Stephen Curry: ‘No Hard Feelings’ Regarding Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry has “no hard feelings, no resentment” toward Kevin Durant for not wanting to return to the Warriors, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
As Curry, Durant and LeBron James get ready to reunite at All-Star Weekend for the first time since the Summer Olympics, Youngmisuk examines the failed trade attempts that would have teamed up Curry and James last season and Curry and Durant a week ago. The latest deal was scuttled when Durant told Curry that it “didn’t feel right” and “wasn’t the time” for him to return to the Bay Area.
“You need everybody to be all bought in no matter what the history you have,” Curry said. “And I respect KD. It’s all about having peace of mind and happiness. Neither one of us controlled that [trade] situation. It’s just you want to make sure somebody wants to be somewhere. Other than that, I’m not trying to convince anybody to be somewhere they don’t want to be.”
Durant was reportedly blindsided by the proposed three-team deal, which also involved Jimmy Butler going from Miami to Phoenix. Durant hadn’t considered leaving the Suns, although his future appears less certain this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract.
Durant enjoyed the greatest success of his long career during his three seasons with Golden State, making three straight trips to the NBA Finals and earning Finals MVP honors as the Warriors won titles in 2017 and 2018.
However, there was a downside, as Durant was frequently criticized for leaving Oklahoma City in free agency in 2016 to sign with a Warriors team that was coming off a 73-win season. Durant also had a highly publicized on-court dispute with Draymond Green, and there were reports that he wasn’t fully happy sharing the spotlight with Curry. After suffering an Achilles tear during the 2019 Finals, Durant left Golden State to sign with Brooklyn.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he completely understands any reluctance Durant has to come back.
“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” said Kerr, who also coached Durant in the Olympics. “He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”
Curry adds that he doesn’t expect things to be awkward “at all” with Durant when they get together this weekend. Instead of focusing on the decision to nix the trade, Curry wants to savor the time he gets to spend with Durant and James, recognizing that there won’t be many more opportunities as they all near the end of their careers.
Youngmisuk notes that things have turned out fine for the Warriors, who were able to acquire Butler directly from Miami when the Durant deal fell through. Golden State is 3-1 since Butler arrived, and Curry is confident that his team can handle anyone in a seven-game series.
“I think it all worked out as it probably was supposed to,” Kerr said. “For Jimmy, it’s a fresh start. For us, it’s a different vibe, different look. Kevin didn’t feel [a reunion], so it wouldn’t have been healthy for him to come here or for us if he didn’t want to be here. Obviously, we would’ve been thrilled with either one of them. But I think it all worked out as it was supposed to.”
Knicks Notes: Towns, All-Star Break, Achiuwa, Robinson
The pressure of playing in New York hasn’t affected Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s in the midst of the best season of his career, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Headed to his fifth All-Star Game this weekend, Towns is likely to be an All-NBA selection for the third time and should get some MVP consideration, Edwards adds.
Towns has changed the trajectory of the Knicks’ offense after being acquired from Minnesota in October to play for his home-town team. He’s averaging 24.7 points and a career-high 13.4 rebounds through 49 games while shooting a career-best 43.8% from three-point range and posting the second-best true shooting percentage of his career.
More importantly, Edwards notes that Towns is experiencing the team success he rarely found with the Timberwolves before last year’s run to the Western Conference Finals. New York heads into the break third in the East at 36-18 and could be a legitimate title contender if the core of the team stays healthy for the playoffs.
“I tried my best in my career to be appreciative of these moments,” Towns said about his latest All-Star selection. “This is something I’ve learned as my career has gone on, a decade in. I make it a point to appreciate these moments as they come, because you never know what life has. When I was younger, I felt like I was very invincible, that nothing would happen. Then injuries came along in my career, which I had never dealt with my entire life. It humbled me, slowed me down and allowed me to appreciate these moments, because you never know what life has in store.”
There’s more from New York:
- The Knicks are off to their best start in nearly 30 years, but the players understand there’s a lot of work left to be done, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. The team is tied for the fourth-best record in the NBA, but it hasn’t been successful in matchups with elite opponents, going 0-5 against Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston. “I think offensively, we’re doing great. Defensively, we got things to work on,” Towns said. “Consistency, discipline, but I think these are all things that I think, as y’all in the media could see, that’s from Game 1 to now, it’s we’re a much better version of ourselves. I’ve always talked about with y’all since Day 1, about what the one percent — finding ourselves getting one percent better every night. And I think this team has grown.”
