Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Conley, Whiteside
Within his latest piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines a few of this year’s top free-agents-to-be, taking stock of their situations and passing along the latest notes and rumors he’s heard on each player. Here’s a round-up of some of the key info from Kyler’s piece:
- Even though Kevin Durant is considered most likely to return to the Thunder, he’s expected to take meetings, and Kyler hears that the Warriors and Spurs are “planning big pitches.” The belief around the NBA is that Durant will return to OKC on a deal that allows him to opt out in a year so that his free agency will line up with Russell Westbrook‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s in 2017.
- Sources close to Mike Conley‘s camp have suggested recently that Conley is “more open to new situations” than the Grizzlies would like. According to Kyler, those sources believe that the point guard wants to see signs that Memphis is serious about fortifying its roster with other pieces before committing to the team for the long term. Kyler identifies the “dark horse” in the Conley sweepstakes as the Spurs, who are believed to be willing to make some changes to their core if it means landing another high-level player.
- Hassan Whiteside is expected to land a maximum-salary contract, with the Lakers and Celtics among the teams believed to be interested. The Heat remain the favorites for the big man, but if they “try to play games,” Whiteside will shop around for other offers, according to Kyler.
- The Raptors and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Nicolas Batum, but Batum will likely be in line for a max contract or something close to it, and the Hornets are viewed as the team most likely to accommodate such a deal.
- DeMar DeRozan is viewed as a near-lock to return to the Raptors on a max deal.
- Assuming they don’t land Durant, the Warriors sound prepared to keep their current roster intact, even if that means matching a “crazy offer sheet” for Harrison Barnes, writes Kyler.
- The odds of RFA-to-be Jordan Clarkson ending up with any team besides the Lakers are slim, but it’s possible his camp will seek out an offer sheet from another club if necessary, in order to get more favorable terms.
Five Trade Exceptions Expiring This Month
NBA draft day is fast approaching, with just 15 days remaining until the Sixers will be on the clock with the first overall pick. The salary cap and free agent contracts will be significantly on the rise this summer, but rookie contracts will remain relatively affordable, meaning we could see a handful of trades consummated during the draft, as teams look to acquire affordable young talent.
In those trade discussions, draft picks and veteran contracts figure to be the key pieces, but it’s also worth considering which teams have traded player exceptions to utilize. Could a team use a trade exception before it expires to acquire a player without sending out any salary? Perhaps, but of the five trade exceptions set to expire this month (before the July moratorium begins), none are particularly sizable, and there’s a good chance that all five will go unused.
The most noteworthy of the five expiring exceptions is the Thunder’s $2.75MM trade exception, set to expire on June 30th. There are plenty of players around the league earning less than that amount, and with Kevin Durant due for a new deal, Oklahoma City will be on the lookout for inexpensive talent to fill out the roster, so it’s possible the team makes use of it.
Here are all five trade exceptions set to expire later this month, sorted by amount:
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Amount: $2,750,000
- Obtained: Luke Ridnour (Raptors)
- Expires: 6/30/16
- Brooklyn Nets
- Amount: $1,357,080
- Obtained: Mason Plumlee (Trail Blazers)
- Expires: 6/26/16
- Charlotte Hornets
- Amount: $646,250
- Obtained: Matt Barnes (Grizzlies)
- Expires: 6/25/16
- Charlotte Hornets
- Amount: $548,000
- Obtained: Luke Ridnour (Thunder)
- Expires: 6/25/16
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Amount: $122,441
- Obtained: Jon Leuer (Suns)
- Initial amount: $967,500
- Used: James Ennis ($845,059)
- Expires: 6/26/16
For the complete list of outstanding trade exceptions around the NBA, including one held by the Cavaliers worth nearly $10MM, check out our full breakdown. And be sure to take a look at the Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on trade exceptions for a refresher on exactly how they work.
Nets Work Out Sebastian Telfair
- The Nets have hired Will Weaver, who served as a special assistant to Sixers coach Brett Brown the past two seasons, to work in the same capacity under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, NetsDaily relays.
- The Nets brought in veteran point guard Sebastian Telfair for a workout on Tuesday, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter). Telfair last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign, appearing in 16 games for the Thunder.
