Grizzlies Among Teams Inquiring On Kevin Durant
The Grizzlies are showing interest in Kevin Durant and have made “new inquiries” on the Nets‘ star forward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As Charania writes within his round-up of the latest Durant-related rumors from around the NBA, the Grizzlies could include up to five first-round picks in a package for the two-time Finals MVP (their own 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 selections, plus Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 pick). The team also has a bevy of young talent on its roster beyond star guard Ja Morant, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy.
However, according to Charania, Memphis hasn’t appeared inclined to offer Jackson or Bane (or, of course, Morant) in a deal for Durant, preferring to build an offer around their draft picks. Given that the Nets are reportedly seeking a win-now return for Durant, that sort of offer is unlikely to pique their interest, even if the picks are unprotected — those first-rounders may have to be rerouted to a third team that could send Brooklyn the kind of impact players the team is seeking.
While the Grizzlies are an intriguing new suitor for Durant, there are still a number of other teams in the mix. The Celtics, Raptors, and Heat remain among the most significant threats to land the 33-year-old, Charania says, though Toronto has continued to resist including Scottie Barnes and Miami has “yet to seriously engage” in any discussions involving Bam Adebayo. Boston, meanwhile, has been unwilling to include Marcus Smart or Robert Williams in addition to Jaylen Brown, Charania says.
The Suns also remain involved, offering up Mikal Bridges and a series of draft picks, according to Charania, but they appear to be behind those Eastern teams among Durant’s most serious suitors.
Charania identifies the Sixers, Bucks, Nuggets, and Pelicans as some of the other teams that have expressed interest in Durant, though he confirms that New Orleans deemed Brandon Ingram untouchable.
According to Charania, the Hawks also made an offer for Durant, putting John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and a draft pick on the table. The details of that pick are unclear, but Atlanta could trade its own 2023 and 2029 first-rounders or Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick.
Although Charania doesn’t specify exactly how the Nets felt about the Hawks’ offer, he says none of Brooklyn’s discussions have gained any serious traction. There are still five weeks before training camps get underway, which could be a fraught week for the Nets, assuming Durant remains on the roster — it’s unclear whether or not he’ll show up to camp if his trade request hasn’t been granted.
LeBron James, Udonis Haslem Set To Join NBA’s 20-Season Club
The list of NBA veterans who have played 20 or more seasons in the league will grow by at least two this year, as Lakers star LeBron James and Heat big man Udonis Haslem are set to become the ninth and 10th players to spend at least two decades on NBA rosters.
The players already in the NBA’s 20-season club are as follows:
- Vince Carter (22 seasons)
- Kevin Garnett (21)
- Dirk Nowitzki (21)
- Robert Parish (21)
- Kevin Willis (21)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20)
- Kobe Bryant (20)
- Jamal Crawford (20)
While James and the majority of the other players on the above list spent time with multiple teams over the course of their lengthy NBA careers, Haslem is on track to join an even more exclusive club, having only played for the Heat during his 20 years in the league.
Nowitzki (21 seasons with the Mavericks) and Bryant (20 with the Lakers) are the only two other players to spend at least two decades with a single team. Prior to deciding on Sunday to return for one final season in Miami, Haslem had been tied on that list with Tim Duncan, who spent 19 years with the Spurs, and John Stockton, who spent 19 with the Jazz.
Haslem will also become the first member of the 20-season club who began his NBA career as an undrafted player. In fact, James and the other eight players with 20 seasons under their belts were all lottery picks. Bryant, the No. 13 selection in 1996, was the lowest draft pick of any of those nine players, making Haslem’s accomplishment all the more remarkable.
Although Haslem defied the odds to spend 20 years with a single team after going undrafted, he confirmed on Sunday that he intends to retire after the 2022/23 season, so he won’t move any higher on the list of the NBA’s seasons played leaders. James, on the other hand, has a good chance to match or surpass Carter’s record of 22 years in the league — LeBron is already under contract through 2024/25, which would be his 22nd NBA season.
Finally, it’s worth noting that a third player is in position to join James and Haslem and become the 11th player in the 20-season club in 2022/23. Carmelo Anthony, who also entered the NBA in 2003 and has played for 19 years, remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent, but seems likely to catch on with an NBA team either before opening night or at some point during the season.
