darvin Ham: Westbrook Has “Ton Left In The Tank”

June 6th, 2022 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Lakers coach Darvin Ham believes Russell Westbrook has a “ton left in the tank” but will have to make sacrifices to help the franchise return to a championship level, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

Ham made those comments on Monday during his introductory press conference, which Westbrook attended.

“Don’t get it messed up, Russell Westbrook is one of the best players our league has ever seen and there’s still a ton left in the tank,” Ham said. “I don’t know why people tend to try to write him off.”

Westbrook took the brunt of criticism, along with former coach Frank Vogel, for the Lakers’ wayward season. He has a $47.5MM option on the last year of his contract and is expected to exercise it.

The Lakers reportedly asked head coaching candidates how they could maximize Westbrook’s talents in L.A. Ham believes Westbrook will have to do more without the ball and step up his defensive effort.

“Russ and I had some really, really great one-on-one convos, man, and the biggest word I think that came out of that, those discussions, was sacrifice,” Ham said. “I’m going to expect him to be the same tenacious, high-energy player that he’s been all his entire career. A lot of now may have him without the ball in his hand. Most of it now may have it on the defensive end. But, again, we have to sacrifice. There’s no achieving anything without all parties sharing the load, sacrificing instead of one-on-one.”

Here’s more from Ham’s presser, as relayed by McMenamin and the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike:

  • Ham’s top priority is to make the Lakers a much tighter defensive unit. “Defensively is where you’re going to see our biggest leaps and bounds,” Ham said. “We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball, or we don’t have a chance.”
  • Ham said he’ll be just as tough on Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the team’s role players: “We have a saying, ‘Facts over feelings.’ And once you see the film, that’s a fact. You missed your assignment, then that has to be pointed out. Because if I can’t point it out to one of our Big Three, then the last man or someone in the rotation, they’re not going to take what we’re doing seriously.”
  • VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Ham was a “unanimous” choice among the team’s decision-makers. “It’s easy to be grateful when you find a candidate that you feel is the ideal fit for what the franchise is looking for. And that’s what coach Ham represents to us,” Pelinka said.
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And-Ones: Zizic, LeBron, TV Ratings, 2023 Draft

June 2nd, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes will be signing former NBA big man Ante Zizic on a two-year deal, with an opt-out clause after the first season, Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops.net reports. Zizic, 25, averaged 12.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 21 MPG over 31 games for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season.

A first-round pick in 2016, Zizic spent three seasons in the NBA with the Cavaliers from 2017-20, averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 113 games (13.4 MPG).

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Lakers star LeBron James has reached a net worth of $1 billion, according to Forbes’ calculations, Chase Peterson-Withorn writes. James made $121.2MM last year, pushing him over the $1 billion mark. He’s the first active NBA player to make the billionaires list. Even Michael Jordan, the only other basketball billionaire, didn’t reach that mark until 2014, well after he retired.
  • The NBA’s TV ratings for the postseason have risen significantly. There are number of reasons for the upswing, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, including the Warriors’ resurgence, an influx of new stars making their mark and Nielsen’s new method for collecting viewership numbers. Since September 2020, Nielsen has included out-of-home viewers as part of its tallies, including those watching at bars and restaurants.
  • While many draft prospects are busy working out for NBA teams, some have dropped out and returned to school to improve their stock for the 2023 draft. Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo takes a look at six players who could make a significant jump in the next year, including Iowa’s Kris Murray and Houston’s Marcus Sasser.
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Lakers Notes: Ham, Westbrook, Davis, LeBron

May 28th, 2022 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Darvin Ham provides the Lakers with everything they were looking for in their coaching search, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Instead of going with a flashier name, L.A. opted for a respected assistant in Ham, who will be the team’s sixth head coach in the past 11 years.

The Lakers wanted someone who had worked for the team, as Ham did as an assistant coach from 2011-13, who had won a title and who had experience coaching star players. Ham checked those boxes, along with being a former player, having a strong personality and working under respected coaches such as Gregg Popovich and Mike Budenholzer.

Former coach Frank Vogel reportedly encountered resistance in the locker room this season, but an unidentified league executive told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that shouldn’t be a problem for Ham.

“If you look around the league now, the coaches who are having successes — Steve Kerr, Monty Williams, Willie Green — [not only have] excellent knowledge but an ability to connect and hold [players] accountable,” the executive said. “(Ham) has a personable blend of that. A strong individual. He can garner respect from his players. I like it.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • The organization’s poor treatment of Vogel may have discouraged a few coaches under contract who might otherwise have been interested in the job, such as Nick Nurse, Quin Snyder and Doc Rivers, Buha suggests in the same piece. Buha points out that L.A. gave Vogel a low offer when he was hired, only added one year to his contract after he won a title in 2020 and leaked a report of his firing immediately after the final game of the season.
  • With the team reportedly unwilling to part with a first-round pick to find a taker for Russell Westbrook, one of Ham’s first challenges will be figuring out how to manage the enigmatic guard, observes Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link). Westbrook is most effective when surrounded by shooters, so Pelton believes Anthony Davis will see more time at center next season. Pelton also expects Ham to try to change the way Westbrook is used, employing him as a screener more often than a spot-up shooter.
  • Pelton believes another priority will be a load management plan for LeBron James, who will turn 38 next season. James missed 26 games this year, but averaged 37.2 minutes when he did play, his highest figure since the 2016/17 season.
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Western Notes: Ham, LeBron, Russell, Jazz, George

May 28th, 2022 at 3:48pm CST by JD Shaw

New Lakers coach Darvin Ham has already secured his first win, Bill Oram of The Athletic contends, by receiving the support of star forward LeBron James, an important first step in his head coaching journey.