- Precious Achiuwa is taking advantage of the increased playing time he has been getting while OG Anunoby is injured, Botte adds in a separate story. Achiuwa scored 26 points, his highest total with the Knicks and one short of his career best, in Wednesday’s overtime win over Atlanta. “I’m just playing my game and trusting my game. I’m in a good rhythm right now,” said Achiuwa, who was making his fifth straight start at power forward. “It’s just being ready for whatever is asked of me and being able to perform at whatever levels are needed for us to win games. However much I can be out there, I just want to win basketball games.”
- Steve Popper of Newsday examines five important Knicks questions for the remainder of the season, including how much Mitchell Robinson can be expected to contribute whenever he returns from offseason surgery.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Ellis
Draymond Green called new teammate Jimmy Butler a “franchise changer” after the Warriors withstood a late Rockets rally in Thursday’s win at Houston, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Golden State, which led by as many as 24 points, was only ahead by four when Butler returned to the game with 4:42 remaining. He helped lead a 9-2 run that gave the Warriors a much-needed win heading into the All-Star break.
“He’s a franchise changer,” Green said. “He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”
Butler was the team’s major addition at last week’s trade deadline after a long search to find another scorer to take some of the burden off Stephen Curry. He contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists on Thursday, as Golden State is now 3-1 in the four games he has played and looks ready to move up the standings after the break ends.
“Jimmy, he’s a real deal,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, just a complete basketball player, methodical, under control all the time, plays at his own pace, never turns it over, sees the game and then can get to the line frequently. Great closer, not in the traditional sense where he’s going to be Kevin Durant and make four straight mid-range jumpers, but it’s more of a complete game. Get to the line, make the right pass, get somebody else an open look, get a defensive stop, get a rebound. He’s a fantastic player.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Ben Simmons had an impressive debut with the Clippers in Thursday’s win at Utah, delivering 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the former All-Star for fitting in quickly in his first game with his new team, relays Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I thought he did a great job, just reading the game, his IQ, making the right play, aggressive to the basket,” Lue said.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta, made his Clippers debut on Wednesday, per Anthony DeLeon of The Orange County Register. The veteran shooter described the experience as “a new journey” and said he’s excited to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
- Keon Ellis has played an important role in the Kings‘ recent surge, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The third-year guard scored 27 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.
Mavs’ Gafford Expected To Miss Six Weeks With MCL Sprain
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Gafford sustained the injury on Monday and the Mavericks announced on Tuesday that he would be out for at least two weeks, at which point he’d be reevaluated. Tonight’s reporting from Charania and MacMahon suggests the prognosis is worse than that initial update suggested.
It’s a disaster for the Mavericks, who had already expected to be without Dereck Lively until at least late March or April due to a stress fracture in his right ankle. And while the team has yet to issue a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ adductor strain, the belief is that the injury will keep Davis on the shelf until sometime in March.
That means Dallas will be without its top three big men until well beyond the All-Star break. Reserve center Dwight Powell also hasn’t played in a game since January 17 due to a hip strain, further depleting the club’s depth up front.
The Mavs do have an open 15-man roster spot, but they’re only operating about $171K below their first-apron hard cap, limiting their ability to actually fill that spot.
Essentially, Dallas can only fit 14 days of a prorated veteran’s minimum deal under that hard cap, so the team will have to wait until at least March 31 to finalize a rest-of-season contract. The other option would be to make a 10-day signing sooner rather than later, then (once that deal expires) leave the 15th spot open until the final few days of the season.
The good news for the Mavs is that they’ve actually won their last two games since Gafford went down, defeating Golden State on Wednesday and Miami on Thursday. That victory over the Heat came with Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Klay Thompson (left foot sprain), and P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) also unavailable due to injuries, so the team will head into the All-Star break on a positive note.
Kessler Edwards, a 6’7″ forward, has started at center in each of the past two games. He had 15 points and nine rebounds and was a team-best +10 in 40 minutes of action on Thursday.
