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Latest On Donovan Mitchell

July 16th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

A potential Donovan Mitchell trade could be an “extended process” rather than an imminent event, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).

Utah is “talking throughout the league,” but there are not everyday negotiations going on involving the All-Star guard, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Jazz have “time on their side” due to Mitchell being signed through the 2025/26 season (including a player option in the final year).

Utah exec Danny Ainge has a reputation of waiting teams out to get the best possible trade package. “I think it’s going to be the same thing with Donovan Mitchell,” Wojnarowski said, though he added that the Knicks are a “motivated suitor.”

We have more on the Mitchell trade front:

According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the notion that the Jazz were not open to offers for Mitchell prior to this week is a false narrative. They had discussed Mitchell trades before Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Timberwolves.
ESPN’s Insiders look at five potential Mitchell deals involving the Knicks, Heat, Raptors, Thunder and a four-way swap. Responding to ESPN’s proposed trades, Larsen tweets that the proposed packages from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Oklahoma City would all fall short of what the Jazz are seeking. ESPN’s hypothetical four-team deal involving Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Deandre Ayton might’ve appealed most to Utah, according to Larsen, but it’s no longer an option now that Ayton is back under contract with Phoenix.
With the Knicks apparently ready to give up a boatload of assets for Mitchell, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post looks at past deals for star players that failed to turn the fortunes of the franchise.
Dealing Mitchell would be the best thing for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines. After dealing Gobert, the Jazz would have to give up numerous assets in trades just to remain in the playoff picture if they retain Mitchell.
A group of ESPN analysts explored some potential trade packages for Mitchell on NBA Today (video link).

Raptors Interested In Bojan Bogdanovic?

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

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.

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.

Raptors Sign Justin Champagnie To Two-Year Contract

July 14th, 2022 at 10:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have signed Justin Champagnie to a two-year contract, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.

It’s a minimum-salary deal with a $325K partial guarantee for the first year, Murphy adds.

The structure of the contract means Champagnie will still be competing for a roster spot in camp. D.J. Wilson got a similar deal from Toronto last week.

They will compete with Armoni Brooks and David Johnson for the remaining roster openings. Rookie Ron Harper Jr. holds one of the two-way contract spots. That signing is now official, according to the NBA transactions log.

Champagnie held a two-way slot at the end of last season and received a qualifying offer, which made him a restricted free agent. The size of his new partial guarantee makes him ineligible for a two-way slot with Toronto this season, Murphy adds in another tweet.

Champagnie fractured his thumb during Summer League practices, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets, but is expected to fully recover by training camp,

The undrafted wing, who turned 21 last month, appeared in 36 regular-season games last season. He averaged 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 7.8 MPG.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sumner, Sims, Mazzulla

July 13th, 2022 at 7:58pm CST by Rory Maher

There will be quite the competition for the Raptors‘ final roster spots, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Although rookie Christian Koloko still hasn’t been signed, he seems like a safe bet to be the 13th player on a standard deal, per Lewenberg.

“He does what he does very well and we probably don’t need him to do much more than that,” head coach Nick Nurse told TSN. “I love the way he runs, his feet are great, he’s blocking shots, screening OK and he’s got a pretty decent, safe pair of hands. And it’s probably a good roster fit.”

The 7’1″ center was the 33rd pick of last month’s draft. Second-year guard/forward Dalano Banton also has a good chance to be on the opening night roster, Lewenberg writes.

That leaves Justin Champagnie, D.J. Wilson, Armoni Brooks, David Johnson and Ron Harper Jr. battling it out for the final few roster spots. Toronto is expected to sign Harper to a two-way deal but he could earn a promotion if he impresses in training camp, according to Lewenberg, who notes that there’s also a chance the Raptors could waive Svi Mykhailiuk, who exercised his minimum-salary player option last month, in order to keep more than one of that group on a standard deal.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that guard Edmond Sumner signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Nets, and the second year is non-guaranteed. Ian Begley of SNY.tv provides more details about Sumner’s contract (via Twitter), reporting that the first years isn’tfully guaranteed either. Sumner’s 2022/23 guarantee will increase from $250K to $500K if he’s on the opening night roster, and the second season becomes fully guaranteed once the free agency moratorium lifts in 2023. That typically occurs on July 6.
As Fred Katz of The Athletic recently relayed, Jericho Sims‘ new contract with the Knicks is fully guaranteed at $2K above the minimum in ’22/23, the second year is at the minimum and partially guaranteed for $600K, and the final year is a team option for the minimum with a $651,180 partial guarantee. Begley reports (Twitter link) that the $600K in year two increases to $1.2MM if Sims is still on the roster by mid-July 2023, and the deal becomes fully guaranteed in mid-August ’23. The same structure applies to the third year, with the $651,180 increasing to $1.3MM in mid-July ’24 and a full guarantee in mid-August ’24.
Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said he will be promoting Joe Mazzulla to a role on the bench in place of Will Hardy, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Mazzulla recently interviewed for Utah’s head coaching vacancy, which ultimately went to Hardy. He also interviewed for Boston’s job last summer.