And-Ones: Bowman, DeLaurier, CBA Changes
Free agent guard Ky Bowman has signed a contract with Happy Casa Brindisi in Italy, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Bowman will play overseas for the first time in his professional career. He most recently played with the Spurs’ G League affiliate and Las Vegas Summer League team.
In addition to holding G League experience, Bowman played 45 games with the Warriors during the 2019/20 campaign. He averaged 7.4 points and 2.9 assists in 22.6 minutes per contest, shooting 42% from the floor and 31% from deep. He turned 25 years old in June.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent Javin DeLaurier has signed with ASK Karditsas B.C. in Greece, the club announced (Instagram link). DeLaurier, 6’10”, signed a 10-day contract with the Bucks last season. With Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, he averaged 6.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game.
- ESPN analysts Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Tim Bontemps (Insider only) examine potential CBA changes, including whether it can prevent issues like what the Nets have faced with Kevin Durant. Durant, of course, requested a trade from Brooklyn this offseason with four years left on his contract. Former Sixers star Ben Simmons did the same thing a year ago, which led to a lengthy standoff before he was traded in February. The NBA and NBPA have until December 15 to choose whether to opt out of the current CBA, which would expire on June 30 if at least one side decides to do so.
Eastern Notes: Tatum, Herro, Oubre, Thibodeau, Brunson
Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum played with a small non-displaced fracture in his left wrist this past season, he revealed in an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. Tatum suffered the injury on February 13 against the Hawks.
In May, Tatum revealed he was dealing with wrist pain after being fouled by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he wouldn’t go into more detail. He received a cortisone shot for the pain and continued playing.
Tatum sounded optimistic that the wrist won’t be an issue going forward, as he’s no longer dealing with pain. The 24-year-old led Boston to its first NBA Finals berth since 2010 this season, averaging 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the playoffs.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Heat guard Tyler Herro unsurprisingly wants the team to run it back with the same group this season, as relayed by Betr (Twitter link). This would require that the team doesn’t acquire Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell, both of whom would likely require Herro to be traded. Miami suffered a significant blow when P.J. Tucker signed with the Sixers in free agency, but otherwise looks very similar to last season’s team.
- Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. should be monitored as a potential trade piece this season, an NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Oubre, 26, averaged 15.0 points on 44% shooting last season. If the Hornets look to improve their center position, it’s possible he could be included in a deal.
- Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is “ecstatic” about the arrival of Jalen Brunson this season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Thibodeau believes he can turn Brunson from a B-minus player to a B-plus one, a source tells Berman, which would largely start on the defensive end. Brunson signed a four-year, $104MM deal to join the Knicks this offseason.
Keegan Murray On Track In Wrist Surgery Recovery
Kings rookie Keegan Murray is showing progress and is on track in his recovery from wrist surgery, James Ham of The Kings Beat reported (via Twitter). As Ham notes, Murray is now shooting with both hands.
The 22-year-old underwent a minor procedure on his right wrist last month. He had the surgery after a successful Las Vegas Summer League stint, where he averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on 50% shooting.
Murray was drafted No. 4 overall by Sacramento in June. His recovery seems to be progressing at a good pace, as training camps open in the NBA next month. As we previously relayed, Sacramento expects Murray to be ready before training camp begins. The operation “cleaned out some loose bodies” in his wrist, causing him to only train with his left hand in the weeks that followed.
Murray will likely start or see significant minutes off the bench for a Kings team that finished just 30-52 last season.
Eastern Notes: Barnes, Flynn, Heat, Schedule, Haslem
Young Raptors players Scottie Barnes, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Malachi Flynn, were able to really strut their stuff at a Toronto pro-am game on Saturday, writes Gilbert Ngabo of The Toronto Star. Flynn scored 54 points and Barnes poured in 34 of his own at Mattamy Athletic Centre, during the first pro-am contest in almost three years due to COVID-19-related delays. The Raptors players’ team would ultimately win the contest, 143-131.
Nbago adds that the pair showcased plenty of chemistry and highlight-reel-worthy output. Barnes, a 6’9″ forward out of Florida State, made several athletic dunks and connected on flashy no-look dishes. Though Flynn started off the game slowly, he eventually showed off an excellent shooting stroke as the contest got cooking.
There’s more out of the East:
- While the Heat’s starting lineup remains a bit in flux, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is fairly confident about who will close games for Miami. In addition to starters Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, Winderman considers guards Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo likely to round out the team’s closing five.
