Spurs Withdrawing QO For Lonnie Walker, Making Him UFA
The Spurs are pulling their qualifying offer for wing Lonnie Walker, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
San Antonio initially issued Walker that qualifying offer, worth $6,311,564, on Wednesday, which came as a bit of a surprise, as I noted at the time. Unlike some of this summer’s top restricted free agents, the 23-year-old wasn’t a lock to receive his qualifying offer, given the up-and-down season he had in 2021/22.
Walker averaged a career-high 12.1 PPG and 2.2 APG, but saw his shooting percentages dip to 40.7% from the floor and 31.4% on threes, well below his career rates. The Spurs were better with him off the court (+2.1 net rating) than on it (-3.0). Furthermore, a Wednesday report stated that Walker was unlikely to remain in San Antonio.
With the QO off the table, the Spurs will create some extra cap flexibility and Walker will have the opportunity to sign anywhere without the risk of San Antonio matching an offer sheet.
Charania says to expect a “strong market” for the former first-round pick.
Jazz Waive Juancho Hernangomez
4:03pm: The Jazz have officially waived Hernangomez, the team announced in a press release.
3:01pm: The Jazz are waiving forward Juancho Hernangomez, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tony Jones (Twitter link).
His $7,307,130 salary for next season would have fully guaranteed if he had remained on the roster beyond Thursday. The move was expected and gives Utah more room to manuever as it reshapes its roster.
Hernangomez, 26, played for three teams while getting dealt four times last season. He played 18 games with Boston, five with San Antonio and 17 with the Jazz. He saw action in 17 games with Utah, including nine starts, and averaged 6.2 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 17.5 MPG.
More Than Half Of NBA Teams Have Inquired On Durant
Since word broke this afternoon that Nets star Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, more than half of the teams in the NBA have called to inquire about the former MVP, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said during an appearance on NBA Today this afternoon (video link via Malika Andrews).
The Suns and Heat have been mentioned as two of Durant’s preferred landing spots, but the Nets are expected to take the best deal available to them rather than focusing on sending the veteran forward to a specific destination.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Warriors are probably the only team that can be ruled out as a landing spot for Durant. I’d also be shocked if the Nets were willing to send him to the cross-town Knicks.
Early indications are that the Nets aren’t especially inclined to acquire Deandre Ayton via sign-and-trade as the centerpiece of a Durant deal, Fischer writes, adding that – from Brooklyn’s perspective – any deal with Phoenix or Miami would likely have to start with Devin Booker or Bam Adebayo. However, both of those players are on designated rookie extensions, prohibiting the Nets from acquiring either one unless they move Ben Simmons.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Designated Rookies]
Given that the Rockets control the Nets’ draft picks (either outright or via swap rights) for the next several years, don’t expect Brooklyn to pivot to a full-fledged rebuild as part of a Durant trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during the same episode of NBA Today (video link)
Windhorst isn’t sure if the Nets will get a superstar in return, but expects them to target selfless, team-first players, citing Suns forward Mikal Bridges as an example. As Windhorst observes, those are the types of players GM Sean Marks spoke about wanting during his end-of-season media session in May.
“We’re looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball, and be available,” Marks said at the time.
[RELATED: Nets To Acquire Royce O’Neale From Jazz]
Windhorst also says his phone is “blowing up” with executives wondering where Kyrie Irving is going to end up. There has been no indication that Irving has requested a trade, but he seems far less likely to remain in Brooklyn for the final year of his contract if Durant is traded.
“If Kevin Durant is on the first train out, Kyrie Irving will be on the caboose as far as the Nets are concerned,” Windhorst said.
According to Fischer, league sources “continue to whisper” about Irving’s desire to join the Lakers and reunite with LeBron James. However, a trade between L.A. and Brooklyn would be challenging, since the Nets reportedly have no interest in Russell Westbrook.
Extensions Imminent For Jokic, Booker, Towns, Morant, More
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Suns guard Devin Booker, Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant are all expected to reach verbal agreements with their respective teams on new long-term contract extensions soon after the NBA’s new league year begins tonight, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Cavaliers guard Darius Garland are also “widely expected” to receive extensions this offseason, Stein notes (via Twitter).
