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Latest On Kevin Durant’s Free Agency

May 31st, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

League insiders believe the second-round win over the Spurs was enough to keep Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In a video, Marks says the most likely scenario is for Durant to sign a one-year deal with the Thunder worth about $25.9MM that includes a player option for 2017/18.

Next summer, Durant will have 10 years of NBA experience and will become a Tier Three Max player, which means Oklahoma City could offer him more than $200MM over five seasons. If Durant opts for a long-term deal this offseason, OKC can offer five years at about $145MM. Risks involved in choosing a single-season deal are Durant’s injury history and the possibility of a new collective bargaining agreement next year that would shake up the league’s salary structure. Marks lists the Spurs, Heat, Celtics and Warriors as teams expected to make a run at Durant, while ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter) adds the Rockets, Knicks, Lakers, and Wizards to that list.

Durant told Sam Amick of USA Today that he was able to push the free agency issue aside and concentrate fully on every playoff game. “If this would have happened four years ago, I would have been everywhere – my mind would have been everywhere,” he said. “So I’m happy that I was able to focus and lock in and give my all to my team every single night.” Whether it’s a clue to his decision or not, Durant later added, “I see bright things for this team. And it’s great to be a part of it.”

San Antonio, Miami and Golden State are the top contenders if Durant decides to go elsewhere, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola contends the Knicks could be helped if Durant opts for a one-year contract because it gives them another season to improve, along with another year of growth for rookie Kristaps Porzingis.

The Knicks hurt their case when they fired coach Derek Fisher, Durant’s former teammate, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Two advantages they have are that Carmelo Anthony, who has a good relationship with Durant, wants to be part of the recruitment process, and that Durant’s father is a longtime fan of the Knicks. However, New York assistant Brian Keefe, who was Durant’s workout partner in Oklahoma City, reportedly won’t be part of Jeff Hornacek’s new staff.

The odds against Durant signing with the Heat are even greater than they were against LeBron James coming to Miami in 2010, argues Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald. Skolnick writes that team president Pat Riley’s best chance is to sell Durant on the possibility of winning a championship with the Heat. However, the 55-win Thunder are also serious title contenders, Durant doesn’t have a close relationship with any of the Miami players like James did with Dwyane Wade and the new restrictions on sign-and-trade deals make it more difficult for players to recoup whatever money they give up to sign with another team.

Durant and the Clippers could both change their postseason fortunes if they unite, writes Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Woike notes that L.A. won’t have the money to pursue the OKC star because two thirds of its cap room is tied up in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but he argues that it might be worth trading one of those three to create the room to sign Durant.

Durant’s friendship with James Harden and the addition of an offensive-minded coach in Mike D’Antoni give the Rockets a least a fighting chance of landing Durant, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. In addition, Rex Kalamian, who may join D’Antoni’s staff, coached both Harden and Durant when he was an assistant with the Thunder.

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Grizzlies Introduce David Fizdale As Coach

May 31st, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

David Fizdale plans a full-court press to keep Mike Conley in Memphis, relays Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal. The free agent point guard was among many topics Fizdale addressed this afternoon as he was formally introduced as the new head coach of the Grizzlies. “I’ve spoken to Mike Conley,” Fizdale said. “We had a fantastic conversation, a very energized, open conversation and an honest conversation. He’s going to get sick of me, because I’m going to follow him. I’m going to just follow him everywhere he goes. I’m going to hound him and teach him and collaborate with him and make him feel a part of this thing in a way that only a guy like [Dwyane] Wade can feel, in Miami. That’s my approach with him. I see him being a big part of this thing for a long time.” Fizdale worked with Wade during eight years as an assistant coach with the Heat.

Fizdale was hired from a crowded field of candidates that included Spurs assistants James Borrego and Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts. Memphis also spoke to ex-Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who was the only one other than Fizdale to meet with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. Fizdale called their session a “fantastic meeting” and said he and Pera have similar philosophies about the game. “We speak the same language,” the new coach said. “He’s about culture. He’s about leadership. He’s about allowing people to do their work, hiring talent and empowering them to do their work. Growth mindset, big-time, like he’s so open-minded to stuff and innovative.”

Fizdale added that he’s in no hurry to put together his staff. It’s not certain if any of former coach Dave Joerger’s assistants will be retained. “We’re going to be very patient and methodical and we’re going to work very closely on this,” Fizdale said, “because I really want input so that we all feel good about this.”

Fizdale doesn’t mind inheriting a veteran team, writes David Williams of The Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies are among the NBA’s oldest squads and are built around a foundation of Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, who have all been in the league for at least eight seasons. “My most proudest moments of development aren’t with the young guys,” Fizdale said. “It’s with the older guys. We just believed that our old guys could always get better, to have a growth mindset about everyone. If you look at Dwyane Wade, he’s constantly evolved. … LeBron James evolved and developed underneath us. Chris Bosh never shot a 3-point shot — and all of the sudden he’s one of the most deadly 3-point shooting 5 men in the league.”

