Latest On Kevin Durant
Evidently Phoenix isn’t thrilled with the trade offers the team has received for Kevin Durant to this point.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said that while several teams have expressed interest in the 36-year-old forward, none have been willing to give the Suns the type of return package they’re looking for.
“The Suns know if they’re going to trade Kevin Durant, they clearly have a price threshold they want met,” Charania said. “I had one team tell me today that it’s kind of a game of chicken at this point. From the Rockets, to the Heat, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s literally one or two pieces away (from getting a deal done).
“But at the end of the day, one of these teams has to meet that threshold to get something done. The NBA draft is about a week away. So could this go into the NBA draft? For sure. But I don’t think the Suns want it to, I don’t think the other teams want it to. … My understanding is they’re in active conversations with those three teams, specifically, on trying to get a deal done for Kevin Durant. … I would also not be surprised if this (involves three or four teams).”
Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) that the Heat are currently unwilling to meet Phoenix’s asking price for Durant, but it’s possible that could change.
According to Charania (Twitter video link), the Suns are very much willing to make a trade that does not involve the Spurs, Rockets or Heat, who are reportedly at the top of Durant’s list of preferred destinations. But Durant also has a degree of leverage, since he could be a free agent in 2026 — he’s on an expiring contract, which will pay him $54.7MM next season.
Charania also touched on the Spurs’ interest in Durant, which sounds somewhat tepid (Twitter video link).
“(The No. 2 pick) I don’t see going anywhere,” Charania reported. “I think the Spurs feel really good about No. 2. Dylan Harper, he’s already been to the Spurs’ facilities, met them in San Antonio earlier this month. But you know, you never know with the draft. But that’s what it looks like right now.
“… My feel right now is that the Spurs, they have interest in Kevin Durant. They have talked to the Suns — to my understanding — about Kevin Durant. But there is a certain price threshold they’ll go to for a guy like Kevin Durant, and if that price doesn’t align with Phoenix’s, then clearly, there’s just not going to be a deal.”
Charania went on to suggest that the Spurs are likely waiting to use their stockpile of assets on a player who would better fit their timeline, assuming such a player becomes available in the future.
Sam Amick of The Athletic also discussed the Durant situation on FanDuel’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link). According to Amick, the Spurs appear to be the top team on Durant’s wish list.
“(The Suns) clearly don’t like what they’re hearing from San Antonio, Houston and Miami,” Amick said. “And I keep making the distinction, those three teams are not created equal on the list. Kevin has made it clear in different conversations — at times, anyway — that he was really focused on the Spurs. They’re not showing a ton of incentive to get a deal done. It’s one of those things where, if you want to give him to us on our terms, where we don’t really give up a lot, then that would be great.
“Phase two, to me, of these talks is that the Suns clearly like what they could get out of Minnesota. But the Wolves are not gonna play that game at all unless they are confident that Kevin wants to come. And you can tell that Phoenix is kind of trying to nudge him in that direction and compel him to add a fourth team to his list.
“So that, to me, is the interesting dynamic: Does he change his stance on Minnesota?” Amick continued. “If not, when do (the Suns) come off of that and maybe look harder at Miami or one of these other situations. So I still feel like we’re a little ways away.”
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Intends To Play Game 6
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on Wednesday referred to Tyrese Haliburton as a game-time decision for Game 6, with the star point guard later stating was going to everything he could to suit up after suffering a right calf strain.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that as long as he’s medically cleared, Haliburton intends to play tonight as Indiana looks to stave of elimination and extend the NBA Finals to seven games.
“From my understanding, he has every intention of playing tonight,” Charania said. “… Unless there’s some kind of a setback there (at the 5:00 pm ET walkthrough) where the medical team (decides to hold him out), he’s fully intending to be out there tonight. He’s going to gut it out. I would expect to have some padding on that calf.”
In a subsequent appearance on NBA Today, Charania shed a little more light on the severity of Haliburton’s injury (Twitter video link).