“So damn EXCITED!!!!!!!! Congrats and welcome Coach DHam!” James tweeted after word broke on Friday night that Ham is being hired by the Lakers.

The Lakers are coming off a 33-49 season in which they missing the playoffs after dealing with several key injuries to star players. The front office hopes Ham can guide the team back to contention.

There’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:

  • Nekias Duncan of Basketball News considers possible trade destinations for Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell. In 65 games this season, Russell averaged 18.1 points, 7.1 assists and 1.0 steals per contest, shooting 41% from the floor and 34% from three-point range. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
  • Tony Jones of The Athletic continues analyzing the Jazz roster by examining the forwards, taking a closer look at Bojan Bogdanovic and Eric Paschall, among others. Utah is coming off another disappointing postseason, having lost to the Mavericks in six games during the first round.
  • The Jazz will work out BYU forward Gideon George on Sunday, Tony Jones tweets. Utah doesn’t own a draft pick this year, but it still plans to hold workouts and conduct its due diligence. The team could acquire a pick or prepare for undrafted players. George averaged 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.1 minutes last season.
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2021/2022 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 24th, 2022 at 7:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 2021/22 All-NBA teams have officially been announced by the NBA. For the fourth straight season, Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was unanimously selected to the All-NBA First Team by a voter panel of 100 media members. Antetokounmpo, 27, is making his sixth All-NBA team overall.

Antetokounmpo, reigning MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic received the most votes. Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker and Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid rounded out the list of top five vote-getters. Because the All-NBA teams, unlike the All-Star squads, require just one center per team, Embiid was relegated to an All-NBA Second Team placing.

Below is a list of the three All-NBA teams. Vote tallies are listed in parentheses next to player names. Five points were awarded to players for a First Team Vote, three points netted for a Second Team vote, and one for a Third Team vote. Antetokounmpo earned a perfect 500 points.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

Jazz center Rudy Gobert and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, Heat center Bam Adebayo and small forward Jimmy Butler, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, Suns small forward Mikal Bridges, Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray, and Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet all received All-NBA votes. Surprisingly, Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who played in just 29 games this season, also received a single vote.

As we previously outlined, the All-NBA selections come with significant financial ramifications. As a result of being named to All-NBA teams, Booker and Towns have become eligible for super-max extensions that would begin in 2024/25. If they’re signed this offseason, those deals would be for four years and would start at 35% of the ’24/25 cap. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter), they currently project to be worth $211MM apiece.

Young’s five-year contract extension, which was signed last August and will go into effect in 2022/23, will now be worth 30% of next season’s cap instead of 25% by virtue of his All-NBA selection. Based on a projected $122MM cap, that means it’ll be worth about $212MM instead of $177MM.

Jokic had already met the super-max requirements prior to this announcement, since he won last year’s MVP award — he’s eligible to sign a five-year, super-max extension this offseason and has said he plans to do so. Doncic, who signed a maximum-salary contract extension last summer, also previously met the super-max criteria by earning All-NBA nods in 2020 and 2021.

Notable players who are not eligible this offseason for super-max deals include Morant and Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine. As Marks tweets, Morant needs to make the All-NBA team again in 2023 to qualify for a starting salary worth 30% of the cap (instead of 25%) on his next deal.

LaVine, a free agent this offseason, would have been eligible to earn up to 35% of next season’s cap from the Bulls if he had made an All-NBA team, but will instead be able to earn no more than 30% of the ’22/23 cap on his next contract.

With their inclusions, Morant, Booker, and Young are making their All-NBA team debuts. Meanwhile, on the other side of the NBA aging curve, two 37-year-old veterans further cemented their Hall of Fame credentials during the 2021/22 season. James made his 18th All-NBA team, while Paul was named to his 11th All-NBA team.

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Lakers Notes: Ham, Rivers, Pelinka, Brockington

May 21st, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is the only finalist for the Lakers‘ coaching vacancy without previous head coaching experience, but he apparently has the support of LeBron James, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “He’s the guy LeBron wants,” a source from a rival team tells Pincus.

Ham, 48, also has the advantage of a previous relationship with the Lakers. After his playing career ended, his first NBA job was an an assistant coach in L.A., where he stayed for two seasons before joining Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Atlanta and later in Milwaukee. Ham possesses a strong personality and plenty of energy, and Pincus believes he could be the best choice to motivate the Lakers’ veteran-laden roster.

Assessing the other finalists, Pincus calls Terry Stotts the “safest choice,” but says he’ll need an experienced assistant to handle the defense, and he views Kenny Atkinson as a “wild card” with a reputation for being rigid in his approach to the game.

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • None of the finalists inspire any excitement, in the view of Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, who says the Lakers need to find a way to acquire Doc Rivers from the Sixers. Rivers still has three seasons left on his contract in Philadelphia and recently received a vote of confidence from president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, but Plaschke cites rumors that Morey would prefer Mike D’Antoni, especially in the wake of the Sixers’ second-round exit. Plaschke theorizes that the Lakers would have already hired Rivers if he weren’t under contract with another team.
  • Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and Nets GM Sean Marks were seen meeting at the NBA Combine this week, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. While no details of the conversation were made public, it’s worth noting that the Lakers had internal discussions about acquiring Kyrie Irving before he resumed playing in January. Marks is also very familiar with one of Pelinka’s head coaching finalists, having hired Atkinson during his first year in Brooklyn.
  • The Lakers are part of a growing list of teams that have lined up a workout with Iowa State guard Izaiah Brockington, per Spencer Davies of Basketball News. Brockington wasn’t invited to the Draft Combine or the G League Elite Camp, but he has already worked out for the Hawks and sources tell Davies that as many as 14 teams are interested in seeing him in action. The Lakers don’t have any picks in this year’s draft, so they would have to trade for one or hope to sign him as a free agent if he goes undrafted.
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