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Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Wade, Johnson, Deng

May 30th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In his Sunday column for The Miami Herald, Barry Jackson detailed a disagreement the Heat and Chris Bosh had over the idea of using blood thinners to allow him to return to the court as we outlined here. In addition to the report on Bosh though, Jackson provided the latest rumors and details on several other Heat-related topics, with a focus on the team’s free agents. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

  • The Heat would prefer to lock up Hassan Whiteside for something a little below the max, selling him on the lack of income tax in Florida, his comfort level with the Heat, and the fact that his current team could offer him bigger raises than any other suitor. Still, as Jackson points out, another free agent center option like Al Horford would have a higher max salary than Whiteside, so Miami could easily justify going to the max to keep the club’s incumbent center.
  • The Heat’s preference for Dwyane Wade‘s next deal would be to make it for just one year, to give the franchise flexibility in 2017. One Heat person estimates to Jackson that a one-year contract for Wade would be in the $15-20MM neighborhood.
  • Miami would like to re-sign Joe Johnson, but he may not be as willing as he was earlier this year to accept a discount to play in South Beach. The Heat would likely dangle the $2.9MM room exception for Johnson.
  • An Eastern Conference official expects Luol Deng to get a two-year deal that pays him at least $12MM annually. That price may be too steep for the Heat, even though they’d like to bring Deng back.
  • Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green, and Dorell Wright aren’t expected to return to the Heat, though that could change if Stoudemire and Green are willing to re-sign for the minimum.
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Bosh, Heat Clashed Over Blood Thinners

May 29th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Bosh suggested a way that he could play this year while taking blood thinners, but the Heat rejected it, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Bosh, who was sidelined from the All-Star break through the end of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his calf, wanted to take the medication early in the day so it would be out of his bloodstream by game time.

A source told Jackson that the substance left Bosh’s body 8 to 12 hours after he took it, but Heat doctors weren’t convinced the plan was safe and the team turned down the idea. Blood thinners are considered dangerous for athletes because they can lead to excessive bleeding if a player gets cut or can cause internal bleeding if he’s involved in a hard fall or collision.

U-Health cardiologist Robert Myerburg said some newly introduced blood thinners can exit the body in 12 hours or less, but he told Jackson he doesn’t believe it would have been safe for Bosh to play. “I would not use that strategy,” Myerburg said. “There’s too much at risk. The drug being out of the system is not what worries me as much as the unprotected time,” especially if an area with past clotting is subjected to trauma. None of the doctors involved with Bosh or the Heat has commented publicly.

Bosh has three years and close to $76MM left on the maximum deal he signed in 2014. There have been reports that the Heat fear Bosh will never be medically cleared to play again, but Jackson writes that both he and the team are optimistic about a return next season.

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Grizzlies Hire David Fizdale As Head Coach

May 29th, 2016 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 2:06pm: The hiring is official, the Grizzlies announced today.

THURSDAY, 12:06pm: The Grizzlies and David Fizdale have reached an agreement on a contract that will make the Heat assistant the new head coach in Memphis, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, it will be a four-year deal for Fizdale. Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal adds (via Twitter) that the fourth year will be a team option.

Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images

Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images

Fizdale, who turns 42 next month, has been a part of the Heat’s coaching staff since 2008, with the club earning two NBA Championship teams during his tenure. Fizdale previously served as an assistant coach for the Warriors (2003/04) and the Hawks (2004-2008).

The Grizzlies had been seeking a replacement for former coach Dave Joerger, who was fired after requesting permission to interview for other coaching jobs. The Kings hired him last week, giving him a four-year deal worth $16MM, leaving Memphis to scour the market for a new head coach.

In addition to Fizdale, the Grizzlies considered several other candidates for their head coaching vacancy, including Spurs assistants James Borrego and Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts.

The club also conducted at least one interview with Frank Vogel, who spoke to team owner Robert Pera, before he accepted the head coaching job in Orlando. Outside of Vogel, Fizdale is believed to be the only candidate who had an interview with Pera in attendance.

Wojnarowski first reported on Wednesday that Memphis had offered its head coaching position to Fizdale.

The Rockets are now the NBA’s only head team whose head coaching search is ongoing.

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Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Dragic, Craig

May 29th, 2016 at 11:23am CST by ChrisCrouse

Hassan Whiteside has a real chance of receiving a max contract this summer, as one scout told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Whiteside’s offensive ability is a major reason why he will be able to command such a deal. “He is a much better version than [Bismack] Biyombo. He can score. You’re not playing four on five,” the scout told Winderman.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

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David Fizdale Gets Second Interview With Grizzlies

May 25th, 2016 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

Heat assistant David Fizdale, who interviewed last week for the Grizzlies’ head coaching job, has progressed to a second meeting with the team, sources tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Stein, team owner Robert Pera will be involved in the second sit-down with Fizdale.

Fizdale, who turns 42 next month, has been a part of the Heat’s coaching staff since 2008, with the club earning two NBA Championship teams during his tenure. Fizdale previously served as an assistant coach for the Warriors (2003/04) and the Hawks (2004-2008).

Fizdale is one of several candidates who have reportedly spoken to the Grizzlies, with Spurs assistants James Borrego and Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts also believed to be under consideration. However, there have been no indications that any of those interviewees have met with Memphis more than once, or that their interviews have involved Pera.

One candidate that did meet with Pera was Frank Vogel, who ultimately landed in Orlando, tweets Stein. Based on Stein’s report, it’s not clear whether the Magic’s new coach interviewed with Memphis twice, or whether the Grizzlies owner was present for the first interview. Either way though, Vogel had been considered the frontrunner for the Grizzlies’ job before he accepted Orlando’s offer, so the fact that Pera is now meeting with Fizdale looks like a positive development for the Miami assistant.

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Dragic Ready To Re-Sign With Suns Before Trade To Heat?

May 24th, 2016 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams
  • In the wake of Jeff Hornacek‘s offer from the Knicks, who are expected to formally hire him as their head coach soon, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits Hornacek’s time in Phoenix and provides an interesting tidbit related to a former Suns player. According to Berger, Hornacek spoke to Goran Dragic and secured a commitment from the point guard, who said he’d re-sign with the Suns when his contract expired — days later, Phoenix traded him to the Heat.
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