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.

Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving

July 10th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Trade talks involving Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving remain stagnant even with all the league’s general managers gathered together in Las Vegas, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Nets are determined to be patient and won’t give up either player without getting what they want in return, Lewis adds.

Lewis describes any Durant discussions as being “just at the talking stage, and likely the not-too-serious kind.” He states that Brooklyn is focused on moving Durant first because the Lakers appear to be the only real market for Irving and the Nets would have to take back Russell Westbrook‘s $47MM salary, which could limit flexibility in a Durant deal.

Rumors involving the Warriors as a potential landing spot for Durant seem to have cooled, Lewis notes. Stephen Curry addressed the situation indirectly on Saturday, dismissing “the rumor mill” and adding, “I like where we’re at” in terms of the current roster.

Here are a few more notes related to Durant and Irving:

No matter what the return is, the Durant era will be remembered as a “catastrophic failure” for Nets management, Lewis adds in a separate piece. Although the process could drag out for weeks or even months, Lewis doesn’t believe speculation that Durant and Irving might eventually play for Brooklyn again or claims that the Raptors wouldn’t part with Scottie Barnes in a Durant deal.
The Nets and the teams that they’re talking to are all being cautious about putting a Durant trade together, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that there’s no guarantee a deal will be reached before the end of Summer League. “If you’re the Nets, you can get a sense of how far some teams are going to go,” Wojnarowski said, “and if you’ve feel like they’ve gone as far as they’re going to go with you, is that good enough for Kevin Durant? Because in any scenario you’re probably not getting value for Kevin Durant. There’s no deal where you can say, ‘Hey, we’re better for this. It’s just the best you can get. And again with the four years left on his contract, you could wait it out.”
Durant is refusing to listen to recruiting pitches from other players around the league, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said on a recent Posted Up podcast. Other than occasional posts on Twitter, Durant isn’t in contact with anyone outside of his inner circle, Haynes adds. “Numerous stars have been trying to get in touch with him to pick his brain to see if he would consider other avenues,” Haynes said. “Just want to get a sense of what he’s thinking. … KD has gone dark. He’s not talking to anybody. Not answering anybody’s phone calls, not responding to texts, KD has gone dark.”
The Lakers may be divided over whether to pursue Irving at all, Jovan Buha said on the The Athletic NBA Show podcast. Buha has heard that LeBron James wants to trade for Irving, but others in the organization would rather use their assets to try to get Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from the Pacers.

And-Ones: Diop, Baynes, Onuaku, Free Agency, Macon, Dragic

July 9th, 2022 at 2:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers draft-and-stash pick Khalifa Diop has extended his contract with Gran Canaria through 2025, according to Eurohoops.net. The Senegalese center’s previous deal with the club was set to expire in 2024. Diop. 20, was selected with the 39th overall pick with the goal of stashing him at least for next season. Presumably, Diop will have NBA opt-outs in his European contract for when Cleveland is ready to bring him aboard.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