Elgin Cook To Work Out For Nets
- Oregon’s Elgin Cook, the 77th-ranked prospect on DraftExpress.com, recently workout for the Raptors and will audition next for the Nets, who are hoping to trade for a pick, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
Will Weaver A Candidate To Join Nets' Staff
- The 76ers filled some vacancies on their coaching staff by promoting Kevin Young and John Bryant, a pair of coaches from their D-League affiliate, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, Sixers shooting coach Gene Burroughs will become the head coach of the Delaware 87ers, Philadelphia’s D-League team, while former Sixers assistant Will Weaver is a candidate to join the Nets‘ coaching staff.
Sergey Karasev To Play In Russia Next Season?
- NetsDaily.com (Twitter link) is hearing from an overseas source that Sergey Karasev is expected to return to Russia to play for his father Vasily Karasev in St. Petersburg. The coach of the year in the Russian league, Vasily was adamant last month that his son won’t be back with the Nets next season.
Nets Trying To Acquire 2016 Draft Pick
- The Nets are aggressively trying to acquire a pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The scribe also confirms earlier reports that indicated the Knicks are pushing hard to land a pick via trade. Brooklyn has $3.4MM it can spend to purchase a pick from another team, while New York has $3.3MM remaining to use for the same purpose.
Latest On Nets' Mini-Camp
- The Nets are reportedly set to begin a mini-camp on June 6th, and the influence of new head coach Kenny Atkinson can be seen in the list of participants, as NetsDaily explains.
Draft Updates: Dunn, Suns, Celtics, Pelicans
Last month, we heard that former Providence point guard Kris Dunn may refuse to release his medical records to the Celtics and Suns, since he prefers not to land with a team with a young point guard or two already in place. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM is hearing similar rumblings, tweeting that Dunn isn’t interested in working out for Phoenix or sharing his medical records with the Suns — Gambardo hears that the point guard would like to land with the Timberwolves.
Let’s check out a few more draft-related updates…
- While the Celtics may not be Dunn’s preferred destination, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) has the Providence product going to Boston at No. 3 in his latest mock draft, writing that he thinks the C’s will choose one of Dunn, Jamal Murray, or Marquese Chriss. Dragan Bender, who has also been viewed as a candidate for that No. 3 pick, goes sixth overall in Ford’s latest mock, with the ESPN.com scribe writing that the Pelicans are believed to be “pretty big fans” of the 18-year-old big man.
- Also within his mock draft, Ford writes that Kings GM Vlade Divac and owner Vivek Ranadive love Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, and suggests that the Raptors have been “secretly hoping” Chriss falls to them at No. 9, which appears increasingly unlikely.
- Former Seton Hall point guard Isaiah Whitehead has workouts with the Nuggets and Pistons lined up for June 10th and 15th, respectively, and will work out for the Bulls and Nets after that, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- After working out for Philadelphia on Thursday, Daniel Hamilton (UConn) will work out for the Rockets, Warriors, and Bucks, while Alex Caruso (Texas A&M) will work out for the Knicks, Wizards, and Celtics, per Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links).
Shane Larkin To Opt Out Of Contract
Shane Larkin has decided to opt out of his contract this summer, turning down his player option for 2016/17, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). Larkin’s option with the Nets would have paid him $1.5MM next season — instead, he’ll hit the open market in search of a new deal.
Larkin, the 18th overall pick in the 2013 draft, has played for three different teams since entering the league, spending a season apiece in Dallas, New York, and Brooklyn. In 2015/16, he set new career highs in PPG (7.3), APG (4.4), and FG% (.442), among other categories.
While it appears that Larkin could be on his way to joining his fourth team in four years, it sounds like he would prefer to find a home that’s not just a short-term stop. Back in April, before he had made a decision on whether or not to exercise his player option, Larkin told reporters that he doesn’t want to “play a 10-year career with eight different teams.”
“I just turned 23, so I’m still young,” Larkin said. “Being able to get with a team on a two-year deal or three-year deal saying, ‘This is what we want you to be. We want you to spark our offense, push the tempo, be this guy and this is what we feel you can do for the team,’ then that’s perfect. Whether I’m a starter or whatever, it’s cool either way.”
Larkin figures to consider plenty of factors in free agency this offseason – notably his annual salary and his role – but it sounds he like he’ll favor suitors who are willing to offer him a multiyear contract and potentially view him as a part of their future.
Because he only has three years of NBA experience under his belt, Larkin will be eligible for restricted free agency — the Nets would have to submit a qualifying offer worth $1.875MM if they want the flexibility to match any offer for the point guard.