Lakers’ Knecht On Rescinded Trade: ‘It Felt Like A Movie’
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s loss to Utah for the first time since he was traded from the Lakers to the Hornets and then sent back to the Lakers when they decided to void the deal, Dalton Knecht said it was a “crazy” few days, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“It felt like a movie,” the rookie forward said.
According to Knecht, he was called into Rob Pelinka‘s office last Wednesday, a day before the trade deadline, and was informed by the Lakers’ general manager that he was being sent to Charlotte along with Cam Reddish and draft assets in exchange for Mark Williams.
“It was hard,” Knecht said. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot.”
Knecht initially flew from Los Angeles to Charlotte last Thursday and reported to his new team before flying to Detroit on Saturday ahead of the Hornets’ game vs. the Pistons on Sunday. While he was in Detroit, he heard from Pelinka again and learned that the deal had fallen through due to concerns about Williams’ physical. Knecht flew back to L.A. on Sunday and met up with Pelinka and head coach J.J. Redick on Monday.
“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,'” the 23-year-old said. “I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going. … I just want to go hoop. I told that to J.J. and Rob. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s just go play basketball.'”
Knecht made the transition back to his former team smoothly enough, returning to the rotation on Wednesday and scoring 10 points while going 3-of-7 on three-pointers.
Williams, meanwhile, wasn’t active for Charlotte’s games on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday, having been listed on the injury report as “not with team.” Reddish was inactive on Monday and Wednesday for the Lakers for “personal reasons” following the birth of his child (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times).
The Hornets have reportedly been in touch with the NBA to inquire about disputing the Lakers’ assessment of Williams’ health. The league’s rules give teams autonomy to make their own decisions on physicals, so the idea of reversing the trade again figures to be a non-starter, but Knecht told reporters on Wednesday he has “no clue” how Charlotte’s challenge could play out.
“I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing,” he said, per McMenamin. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to compete hard wherever I go, and hopefully it’s L.A. Whatever happens, I’m just going to go out there and compete.”
Blazers Notes: First Half, Billups, Cissoko, Clingan
After winning just 21 games in 2023/24, the Trail Blazers have surpassed that total by the All-Star break this season. Their 23-33 record doesn’t put them in the mix for a playoff spot, but they’ve won 10 of 14 games since going 13-28 in the first half and are pleased with where they’re at heading into the break, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link).
“I’m very happy with where we are right now,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “I’m happy with where we are as a group. Our young guys continue to take steps.”
“Happier than last year, for sure,” forward Toumani Camara added.
The Trail Blazers went 10-1 from January 19 to February 6 and have since lost three consecutive games as injuries sidelined multiple starters. Even in those losses, Billups likes the effort he has seen from his team.
“I’m so proud of these dudes,” Billups said after 132-121 defeat at the hands of the Nuggets on Wednesday. “This is a game that, in December or November, could be a 40-point loss. But our dudes fought their butts off. I was so happy for them.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Has Portland’s strong play over the past month – and positive player development over the course of the season – put Billups in position to earn a new contract with the team? Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian considers that question, noting that Billups is in the final guaranteed year of his current deal, with a team option for 2025/26. The Blazers’ coach said he wants to see the rebuild through and believes he’s made a strong case to stick around. “Me personally, I definitely think that I’ve done enough,” Billups said. “But I’m also not about to petition for that. I’m not gonna do that. I feel like I’ve done enough. I feel like I’ve developed a ton myself, which needed to happen.”
- As Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (Substack link), the Blazers long had interest in Sidy Cissoko before signing him to a two-year, two-way contract last week. The team brought Cissoko in for a pre-draft workout in 2023 and assistant GM Mike Schmitz projected him the French wing a first-round pick during his previous job as a draft analyst for ESPN. “They were interested in me since I got to the league,” Cissoko said, adding that he’s excited to reunite with former G League Ignite teammate Scoot Henderson. “The Spurs drafted me, but we still had a good relationship. The day I was waived, my agent talked to them and they said they wanted me.”
- On Wednesday, having returned to the starting lineup following Deandre Ayton‘s calf injury, first-year center Donovan Clingan became the first Blazers rookie since Sam Bowie in 1985 to grab 20 rebounds in a single game, Fentress writes. Ten of those 20 rebounds came on the offensive end. “I loved these couple games (in Denver) for DC,” Billups said. “I thought it was excellent. He’s gotten himself back to where he was when he was playing at a pretty high level early before he got injured.”
