Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
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.
Northwest Notes: Lillard, B. Brown, Jazz Coaches
A year ago, there were rumors that Damian Lillard was ready to ask the Trail Blazers for a trade, but he has re-established himself as a franchise cornerstone by signing a two-year extension, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. At a press conference Saturday, Lillard said he chose to ignore advice from people who said he had to go to a different team to have a shot at winning an NBA title.
“I’ve always said that if I do something that goes against who I am, and say I do end up winning, I know me better than any of y’all know me,” Lillard said. “So I’d be happy with it, because I don’t think anybody wouldn’t be happy being a champion, but it wouldn’t be as fulfilling to me as I would want that moment to be. As long as I have an opportunity to do it, a good opportunity to [compete for a title], I’m willing to go out however.”
The 31-year-old guard is coming off a difficult season as he was limited to 29 games because of a core muscle injury and Portland sank close to the bottom of the Western Conference. Despite the adversity, Lillard felt it was important to show his loyalty to the Blazers and possibly serve as an example to the rest of the league.
“I feel proud to be that guy,” he said. “Because I don’t think you earn something like this just by going out there and scoring a bunch of points. And something that’s missing in our league is the character and the fight and the passion and pride about not just the name on the back, but the name on the front and how you impact the people that you come in contact with. And I think because of how much I’ve embraced that and I haven’t pretended to embrace it, that’s really who I am, and I think this just shows the power in that. It shows that there’s something there for being committed and having your heart in the right place and having your mind in the right place.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Lillard will consider playing in the 2024 Olympics, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. He captured a gold medal with Team USA last year.
- Bruce Brown‘s decision to join the Nuggets in free agency was heavily influenced by former Nets teammate Jeff Green, who touted the advantages of playing alongside Nikola Jokic, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “I literally can’t wait,” Brown said about the chance to team up with Jokic. “He’s one of the guys I hate playing against, me being a defender because you can’t turn your head. You gotta keep your eye on the ball at all times, which is tough. He makes the perfect play every time.”
- Jazz assistant coaches Alex Jensen and Lamar Skeeter are strong candidates to remain with the team on Will Hardy‘s staff, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Heat Notes: Garrett, Mulder, Yurtseven, Jovic
Saturday’s Summer League contest marked the first game in more than six months for Heat guard Marcus Garrett, who underwent season-ending wrist surgery in January, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Garrett recently received medical clearance to start playing again and didn’t take part in any of Miami’s games in the California Classic.
Garrett earned a two-way contract last summer and appeared in 12 games before the injury. He’s an effective defender with a 6’10” wingspan, but Chiang says he’ll have to prove he can contribute enough on offense to earn another chance with the Heat.
“It was great to see him back there,” Summer League coach Malik Allen said. “When he gets between those lines, he’s a tough competitor and obviously he lifted us up. It was just great to have him back.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- After struggling with his three-point shot in California, Mychal Mulder bounced back with a 5-of-8 performance in his first game in Las Vegas. Mulder currently holds one of Miami’s two-way slots, but Chang notes that he’ll have to show he can be a reliable outside shooter to remain on the roster. “He was due,” Allen said. “But the big thing with Mike was, he really did make a lot of great plays. That’s what I just kind of kept stressing to him. I know he wanted some shots to fall, but he’s made some really great plays for us.”
- The Heat aren’t sure if Omer Yurtseven will see any Summer League action because of a quad injury he suffered with the Turkish national team, Chiang adds in a separate story. Yurtseven, who’s entering the final season of his two-year contract, flew to Las Vegas after helping Turkey win a World Cup qualifier last Sunday. “I do want to play. That’s the reason I’m here,” he said. “I’m just here to pretty much get better and I think playing is the best way to do it.”
- Miami is still experimenting with the best Summer League role for first-round pick Nikola Jovic, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Keels, Grimes, Gibson
The Knicks are expected to add Jalen Brunson via cap space rather than trying to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Mavericks, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104MM contract with New York shortly after the start of free agency on June 30. But the signing hasn’t been made official yet as the Knicks review their options on the best way to add him to the roster.
Marc Stein confirms that a signing using cap room is the most likely option (Twitter link), and a source tells him that Monday is probably the soonest it will happen.
Brunson played an important role in helping Dallas reach the Western Conference finals, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Steve Popper of Newsday there are “no hard feelings” about his departure. Cuban said he never got a chance to make a final offer, but acknowledged that it may not have mattered given Brunson’s close ties to the Knicks organization.