“It is a calf strain. … These are tricky injuries with the calf, we know the implications it could have on the rest of your leg,” Charania said. “I was told today, if this were the regular season, Tyrese Haliburton would be missing multiple weeks. So if he is able to play, how does he look? How sharp does he look? Or how much does he struggle and how much is he limited?”
While Haliburton managed to play 34 minutes in Monday’s Game 5 loss, he clearly was hampered by the injury, having missed all six of his field goal attempts and being limited to just four points, compared to his playoff average of 17.3 PPG. On the NBA’s latest injury report, the 25-year-old is officially listed as questionable.
If the third-team All-NBA guard is unable to suit up, T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard will be in line for increased ball-handling and play-making responsibilities.
James Nnaji Leaving Europe, Joining Knicks For Summer League
Draft-and-stash center James Nnaji has informed Spanish club Barcelona that he is leaving Europe as he focuses on trying to sign his first NBA contract with the Knicks, confirms Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Nnaji’s decision was first reported by Marc del Rio of Sport.es.
The Knicks acquired the rights to Nnaji, the 31st pick of the 2023 draft, in the blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The Nigerian center has spent the past four seasons in Europe, playing a fairly limited role for Barça from 2021-24 before spending the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Merkezefendi (Turkey) and Girona (Spain).
Nnaji, who turns 21 years old in August, is already in New York and has been working out for the Knicks, his agent Gerard Raventos told The Post. Nnaji is hoping to impress during Summer League action next month with an eye on making the 2025/26 roster.
“Hopefully after [the Summer League], we can reach an agreement,” Raventos said. “That’s the plan, from both sides. It’s 50-50, it depends how he does. He’s coming in great shape. … Everything will be based on his performances in the Summer League.”
Nnaji has a highly impressive physical profile, Schwartz notes, measuring 7’0″ with a 7’7″ wingspan and weighing 251 lbs. a couple of years ago at the combine. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14 appearances while on loan to Girona this season (16.2 minutes per contest).
With Precious Achiuwa possibly heading elsewhere in free agency, Nnaji could be an inexpensive addition to New York’s frontcourt. As Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron tweets, signing Nnaji to a minimum-salary contract would give the Knicks more financial wiggle room to use the taxpayer mid-level exception in ’25/26. He would also be eligible for a two-way deal.
Five More Prospects Receive Green Room Invitations
Prior to Thursday, a total of 19 prospects had received green room invitations from the NBA to attend the first round of the 2025 draft.
Today, reports from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) and Jonathan Givony of ESPN indicated that five more players have been invited, bringing the tally up to 24 — that’s expected to be the final number.
Here are the five prospects, sorted by their current rank on ESPN’s big board:
- Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija (No. 15)
- Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan (No. 19)
- Nique Clifford, G/F, Colorado State (No. 22)
- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (No. 27)
- Cedric Coward, G/F, Washington State (No. 29)
According to Fischer, Wolf is a potential late lottery pick, having impressed teams in that range with his shooting during workouts.
The players invited to the green room can usually feel pretty confident about their chances to be first-round picks, since the league only decides who to invite after asking teams to vote on the 25 prospects they expect to come off the board first.
Still, there are occasionally instances in which players in the green room slip further than expected. In 2024, Kyle Filipowski and Johnny Furphy received green room invites but weren’t selected until the second round, which was held a day later for the first time.
Rockets To Sign Coach Ime Udoka To Contract Extension
Head coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a long-term extension with the Rockets, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Udoka’s new extension will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. Kelly Iko of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that Udoka has agreed to a multiyear deal.
A former NBA wing, Udoka has led Houston to a dramatic turnaround over the past two seasons. The team won just 17, 20 and 22 games in the three years prior to Udoka’s arrival in 2023, but in 2023/24 — his first season at the helm — he guided the club to a .500 record (41-41).