- Winderman also goes on to unpack how he anticipates the Heat will allocate minutes. He expects Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, and Herro to be guaranteed to receive major run this season, with Oladipo, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin also likely to receive significant rotation roles. He thinks either Dewayne Dedmon or Omer Yurtseven will crack the rotation as a reserve big man option, and believes the shooting of Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, or Haywood Highsmith on any given night could dictate which of those three wings sees the floor.
- The NBA is aiming to curb road travel in the hopes of limiting load management for star players. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that, as a consequence, 12 of the Heat‘s 41 home games at FTX Arena will feature pairs of back-to-back contests against the same team, including playoff-level clubs like the Bucks, Raptors, Hawks, Cavaliers and Hornets. Winderman writes that this approach could impede just how much Miami fans will get to see rival teams’ star players, noting that an injury or illness could ultimately mean local fans will miss out on seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo or Trae Young during the regular season. Winderman adds that, in general, the NBA has lowered its travel mileage tally to 41,000 miles per club, 2,000 miles less than the 2021/22 season’s former record low of 43,000.
- Longtime Heat power forward Udonis Haslem announced earlier today that he will re-sign with Miami for his 20th, and last, NBA season. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes that the three-time champ hopes to join the team’s ownership group, led by Mickey Arison, after he retires. Chiang notes that the Heat are just $200K beneath the league’s luxury tax, and expects the team to field a 14-man standard roster, leaving one roster spot available. By avoiding the luxury tax for the third straight season, the Heat would be working towards avoiding the repeater tax, which penalizes clubs that exceed the luxury tax thrice during a four-season window.
Andre Drummond Finds “Fun” In Changing Teams
Andre Drummond may have entered a journeyman phase of his NBA career, but he’s trying to enjoy the experience, writes Mike Anthony of The New Haven Register.
Drummond signed a two-year contract with the Bulls this summer that includes a $3.36MM player option for the 2023/24 season. The 29-year-old center played for the Sixers and Nets last season, and Chicago will be his fifth team since 2020 after spending his first seven-and-a-half years with the Pistons.
“It’s like a field trip,” Drummond said Saturday during a visit to Connecticut for a youth basketball program. “I’ve moved around a lot. But I just control what I can control. For me, it’s kind of fun. You’ve got to look at it as a fun journey. Being in one place eight straight years, I loved Detroit. Detroit gave me the career I have today. To see different cities and be with different organizations, I’ve taken it as a fun time, experiencing different cultures.”
Drummond is coming off a disjointed season in which he had to adjust to a different role halfway through. He was comfortable as a backup to Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, but he was sent to Brooklyn in February as part of the James Harden deal. He became the Nets’ starting center and posted 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 24 games despite playing just 22.3 minutes per night.
Drummond hopes to have several more years in the NBA and wants to keep playing as long as he can. The two-time All-Star has led the league in rebounding four times, and he told Anthony that he would like to be remembered as the best rebounder in the history of the league.
“I think I’m already there,” he said. “I’m on my way. By the time I retire, I’ll go down as the best rebounder ever — if not already.”
International Notes: Schröder, Theis, Giannis, Satoransky
Free agent guard Dennis Schröder won’t accompany his German teammates to Sweden for Thursday’s opening game of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, according to Eurohoops. Schröder is recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the Hamburg Super Cup tournament and will remain in Germany for treatment. There’s a chance he may recover in time for next Sunday’s home contest against Slovenia.
Schröder remains unsigned after splitting last season with the Celtics and Rockets. Although he received positive reviews in Houston after being acquired at the trade deadline, the team is emphasizing youth and doesn’t appear interested in bringing back Schröder.
Germany is already without Pacers center Daniel Theis, who will miss the World Cup Qualifiers and possibly next month’s EuroBasket tournament due to an undisclosed injury. He is training individually and being monitored by the German national team’s medical staff, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.
The Germans are also missing Maxi Kleber, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga due to injuries.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Greece’s final exhibition game with back soreness, but he’s expected to be ready for Thursday’s World Cup Qualifier against Serbia, Askounis writes in a separate story. Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI that showed no damage to his back.
- NBA players Dario Saric, Ivica Zubac and Bojan Bogdanovic are all on the final roster for Croatia, Eurohoops reports. Mario Hezonja is also part of the Croatian team, which missed out on the World Cup Qualifiers but will participate in EuroBasket. Saric sat out all of last season with a torn right ACL.