“I wish him nothing but the best,” Cuban said. “You bust your [butt] and you have that choice. He deserves it. It happens. It’s the way this league works. It’s a business. You trade a player, you say it’s a business. You lose a player, it’s a business. It’s just the way it goes.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Trevor Keels, who’s expected to fill a two-way slot in New York, admits having “chills” before his first Summer League game, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. After sliding to No. 42 in last month’s draft, Keels is determined to prove that he should have been taken higher. “I didn’t think I was going to [get drafted] that low. But it is what it is,” he said. “Of course, I’m going to make sure all the teams pay that passed up on me. But I’m excited I’m a Knick. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
- Quentin Grimes had eight assists along with a team-high 24 points in the Summer League opener and has been working on becoming a better play-maker, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. For the second straight year, Grimes spent part of the offseason working with University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway. “He’s kind of like a big uncle to me,” Grimes said. “Just took me under his wing and helped me play the point guard position a lot better. Because that’s what I was in high school.”
- After waiving Taj Gibson this week, the Knicks were hoping to bring him back on a veteran’s minimum contract, but he believed he had a better chance at playing time with the Wizards, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Lakers Rumors: Irving, Hield, Gordon, Turner, LeBron
The Lakers continue to focus on Kyrie Irving, but it’s unlikely that the Nets will give him up without at least one first-round pick in return, Marc Stein writes in his latest column for Substack. Irving was in L.A. this week to watch the WNBA’s Sparks, which Stein characterizes as making “his current presence in Los Angeles loudly known.”
Although Irving would clearly like to reunite with former teammate LeBron James, Stein says the Lakers aren’t making any promises behind the scenes. General manager Rob Pelinka said in a TV interview Friday that he’s still working to upgrade the roster, but league rules prevent him from speaking specifically about a possible deal for Irving.
The Lakers’ concerns about overspending could be a major obstacle to getting a trade done, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated explained on Ryen Rusillo’s podcast (hat tip to Eric Eulau of SI’s Lakers page). Although they’re among the highest-valued teams in the NBA, Mannix calls the Lakers “a mom-and-pop organization masquerading as a multi-billion dollar franchise” and says they’re reluctant to assume all the costs that would be necessary to convince Brooklyn to make a deal.
“There’s not a huge appetite in L.A. at this point to take on all the money they’re going to have to take on to be a deeper-into-the-luxury-tax team and fork over a first-round pick in return,” Mannix said. “As long as that is the asking price, the Lakers are not going to get their hands on Kyrie Irving.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Pelinka’s next priority will be to find more shooters, Stein adds in the same piece. The Lakers have been linked to the Pacers‘ Buddy Hield and the Rockets‘ Eric Gordon, who were both clients of Pelinka when he was an agent.
- A source tells Stein that L.A. probably doesn’t have enough assets to get both Hield and Myles Turner from Indiana. Reports have described them as “prime targets” if the Lakers can’t put together a deal for Irving.
- Pelinka’s willingness to meet Brooklyn’s price for Irving could be influenced by James’ upcoming extension date, Stein adds. Starting August 4, James will be eligible to sign a two-year extension worth about $100MM, and Stein suggests that Pelinka might want to have a major deal in place by then to ensure that his star player is happy.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Williams, Davison
After coming up short in the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum believes the Celtics‘ offseason additions will provide the firepower necessary to make another run at a title, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston gained backcourt depth by acquiring Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers and will sign Danilo Gallinari to provide more shooting at the wing.
“It’s great, great for our team,” Tatum said today as he watched the Celtics’ Summer League team. “Obviously said to see your brothers leave, (Daniel) Theis and Aaron (Nesmith), but we got better. Two veteran guys that are proven and ready to help us get to the next level. So I’m excited to have those guys.”
Tatum said he sent text messages to Brogdon and Gallinari after the news broke that they were on their way to Boston. He adds that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens kept him informed as the moves came together.
“Just kind of told me some options they were looking at, things they were keeping their eye on for free agency,” Tatum said.
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Appearing on the broadcast of today’s game, coach Ime Udoka said the next step for Tatum and Jaylen Brown is to prove they can be team leaders as well as great players, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “A lot of what they’ve done throughout their career has been individual accolades,” Udoka said. “… We want them to continue to grow as playmakers, leaders on your team … They are the foundational pieces that everything’s gonna be built around.”
- Purdue big man Trevion Williams could be Boston’s latest undrafted steal, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Full Court Press. Williams has been getting positive reviews in practice, particularly for his advanced passing skills. “There were a couple of times he was looking the other way and threw it to a different guy that he wasn’t looking at, right in the shooting pocket for the 3,” Sam Hauser said. “He’s going to have a real impact in these games coming up.”
- Second-round pick JD Davison, who signed a two-way contract earlier today, confirmed that he’s been promised a chance to earn a standard deal, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “They have indicated to me I could get a roster spot,” Davison said. “It’s just come out here, have fun, go do me and maybe that spot will be yours, maybe not. Whenever my name will be called, I’ll be ready.”