Free agent center Aron Baynes worked out for NBA teams in Las Vegas on Friday and received generally positive reviews, Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reports. Baynes is seeking an NBA comeback after suffering a serious spinal cord injury during the Tokyo Olympics. One scout told Bulpett that Baynes showed good stamina and a consistent 3-point stroke. Another executive said that Baynes could be a good fit for the Celtics.
Israeli League MVP Chinanu Onuaku will work out for NBA teams on Wednesday at the Las Vegas Summer League, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports. The Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks and Lakers are among the teams expected to be in attendance. Additionally, Greece’s Panathinaikos is expected to soon present an official offer for a two-year contract. The 6’11” big man played six games with the Rockets from 2016-18.
Donte DiVincenzo‘s two-year contract with the Warriors and Bruce Brown‘s two-year deal with the Nuggets are the best value signings during free agency thus far, in the view of executives who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
Former NBA guard Daryl Macon has signed with Unics, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Macon averaged 13.1 PPG and 3.6 APG last season in EuroLeague with Panathinaikos. Macon played four games with the Heat during the 2019/20 season.
Former NBA guard Zoran Dragic has re-signed with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana for another season, according to Sportando. Dragic averaged 10.7 PPG and 5.5 RPG last season in EuroCup action.

Raptors Sign D.J. Wilson To Two-Year Contract

July 8th, 2022 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed free agent forward D.J. Wilson to a multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), it’s a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a $250K partial guarantee.

It’s a reunion for the Raptors and Wilson, who signed three 10-day contracts and appeared in four games with Toronto in 2021/22. The former first-round pick out of Michigan played well in his limited run with the club, averaging 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 13.5 minutes per game while knocking down 11-of-15 shots (73.3%).

Wilson was released from his third and final 10-day contract with the Raptors in March after injuring his knee.

A year ago, the Raptors signed several free agents to multiyear deals with small partial guarantees in the first season and had them compete for spots on the 15-man regular season roster. It’s possible the team will take the same route this year.

Currently, Toronto has 12 players on fully guaranteed standard contracts, with Dalano Banton and Armoni Brooks on partially guaranteed deals. Second-rounder Christian Koloko is also likely in line for a spot on the 15-man regular season roster, which would leave just two openings available for Banton, Brooks, Wilson, and any other free agents the Raptors may sign before the season.

Of course, with the Raptors still being linked to the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, it’s possible the roster could undergo more significant changes by the fall.

Raptors Notes: Boucher, Durant, Hines

July 8th, 2022 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

With a new fully guaranteed three-year, $35MM contract in hand, Raptors big man Chris Boucher admitted to reporters on Thursday that he wasn’t expecting his free agency to play out this way last fall when he got off to an extremely slow start to the season, averaging 5.9 PPG on .381/.196/.667 shooting in his first 20 games.

“(After) the first 20 games? No, there’s no way,” Boucher said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I mean, to be honest with you, me and (trainer) Ibrahim (Appiah) joke about that all the time. We were saying, ‘We’re probably gonna have to pack our bags and stuff’ because it didn’t look too nice at the beginning and to be honest with you … I was like, ‘I’m not playing well. I might not get traded but I might get waived or whatever,’ so that’s how we were taking it.”

After bouncing back and finishing the season strong, Boucher received offers from other teams during his first foray into unrestricted free agency. The Celtics, Bucks, Nets, and Bulls were reportedly among the clubs to express interest. But Boucher suggested on Thursday that he never seriously considered leaving Toronto.

“Hearing from other teams … was a good thing for me,” Boucher said. “But like I said, it doesn’t stop there. You know, I wanted to be comfortable, you play your best basketball when you feel like you’re at home, when you feel like you know everything, and things are going smooth and so I don’t think I would have felt that more appreciated or felt like home anywhere else.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Eric Koreen and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, representing the Raptors’ and Nets‘ front offices, engaged in mock trade negotiations on a potential Kevin Durant trade, as Koreen explores whether there’s a way to get Durant to Toronto in a deal that meets Brooklyn’s asking price without including Scottie Barnes. Schiffer is amenable to a hypothetical package of Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent, Precious Achiuwa, three unprotected first-rounders, and a pick swap in exchange for Durant and Seth Curry.
Veteran player development coach Rico Hines has left the Kings to join the Raptors, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. Hines confirmed the move in an Instagram post after previously bidding farewell to Kings fans in another post on Instagram. Hines spent the last three seasons working under Luke Walton and Alvin Gentry in Sacramento.
The Raptors have a strong track record of exceeding expectations and making good year-over-year progress, but that forward progress is never guaranteed, according to Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star, who weighs whether it makes sense for the team to simply count on internal improvement from the current core and considers the risks of that approach.