Sixers Promote Jared Butler To Standard Roster
7:54 pm: The Sixers have officially signed Butler to a standard contract, the team announced in a press release.
To make room on the roster, Okeke has been released early from his 10-day contract. He’ll become a free agent immediately, without passing through waivers.
5:16 pm: The Sixers are converting Jared Butler‘s two-way contract to a standard deal and will promote him to their 15-man roster, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Butler is receiving a two-year contract. It will be worth the minimum, since that’s all Philadelphia can offer at this point.
Butler, a 6’3″ guard in his fourth NBA season, was traded from the Wizards by the Sixers, along with four second-round picks, at last week’s deadline in a deal that sent Reggie Jackson and a first-rounder to Washington. This will be the first instance in league history of a team trading for a player on a two-way deal and then promoting him to a standard contract.
A former Baylor standout, Butler averaged 6.9 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game across 32 outings off the bench with the Wizards, posting a shooting line of .483/.366/.778.
The 24-year-old has been part of the rotation in his first three games as a Sixer, earning a start on Wednesday in Brooklyn. He has averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 17.1 MPG so far for his new team.
The 76ers currently have a full 15-man roster, but two of those 15 players are on 10-day contracts. Chuma Okeke‘s deal runs through Sunday, while David Roddy‘s runs through next Thursday. Since Okeke’s contract will expire before the club’s next game, it seems likely Butler will be taking his spot on the roster.
Another Sixers two-way player, Justin Edwards, was promoted to the standard roster last week on a two-year, minimum-salary contract of his own — that deal included a second-year team option, which the club could decline this summer in order to re-sign Edwards to a longer-term contract as a restricted free agent.
It’s possible Butler’s new deal will also include a team option for 2025/26, though that’s just my speculation, since we don’t know the full details yet.
No Front Office Changes Planned For Bulls
The Bulls have no plans to replace executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as their lead front office executive, a team source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who says general manager Marc Eversley and head coach Billy Donovan are likely just as safe as Karnisovas.
According to Cowley, there has been a “reoccurring edict” from team ownership to the front office to fix a roster that has finished in the middle of the pack for several years running. However, the Reinsdorfs (chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and president Michael Reinsdorf) still believe that Karnisovas is the right man for that job.
As for Donovan, he’s well-liked by both the front office and Bulls ownership, Cowley writes, noting that the organization’s top decision-makers have been impressed by the way the veteran coach transformed the club’s offense this season — Chicago ranks third in the NBA in pace in 2024/25 after placing 28th last season. Bulls management has also taken note of the strong relationships Donovan has developed in the locker room, Cowley adds.
Karnisovas, who was hired by the Bulls in 2020, made an in-season trade this month for the first time since an eventful 2021 deadline that saw Chicago land Nikola Vucevic. After spending more than a year on the trade block, Zach LaVine was sent from Chicago to Sacramento last week in a deal that saw Chicago reacquire control of its 2025 first-round pick.
Of course, as Cowley observes, there’s a case to be made that the LaVine trade was more about undoing previous moves, including LaVine’s maximum-salary contract and the 2022 acquisition of DeMar DeRozan in which the Bulls gave up that ’25 first-rounder. The Bulls also ended up hanging onto the rest of their trade candidates, including Vucevic, at last Thursday’s deadline.
Still, now that they’ve regained control of their 2025 first-rounder, the Bulls are well positioned to add another young player this June to a core that includes rookie forward Matas Buzelis. While Karnisovas told reporters last week that he’d like to see his team make a playoff push, Cowley says the front office wants to maximize its draft odds but can’t say so publicly.
If moving up the lottery order is the Bulls’ goal, they’ve been going in the “right” direction as of late, having lost their last four games by an average of 24.5 points per contest. Chicago’s 22-33 record is the eighth-worst mark in the league and the team is currently just 1.5 games ahead of the 20-34 Sixers and Nets.