Morant, Williamson, and Garland will be eligible for rookie scale extensions, with the exact figures yet to be determined. Rookie scale extensions are available for former first-round picks entering their fourth seasons. The three players’ offers will likely include Rose Rule language that allows them to earn a starting salary of up to 30% of the 2023/24 salary cap (instead of 25%) if they meets certain performance criteria.
Even though Morant, for example, earned an All-NBA spot this year, he would have to make an All-NBA team again next season to qualify for the higher max — the Rose Rule criteria require a player to make All-NBA in either the season before his new contract goes into effect or in two of the three prior seasons.
Williamson’s extension could take a little longer to figure out, given that he’s appeared in just 85 career games and missed all of last season after setbacks following foot surgery last summer. Still, Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin said he was “confident” that an agreement would be reached, the only question is how much money will be guaranteed up front.
Jokic, Booker, and Towns will all be eligible for super-max extensions, also known as Designated Veteran Extensions, worth up to 35% of the salary cap. At least one of the following must be a true for a player to be eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension:
- He was named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
- He was named NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.
- He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
Booker and Towns both made All-NBA teams this past season, and Jokic was named the back-to-back MVP in addition to making All-NBA teams the past four seasons.
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is also likely to receive a two-year extension worth in excess of $100MM once the new league year begins, as relayed by Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report and Stein (Twitter links).
Western Notes: McGee, Towns, Wiseman, Williamson, Trent Jr.
JaVale McGee could wind up with another Western Conference contender next season. The Mavericks are very interested in the veteran free agent center and could offer him the two-year deal he’s seeking, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets. McGee, 34, averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.7 RPG for the Suns last season while appearing in 74 regular season contests.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The biggest priority for the Timberwolves this summer is to lock up Karl-Anthony Towns with an extension, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports. Towns is eligible for an extension of up to four years and roughly $211MM. “I can’t wait to sit down with him and his representation ASAP and keep this thing going,” new president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “He’s special and deserves everything that is going to come his way.”
- James Wiseman would actually benefit if the Warriors are able to re-sign free agent Kevon Looney, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Their skill sets would mesh as the team’s center duo and it would ease the pressure on Wiseman, allowing him to focus on his development.
- The Pelicans’ extension talks with Zion Williamson could take some time to sort out, as Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune explains. The two sides need to figure out is how much of the extension will be fully guaranteed. Clark’s sources believe there is a possibility that negotiations could drag on longer than anticipated due of this issue. Williamson sat out last season due to a foot injury.
- The Jazz have expressed interest in Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., according to Ian Begley of SNY TV. Trent’s cap hit for next season is $17.5MM and he has an $18.5+MM option for 2023/24. He averaged 18.3 PPG in 35 MPG last season.
Spurs Expected To Waive Danilo Gallinari
The Spurs are expected to waive forward Danilo Gallinari now that their blockbuster trade with the Hawks is official, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Gallinari is part of the Dejounte Murray deal. His partial guarantee was increased in order to complete the trade.
His $21.45MM salary next season had only been partially guaranteed for $5MM. His partial guarantee is believed to have been increased by an additional $5-6MM or so to match Murray’s incoming salary. San Antonio will get some cap relief by waiving him before his full salary becomes guaranteed.
Gallinari, 33, is expected to draw interest from contenders in both conferences. The Bulls, Celtics, and Heat are among the teams that have already been linked to him, and Gallinari has interest in those clubs, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who tweets that the forward will be seeking mid-level type money.
Gallinari is a 38.1% career 3-point shooter and has averaged double digits in points since his second NBA season. He averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 25.3 MPG over 66 regular season games (18 starts) last season.
Spurs Trade Dejounte Murray To Hawks
JUNE 30: The trade is official, the Hawks announced in a press release.
“The opportunity to acquire a player of Dejounte’s caliber, just entering his prime, doesn’t come along too often,” Hawks president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “He has developed into one of the elite two-way guards in the league and we’re thrilled to add him to our group.”