- Czech Republic guard Tomas Satoransky appears to have avoided a major injury to his right ankle, Eurohoops adds in another piece. Satoransky was hurt in Saturday’s game against Germany, and while there has been no official announcement on his condition, Czech reporter Jakub Kanta offered encouraging news. “The X-ray has already ruled out a fracture,” he tweeted, “but the extent of the injury will only be determined by an MRI in the Czech Republic after the swelling subsides.” Satoransky recently signed with FC Barcelona after spending six seasons in the NBA.
Chet Holmgren Believed To Be OK After Rolling Ankle In Pro-Am Game
Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren had to leave Saturday’s Seattle pro-am game after rolling his ankle, but the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, tweets Nathan Thompson of Fox 23 Sports in Oklahoma. Thompson provides a video of the play, which happened early in the game as Holmgren was defending LeBron James on a fast break.
The contest, which featured an impressive array of NBA talent, had to be called midway through the second quarter because of unsafe court conditions, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN. The combination of unusually humid weather and a crowd of nearly 3,000 people that packed the gym at Seattle Pacific University led to condensation issues that made the court too slippery to continue.
The decision to end the game was made after Bucks rookie MarJon Beauchamp slipped while attempting a layup.
“You don’t get a day like this often, but it’s my job to protect everybody’s safety,” said league founder Jamal Crawford. “On the court, I couldn’t risk those guys taking a chance of getting hurt. It’s not worth that. It’s supposed to drive inspiration and give hope and they did that. The job was accomplished.”
According to Pelton, fans began lining up Friday night in hopes of being admitted to the venue. Thousands of people were left outside once the small gym reached its capacity.
James received a thunderous ovation when the crowd first caught a glimpse of him, and tipoff was delayed as a group of fans surrounded him on the court. Crawford addressed the crowd over the PA system, asking for order to be restored amid a warning from Seattle police that the game might have to be shut down.
Once play began, Celtics star Jayson Tatum provided some early highlights, hitting three shots from three-point range and blowing kisses to the fans (video link). He also threw a lob pass to James at the end of the first quarter that resulted in a crowd-pleasing dunk.
“Obviously, everybody didn’t get in and everybody probably could never get in,” Crawford said after the game. “We tried to do the best we can. We tried to provide an experience that we’ve never had before. I thought that overall it was great because I think it’s moments and memories that the kids will never forget.”
Nets Notes: Anthony, Centers, Trade Exception, Durant
There has been speculation that the Nets might consider signing Carmelo Anthony to help fill out their roster, an unidentified league executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy. The signing could be a way to help placate Kevin Durant if Brooklyn isn’t able to trade him soon.
Anthony, 38, spent last season with the Lakers on a one-year, minimum-salary contract. He averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 69 games, but L.A. filled out its bench with younger players this offseason and there may not be room to bring Anthony back.
The Nets are also likely to sign another center, but the move may not come for a while.
“They need another big guy, but they’re not feeling a lot of pressure as far as filling that spot,” the executive said. There are veterans they can sign this month or even early next month — Dwight Howard would be the obvious one, maybe Hassan Whiteside. Cody Zeller is out there, too. They want to see what they have with Nic Claxton, but they want some insurance there, too. And they’re going to play (Ben) Simmons there quite a bit in small ball lineups.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets allowed a $6.27MM trade exception to expire Friday, indicating that they will seek lower-cost moves to complete their roster, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Roughly five weeks ahead of training camp, Brooklyn still has room for two more players on standard deals, along with three Exhibit 10 contracts and a two-way slot. Lewis points out that David Duke Jr. has already turned down a two-way offer from the team in hopes of filling one of those standard spots.
- The Nets also need to figure out the roles of their coaching staff after losing assistant Jordan Ott to the Lakers, Lewis adds in the same piece. The team will have to assign a defensive coordinator, and while Lewis sees Jacque Vaughn as the obvious candidate, he notes that Vaughn has experienced “mixed results” when asked to take on that role.
- Durant landed a “haymaker” with his demand that owner Joe Tsai fire head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, but it may not have changed his trade prospects, ESPN’s Tim Legler said on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Legler acknowledges that there’s a real chance Durant may still be with the Nets when the season begins.