Clippers Sign Moses Brown, Xavier Moon, Jay Scrubb
The Clippers have reached agreements with Moses Brown, Xavier Moon and Jay Scrubb, and all three will be on the roster for training camp, tweets Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. The Clippers have confirmed the signings.
A report this morning indicated that L.A. had made an offer to Brown, who became an unrestricted free agent when the Cavaliers elected not to extend a qualifying offer of slightly more than $2MM. Brown appeared in 40 combined games with Dallas and Cleveland last season and has spent time with the Trail Blazers and Thunder as well.
Moon, who was on a two-way contract with the Clippers last season, also became unrestricted when he didn’t receive a qualifying offer. The 27-year-old, who has spent most of his career overseas, got into 10 games with L.A. as a rookie.
Scrubb, who filled the Clippers’ other two-way slot, also didn’t receive a qualifying offer. He has spent two seasons with the team, playing 22 combined games.
Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, Free Agents, Kessler
Jazz general manager Justin Zanik didn’t label Donovan Mitchell as “untouchable,” but he made it clear that moving Mitchell isn’t part of the team’s current plans, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. In the wake of the Rudy Gobert trade, there has been speculation that Utah might seek to unload Mitchell and launch a full-scale rebuild, but Zanik said the organization still considers Mitchell to be a vital part of its future.
“Change is inevitable in the NBA,” Zanik responded when asked about Mitchell. “I’m not trying to be cryptic or anything else, but Donovan is on our roster and he’s a very, very important part of what we’re trying to do. Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is (untouchable). We’re trying to build a championship team, but there’s no intent there (to trade Mitchell), at all.”
Zanik added that management has been in touch with Mitchell and he “has been supportive” of the team’s offseason moves, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Mitchell may see more time as the primary ball-handler during the upcoming season, and CEO Danny Ainge believes he’s capable of becoming a full-time point guard (Twitter link).
There’s more on the Jazz:
- Zanik also said the team is “in the middle of” reforming its roster and indicated that more moves are coming, Walden tweets. Addressing the Gobert trade, Zanik said the Jazz loved having Gobert to anchor their defense, but decided the offer from Minnesota was “in the best interest of the organization.”
- The team is still considering re-signing free agents Eric Paschall, Trent Forrest and Juancho Hernangomez, Walden adds (Twitter link). “By no means have we closed the book on any of those guys,” Zanik said.
- First-round pick Walker Kessler is dealing with a minor toe injury that he suffered during pre-draft workouts and won’t play any more in Summer League, Walden tweets. Kessler has received clearance from the team’s medical staff, but will focus on conditioning.
- Jared Butler and Bruno Caboclo were Jazz “standouts” at the Salt Lake City Summer League, per Trent Wood of The Deseret News.
Matthew Dellavedova Auditioning For Kings
7:08pm: Quinn Cook and Shabazz Muhammad also have workouts set for the Kings this week, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320. Sacramento has three roster spots to fill.
6:44pm: Matthew Dellavedova is working out for the Kings in Las Vegas in hopes of earning an invitation to training camp, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The 31-year-old Australian guard played for the Cavaliers during the 2020/21 season, but was limited to 13 games because of various injuries, a concussion and an emergency appendectomy. He returned home to play for Melbourne United this past season, but is hoping for an NBA comeback.
McMenamin notes that Mike Brown, Sacramento’s new head coach, was coaching in Cleveland when Dellavedova broke into the NBA in 2013.
Dellavedova played 447 games in eight NBA seasons, mostly with the Cavaliers, though he also spent some time with the Bucks. Known as an on-court leader and a scrappy defender, he was part of Cleveland’s championship team in 2016.
James Wiseman Cleared To Play In Summer League
After sitting out the entire 2021/22 season in the wake of meniscus surgery, Warriors center James Wiseman will return to the court Sunday for a Summer League contest against the Spurs, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Slater adds that Saturday’s practice was the final hurdle for Wiseman, who hasn’t participated in an NBA game since April of 2021. Wiseman played in three G League contests in March, but he was shut down again after experiencing swelling in his knee.
Wiseman is thrilled to be able to return, telling Madeline Kenney of The East Bay Times, “I cannot wait to go out there and just play the game of basketball again.”
The Warriors have been preparing Wiseman for a Summer League comeback for several weeks, Kenney states. His practice routine has alternated between 5-on-5 games and lighter workouts over the past few days. The training staff has been closely watching how Wiseman has responded to drills designed to improve his conditioning.
“Part of his growth, he’s got to get his wind back. You have to almost just blow it out and get him super fatigued, it’s really the only way to push him to the next level,” said assistant Jama Mahlalela, who’s serving as the team’s head coach in Las Vegas.
Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, played just 39 games as a rookie before suffering the meniscus injury. He was projected to be ready for training camp last September, but suffered setbacks that prevented him from playing. He has gone through two more procedures since then, Kenney adds, including an orthobiologic injection.