Cavs’ Thompson Responds After Raptors Criticize ‘Disrespectful’ Late-Game Dunk
An otherwise straightforward Cavaliers blowout of the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday in the teams’ final game before the All-Star break got a little heated in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
With the Cavaliers up by 21 points and holding the ball with the shot clock off, veteran center Tristan Thompson drove to the basket and threw down a two-handed dunk with just 4.1 seconds left in the game to extend the lead to 23 (Twitter video link). As the Raptors inbounded the ball and ran out the clock, the home fans booed Thompson, who was confronted after the final buzzer by Toronto forward Scottie Barnes and guard Jamal Shead.
Following some brief shoving, players and coaches from both teams converged to separate Thompson and the Raptors as the two sides exchanged words. Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic criticized the Cavs big man after the game for what he viewed as an unnecessary exclamation point on Cleveland’s victory.
“I think what Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful,” Rajakovic said (Twitter video link via The Toronto Star). “I’m not going to stand for that, for sure. I’m really glad that our guys, our players – Jamal, Scottie, and everybody else – that they stood up for themselves. I love when my team stands up for themselves. That was no class act.”
While Barnes didn’t speak to the media after the game, Shead agreed with his coach, telling reporters that the play was “a little bit disrespectful to the game of basketball, not just us,” per ESPN.
Raptors forward RJ Barrett noted that it’s “kind of an unwritten rule” not to try to run up the score in that situation, and even Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t exactly come rushing to the defense of his player.
“I’m not sure what he was thinking,” Atkinson said, according to ESPN. “Sometimes, though, you’re playing the game, and you just have a reaction. I know with Tristan, there’s no bad intention there. I think just sometimes you’re playing, and the goal of the game is to score. Unfortunate.”
For his part, Thompson – a Toronto native who has played almost exclusively in garbage time for the 44-10 Cavs this season – took to Twitter on Thursday to respond to Rajakovic’s comments and explain his actions.
“You wanna full court press with under a minute left in the game when you get cracked by 30 this will happen to you,” Thompson wrote. “Lose for draft lottery and be happy buddy boy. Hopefully you and most of your guys see the light at the end of (GM) Bobby (Webster) and (president) Masai (Ujiri‘s) long term plan. Bless up stay warm in MY CITY.”
While it’s possible the brief post-game confrontation will result in a fine or two, it didn’t rise to the level to warrant a suspension for any of the players involved.
Injury Notes: George, Hayes, Lewis, Capela, Brogdon
Paul George‘s first season in Philadelphia certainly has not gone the way either party envisioned when the nine-time All-Star signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Sixers last summer.
The 34-year-old forward has missed 19 of the team’s 54 games to this point due to knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries, and he hasn’t been effective lately when active, recording just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 37 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn. After dropping five straight, the 76ers are now tied with the Nets for the sixth-worst record in the NBA.
Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that George, who has been playing through tendon damage in his left pinky finger, has been receiving injections just to suit up over the past week.
“He’s been doing what he can to be on the court and to try to be available,” Charania said. “I’m told that it’s to the point where he gotten injections to play and compete over the last four or five games. That’s something that players do come playoff time, not necessarily in the regular season.
“ … We can tell that he’s not 100 percent. … Clearly, there’s something that’s been amiss with him, with his body, and we’re seeing that play out. The Sixers, there’s going to be a point in time here where … they’re going to have to have some hard conversations about availability and potentially maybe even shutting a guy or two down in the second half of the season.”
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Already thin on frontcourt depth, the Lakers lost starting center Jaxson Hayes to a facial contusion in Wednesday’s loss to Utah, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he’ll have to miss time as a result of the injury or if he’ll be able to recover during the All-Star break.
- Six weeks after fracturing his left tibia in his Nets debut, second-year wing Maxwell Lewis was able to return to action on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 2023 second-round pick only played 27 seconds to wrap up the victory, but he was grateful to be back on an NBA court so soon after a scary-looking injury. “I’m just blessed and glad it’s over,” Lewis said. “Now, I get to at least start what I was starting when it first happened on Jan. 1, just getting back to playing and my routine. It’s great. I’m blessed to be back.”
- The Hawks lost a couple of rotation players to multi-week injuries on Wednesday, but they’re expected to have Clint Capela back after the All-Star break, according to Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The veteran center has missed Atlanta’s last nine games due to a back injury.
- Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s overtime loss to Indiana due to a left leg injury, per ESPN.com. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner was unable to put weight on his injured leg, which is never a great sign.