That upward trajectory continued this season, as the Rockets went 52-30 and earned the No. 2 seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. The young team was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, losing to Golden State in seven games.
After retiring as a player, Udoka spent seven years an assistant with San Antonio before one-year stints in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He was hired as Boston’s head coach in 2021 and had an impressive first season in ’21/22, with the Celtics going 51-31 and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, eventually losing to the Warriors in six games.
While he was technically still under contract with the Celtics in ’22/23, Udoka didn’t coach at all, having been suspended for the entire season for violating team policies — he reportedly had an affair with a member of the team’s staff.
The 47-year-old’s time with the Celtics ended in February 2023, when the team promoted Joe Mazzulla to be the permanent head coach. Udoka was hired by the Rockets a couple months later, signing a four-year contract at that time.
The Knicks reportedly asked the Rockets for permission to interview Udoka for their head coaching vacancy last week, but that request was was denied. Now, Udoka has agreed to a long-term extension to remain with Houston.
Buss Family To Sell Lakers To Mark Walter For Record-Setting Price
4:11 pm: Walter has agreed to buy the Lakers at a valuation of approximately $10 billion, the largest sum ever for a professional sports team, Charania reports (via Twitter).
3:52 pm: The Buss family has reached an agreement to sell its majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Walter, 65, is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a global investment firm, and co-CEO and chairman of TWG Global, a diversified holding company.
Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), among sports investments, is currently a minority owner of the Lakers, having purchased a 27% stake in 2021 alongside Todd Boehly.
According to Charania, current governor Jeanie Buss will continue to serve in that role after the sale is finalized.
As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets, Walter earned the right of first refusal to purchase majority control of the Lakers in 2021 when he bought his minority stake. The Buss family owns about 66% of the team, per Shelburne.
Longtime owner Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers for $67.5MM back in 1979, according to Charania, who notes (via Twitter) that his children inherited majority control when Buss passed away in 2013.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps believes the Lakers’ sale price will exceed the Celtics’ record-breaking valuation of $6.1 billion (Twitter link). Boston’s new ownership group is expected to be approved sometime in June or July.
Grizzlies Reportedly Not Pursuing Kevin Durant
Forbes contributor Evan Sidery reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies had reemerged as a suitor for Suns star Kevin Durant after the team made a run at the 36-year-old forward prior to February’s deadline.
However, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal — a Grizzlies beat reporter — has heard differently (Twitter link). Citing league sources, Cole writes that while the Grizzlies contemplated making an offer for Durant during the season, they are not currently interested in the 15-time All-Star and do not intend to pursue him this offseason.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reported something similar to Cole a couple days ago, saying he didn’t expect the Grizzlies to get involved in the Durant chase, even though they have a fresh collection of draft assets from Sunday’s Desmond Bane trade. Memphis was reluctant to pursue Jimmy Butler before the deadline because of fears that he wouldn’t sign an extension, Fischer noted, and Durant is probably viewed the same way.
While the team may not pursue Durant, rival teams are curious about which players general manager Zach Kleiman will target with the first-round picks Memphis acquired in the Bane deal, according to Fischer, who says creating the cap room necessary to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. is still a “priority” for the Grizzlies.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that signing Jackson to a new deal remains important to the Grizzlies. Wing John Konchar, who will make $12.33MM over the next two seasons, is viewed as a candidate to be traded in a salary-dump move to create more cap flexibility, league sources tell Scotto.
One of the selections Memphis acquired for Bane was No. 16 overall in next week’s draft. Cole lists five “defensive-minded wings” the Grizzlies might target if they keep that pick, including Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm), Cedric Coward (Washington State), and Nique Clifford (Colorado State).
Hawks Hire Executives Bryson Graham, Peter Dinwiddie
The Hawks have officially made two additions to their front office, the team confirmed today in a press release.
