Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Green, West, Randle

February 7th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Austin Kent

Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were once again seen in a verbal altercation Saturday night. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, it was all part of a master plan by Green.

“Nothing in general” led to the altercation, the Warriors forward said Tuesday. “It was actually a tactic. But that’s for us to know and for everyone else to figure out.”

Green, Hayes writes, was trying to use reverse psychology to motivate his struggling teammate and supposedly followed it up by winking and smiling at some of the Warriors coaching staff.

Earlier this month Green and Durant were seen arguing with one another on the court when the Warriors lost to the Grizzlies.

Despite their interesting relationship, Green and Durant are said to have watched the Super Bowl together the day after the incident, suggesting that the altercation caused no hard feelings. With a 43-8 record, the Warriors have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to locker room chemistry.

There are more headlines out of the Pacific Division today:

The Warriors may need to compete with the Lakers if they want to convince 78-year-old executive Jerry West to stay with the team after his contract expires in July, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
Veteran forward P.J. Tucker knows how to get the most out of his younger teammates and his tough-love approach has been put in effect with current Suns rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic.
The Lakers handed out significant contracts to veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng over the offseason but lately the tandem has been coming off the bench, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “I’m not going to say it’s permanent, but we’re going to see how it goes,” head coach Luke Walton said, citing the need to develop young players as the reason for the decision.
Limited to just five minutes over the previous four games, Julius Randle has recovered from pneumonia and and returned to the lineup for the Lakers on Monday. The power forward is expected to be at full strength heading forward, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
There are plenty of assets on the Suns roster, writes Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer. The scribe breaks down what could be next for Phoenix, including franchise cornerstone Devin Booker and “good-but-not-great” point guard Eric Bledsoe.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Lakers, Durant

January 31st, 2017 at 9:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Suns haven’t experienced much success this season, but Devin Booker believes the team’s future is bright, as he tells Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

“We have a really good young core,” Booker said. “Our young players are developing, including myself, very well. Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Tyler Ulis have been getting some time now. And then we have a mix of really good veterans, Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, Leandro Barbosa, P.J. Tucker; they’re leading us on the right way. Each and every day, they push us every day in practice. They’re patient with us. We’re messing up a lot. That’s what you expect coming into this league, playing against grown men. We’re still learning, but at the same time, I think the future is really bright here.”

Phoenix has a record of 15-33 and currently sits in the second spot in our Reserve Standings. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders examines the trade market for Lou Williams and Nick Young, and finds it difficult to envision the Lakers netting a first-round pick for either of the veterans. Pincus believes Los Angeles could flip one of them for a young player with untapped potential akin to the team’s 2014 Steve Blake trade. In that deal, the Lakers brought in Kent Bazemore, a player who flashed promise once he was given meaningful minutes.
The Lakers may need to move Williams and Young in order to open up the cap space necessary to sign a max-level player, such as Blake Griffin, Pincus writes in the same piece. Young holds a player option for next season worth slightly under $5.7MM and Williams will make $7MM next season in the final year of his deal.
Kevin Durant told Stephen Curry to stop trying so hard to incorporate him in the Warriors‘ offense, as Chris Haynes of ESPN.com relays. “I just said to [Curry], ‘Don’t worry about me,'” Durant told Haynes. “I’ll figure it out around you. You’re the engine of this team, and I know that. I’m not trying to come over and feel like everything just revolves around me. Just do you, man. I’m going to play around you. I’ve played this game long enough. I know how to score. I know how to find the ball. Just go out there and play your game.’ And that’s what he’s been doing.”

Kevin Durant Discusses Future With Warriors

January 19th, 2017 at 8:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world when he left Russell Westbrook and the Thunder to join the Warriors during the offeason. The 2013/14 MVP signed a two-year, $54.3MM pact, but his contract contains a player option for the second season. He may decide to decline that option, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to leave Golden State, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today.

“I’m liking it here,” Durant said. “I’m liking everything that’s going on. I know what my contract says, but I didn’t plan on coming here for just a year. I’m in it right now, and I’m also just focusing on day by day.

“I know it’s cliché, and you hear that all the time, but I’m seriously just not thinking about it because I’m like – I’m just in it for the long haul.”

Earlier in the week, owner Joe Lacob said he expects Durant to sign with the team long-term. “I have no angst whatsoever [about re-signing Durant and Stephen Curry],” Lacob said. “I totally am positive [that] I think those guys are going to sign. They’re both free agents. They have a right to do whatever they want. They’ve earned it, and I respect that. If they don’t sign with us for some reason, then shame on me and us. I take responsibility for that. But I don’t see that happening.”