In addition to the pieces detailed below, Atlanta also acquired big man Jock Landale from San Antonio. As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets, in order to complete the trade before the new league year began, the Spurs needed to add a little more salary to match Gallinari’s $21.45MM incoming figure, even though it’s not fully guaranteed.
According to Kirschner (Twitter link), it’s not clear yet whether the Hawks plan to keep Landale, whose minimum-salary contract for 2022/23 isn’t fully guaranteed.
JUNE 29: The Spurs have reached an agreement to trade guard Dejounte Murray to the Hawks for a package that includes Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). San Antonio will receive three first-rounders and a draft swap, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
According to Wojnarowski and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter links), the three picks going to the Spurs will be Charlotte’s 2023 first-rounder (top-16 protected) and the Hawks’ own 2025 and 2027 first-rounders. San Antonio will also have the right to swap first-round selections with Atlanta in 2026.
Those 2025 and 2027 picks – along with the 2026 swap – will be unprotected, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.
Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that momentum was building toward a Murray trade, noting that the Knicks and Timberwolves were also among the guard’s known suitors. Atlanta has been the team most frequently linked to Murray though, having reportedly explored deals for him dating back to February’s trade deadline.
The deal represents a major backcourt upgrade for the Hawks, who will add an All-Star – and one of the league’s best perimeter defenders – to complement All-NBA guard Trae Young without giving up any players from their projected 2022/23 roster.
It’s not clear if trade candidate John Collins will still be in Atlanta when the ’22/23 season begins, but he’s not part of this deal after having being included in earlier Murray-related rumors.
Murray enjoyed a breakout season in 2021/22, averaging 21.1 PPG, 9.2 APG, 8.3 RPG, and a league-leading 2.0 SPG with a shooting line of .462/.327/.794 in 68 games (34.8 MPG). The 25-year-old was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award.
Murray’s ability and versatility on defense make him an ideal backcourt partner for Young, who is said to be “ecstatic” about the move, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Murray is under contract for the next two seasons and is owed just over $34MM during that time.
The Spurs’ motives for making the deal are a little less obvious than the Hawks’, since it’s not as if Murray was on an entirely different timeline than the team’s young core, but perhaps he wasn’t part of the club’s plans beyond his current contract. San Antonio’s decision to accept a package heavy on distant draft picks rather than current players signals that short-term contention probably isn’t in the cards as the front office looks toward the future.
The Hornets’ 2023 pick will be lottery-protected in 2024 and 2025 if it doesn’t convey next year, then would turn into two second-round picks if it hasn’t conveyed by that point. The Hawks’ own picks – and the 2026 swap – could be more significantly more valuable, especially if the team takes a downturn within the next few years.
Gallinari’s $21.45MM salary had only been partially guaranteed for $5MM and was set to become fully guaranteed if he remained under contract through today.
The veteran forward probably isn’t in the Spurs’ plans at that full $21.45MM figure, so the most likely outcome is that he’ll have his partial guarantee increased by another $6MM-ish in order to legally match Murray’s salary, then will be waived. Gallinari may agree to push back his salary guarantee date in order to give the teams time to complete the trade and ensure that he receives that extra money, though that’s just my speculation at this point.
Nets’ Kevin Durant Requests Trade
Nets star Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Durant’s business manager Rich Kleiman tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that he and Durant are working with Nets general manager Sean Marks to find a 
new home for the former MVP. Durant made his trade request directly to Nets owner Joe Tsai today, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Multiple reports last week suggested that Durant was mulling his long-term future in Brooklyn, despite being under contract for the next four years on a maximum-salary contract. At the time, those rumors were believed to be tied to Kyrie Irving‘s efforts to secure a long-term deal with the Nets — once Irving decided to opt in, there was a sense that things may quiet down in Brooklyn for the time being.
Clearly, that’s not the case.
Word of Durant’s newfound availability breaks with the start of 2022 free agency just hours away, potentially upending many teams’ offseason plans. The Suns, for instance are shifting their focus to Durant, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Gambadoro tweets that Phoenix doesn’t want to gut its roster to get Durant, but he’s the club’s new top priority.