Former Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham has been hired as senior vice president of basketball operations, while former Pacers and 76ers executive Peter Dinwiddie will be the new senior VP of strategy and analytics. The news was first reported on June 9 by ESPN.
Both Graham and Dinwiddie will reportedly work under Onsi Saleh, who was promoted to GM in April after Landry Fields was fired.
“We are fortunate to be able to add Bryson and Peter to our leadership team,” Saleh said. “Bryson is widely regarded as one of the league’s top young talent evaluators and Peter is one of the most strategic minds in the NBA. Ownership has empowered me to build a robust and dynamic front office, and adding two extremely talented, experienced and respected executives in Bryson and Peter is a home run for our group.”
Graham, a former intern who steadily worked his way up the Pelicans’ front office over the past 15 years, has been credited with identifying talented young players such as Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Jordan Hawkins.
He also was on the staff that drafted Dyson Daniels, who captured Most Improved Player honors with Atlanta this season after being traded from New Orleans last summer. The Hawks control the 13th and 22nd picks in next week’s draft.
As for Dinwiddie, he spent 14 seasons with his hometown Pacers, most recently as senior VP of basketball operations, prior to joining Philadelphia’s front office in 2020. For the past five years, he has been the Sixers’ executive VP of basketball operations.
Draft Rumors: Suns, Centers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Kings
The Suns are believed to be “highly intrigued” by the possibility of adding a center who can space the floor as they continue to look for a starting-caliber big man, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
In addition to their rumored NBA targets, the Suns are also eyeing stretch fives in next week’s draft, according to Fischer, who reports that Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud are “very much in consideration” with the 29th overall pick, which the team controls. Kalkbrenner recently worked out for Phoenix, Fischer adds.
Raynaud is ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s big board, while Kalkbrenner is No. 33.
Here are a few more rumors and notes on the 2025 NBA draft:
- The Pelicans, who control the seventh pick, hosted Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Washington State’s Cedric Coward for workouts last week, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. As Scotto notes, Knuppel is projected to go No. 7 overall in HoopsHype’s latest aggregate mock draft, with Coward landing at No. 15 (Oklahoma City). The two wings are ranked No. 8 and No. 29, respectively, on ESPN’s board.
- According to Ohm Younmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link), the Nuggets recently brought in Arizona guard Caleb Love, Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, Bradley forward Darius Hannah and Indiana center Oumar Ballo for a pre-draft workout. Of the four prospects, only Love (No. 75) appears on ESPN’s board.
- The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday featuring two point guards, two wing and two centers, the team announced (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of KCRA News). The six players are Mark Sears (Alabama), Javon Small (West Virginia), Kobe Johnson (UCLA), Dink Pate (G League), Oumar Ballo (Indiana) and Bogoljub Markovic (Mega Basket). Markovic (No. 38) is the top-rated player of the group on ESPN’s board, followed by Small (No. 49) and Pate (No. 56).
Clippers To Hire Monte McNair As Advisor
The Clippers plan to hire Monte McNair as an advisor, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
McNair mutually agreed to part ways with the Kings in April, shortly after the team was eliminated from the play-in tournament. He was Sacramento’s general manager for the past five years prior to being replaced by Scott Perry.
The 41-year-old executive is from Oak Park, California, which is approximately 30 miles north of Los Angeles, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (via Twitter).
A longtime member of Houston’s front office before he became Sacramento’s top basketball decision-maker, McNair won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award in 2023 after the Kings snapped their 16-year playoff drought. While they won at least 40 games in each of the past two seasons, they were eliminated in the play-in tournament in both instances.
Overall, the Kings had a 195-205 record (.488 winning percentage) during McNair’s tenure.
McNair reportedly interviewed with the Hawks to become their new president of basketball operations. Atlanta has not yet filled that position, but did hire a couple of senior executives to work alongside Onsi Saleh, who was promoted to GM after Landry Fields was fired in April.
Lawrence Frank is the Clippers’ president of basketball operations and has led the team’s front office since 2017.