The 33-year-old will be one of the most valuable trade assets to ever hit the market, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who notes that Brooklyn will be seeking a “historic return.” No one on the roster is expected to be off-limits as the Nets engage in trade talks, Wojnarowski adds.
Durant has the Suns listed as one of his preferred destinations, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Heat have also been mentioned as a preferred landing spot for the 12-time All-Star, tweets Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
However, while Wojnarowski confirms that Phoenix and Miami are on Durant’s wish list, he says the Nets plan to get the best deal they possibly can (Twitter link). Since he’s under contract for four more seasons, Durant will have limited leverage to pick and choose his destination.
While the 2021/22 season was a disappointing one in Brooklyn from a team perspective, Durant was as good as ever. He appeared in just 55 games due to a knee injury, but averaged 29.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 6.4 APG on .518/.383/.910 shooting in 37.2 minutes per contest. He’ll earn approximately $44.1MM in 2022/23 and about $197.7MM in total through ’25/26, with no option on the final year.
According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Irving and Durant had no contact with the Nets after Kyrie picked up his option earlier this week, creating a “sense of inevitability” that a Durant trade request might be coming. There has been no indication yet that Irving has made a similar request, but it’s safe to assume Brooklyn will consider its options with the star guard if Durant is on the move — especially if the team shifts to rebuilding mode.
As the Nets begin exploring potential trade packages for Durant, it’s worth noting that they’re ineligible to trade for a second player who is on a five-year rookie scale extension via the “designated rookie” rule, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).
Teams are permitted to carry two “designated rookies” but only one can have been acquired via trade, and the Nets already have Ben Simmons. That rules out Brooklyn acquiring a player like, for instance, Bam Adebayo unless Simmons is dealt. And Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that the Nets are expected to hang onto Simmons.
The Nets would still be eligible to acquire a player like Deandre Ayton on a maximum-salary contract since he’s no longer eligible to receive a designated rookie extension. However, Ayton would have to be acquired via sign-and-trade, which would hard-cap the Nets for the 2022/23 league year, so the team would have to shed significant salary to make that a realistic option.
Brett Brown Returns To Spurs As Assistant
Brett Brown has returned to the Spurs as an assistant coach, the team announced in a press release.
Brown was on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio for 11 seasons from 2002-13, first as the club’s director of player development, then as an assistant coach.
“I’m thrilled to be able to hire such a good coach, human being and dinner partner,” Popovich said.
Brown left San Antonio to become the head coach with the Sixers. He patrolled Philadelphia’s sidelines through the 2019/20 season.
Brown joins Mitch Johnson and Matt Nielsen on Popovich’s staff. Given that Popovich is 73, it’s fair to wonder if Brown will emerge as a candidate to eventually replace Popovich when he retires.
Free Agent Rumors: Brunson, Oladipo, Ingles, Rockets
Jalen Brunson appears ready to leave the Mavericks and sign with the Knicks for a reported $110MM over four years, but money may not be the only factor, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Sources tell Cato that Brunson might not be willing to re-sign with the Mavs even if they agree to match New York’s offer, which has led to pessimism in Dallas about keeping the 25-year-old guard.
Cato adds that as of Tuesday, there’s no indication that the Mavericks are considering making a larger offer to Brunson.
In the same story, Cato examines Dallas’ system for evaluating how much players are worth and explains why the team decided not to offer Brunson a four-year, $55MM extension last summer.
There’s more on the free agent market:
- The Kings are expected to be one of the teams reaching out to Victor Oladipo, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Injuries limited Oladipo to eight games during the regular season, but he was part of the rotation during the Heat’s playoff run. Oladipo is looking for a starting position and a salary in the $10MM range, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
- The Grizzlies are interested in Joe Ingles, Begley adds in the same piece. Ingles is rehabbing after his season was ended by a torn ACL in late January.
- Rumors have linked the Rockets to several centers in free agency, but Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle isn’t convinced that it’s a position of need. Second-year center Alperen Sengun is projected to be the starter and the team plans to use a small-ball approach, with no traditional center, for eight to 10 minutes per game. Feigen notes that the Rockets want to be careful with their cap space beyond this season and suggests they may not make a large offer to a free agent this year.