Durant can benefit financially if he declines his player option and hits the market this summer. He would be eligible to receive 35% of the salary cap as his starting salary in a new deal, meaning if he signs a four-year deal, he could make over $150MM.

Durant is enjoying a fantastic first season in the Bay Area. He’s scoring 26.2 points and grabbing a career-high 8.7 rebounds per game. He’s hitting a career-best 54.5% of his shots from the field and he’s only coughing up 2.3 turnovers per game, which is also the best mark of his career.

Westbrook Tops Snub List Among All-Star Starters

January 19th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Triple-double machine Russell Westbrook, the league’s leading scorer, will not be among the Western Conference starters for next month’s All-Star Game in New Orleans. The league’s Twitter feed unveiled the starters for each conference, and the Thunder superstar lost out in the balloting to Stephen Curry and James Harden (Twitter links).

As ESPN.com’s Rachel Nichols points out, the fan voting counts for 50%, while the players’ votes weigh in at 25%, as does the media vote under the revised system. According to NBC’s Kurt Helin, Westbrook missed out because the fans had him third among Western Conference guards behind Curry and Harden.

Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant will comprise the starting frontcourt for the West.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James were selected as the frontcourt starters for the Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan and Kyrie Irving were chosen as the starting backcourt.

It’s a breakthrough for Antetokounmpo, who will be making his first All-Star appearance. Arguably the biggest snub on the Eastern Conference side was Celtics point man Isaiah Thomas, the fourth-leading scorer in the league and the conference’s top scorer.

Do you think Westbrook should have garnered a starting spot ahead of Curry or Harden? Besides Westbrook, which other player has the biggest beef about failing to land a starting spot in the league’s annual showcase event? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts.

Lacob Has ‘Every Expectation’ Durant Will Re-Sign

January 17th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Austin Kent

While they may not be chasing history as they were last year, all signs point to the Warriors being as scary a team as ever now with Kevin Durant in the mix. Speaking today at the groundbreaking of the franchise’s new arena in San Francisco, team owner Joe Lacob mentioned to Marc Spears of The Undefeated that he has “every expectation” that their recently acquired superstar will re-sign with the team long-term.

Last summer, Durant opted to leave the Thunder to join Stephen Curry and the 2015 NBA champions, but the contract he signed for $26.5MM in 2016/17 has a player option for the 2017/18 campaign. Given the rising salary cap, Durant is in line to make more money if he opts out and signs a new contract. In fact, eligible to receive as much as 35% of the cap because he’ll be a 10-year veteran, Durant could sign a four-year deal, worth over $150MM.

Asked directly if he had any news to share with the team owners regarding his pending free agency, Durant simply said, “it will be fun playing [in the new Chase Center],” reports Anthony Slater of the Mercury News.

In 41 games for the Warriors, Durant has averaged 25.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and the Warriors currently pace the Western Conference with a 35-6 record. That considered, while much can change between now and the summer, there’s no obvious basketball reason for the two parties to part ways.

Curry Intends To Remain With Warriors

January 14th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has no plans to leave the Warriors when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News.

Appearing today on the “The TK Show” podcast, Curry said he’s aware of the potential opportunities he might have, but can’t imagine a better organization for him than Golden State.

“Like I’ve said from Day 1 when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play,” Curry said. “Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization’s amazing, we’ve put together an amazing team that’s competing for championships every year. There’s really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere.”

Under the new CBA, Curry is eligible for “designated veteran player” status, which would allow him to receive an extension from his current team valued at approximately $209MM over five seasons. Other teams, Kawakami notes, would be limited to offers of about $133MM over four years.

Curry adds that he wanted to make it clear to Kevin Durant during recruiting last summer that he plans to be part of the Warriors for a long time. Durant signed a two-year contract with a player option and is expected to become a free agent again once the season ends.

Curry adds that he expects Durant to join him in signing a long-term deal.

“I don’t see why not,” Curry said. “I think he really enjoys playing with us as a team. He enjoys living in the Bay Area, the opportunities that are out here. I think he just genuinely enjoys coming to work every day. That’s a good recipe for hopefully a long-term presence in the Bay.”

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Durant, Spoelstra

January 11th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hassan Whiteside said he doesn’t pay attention to the rumors and trade speculation surrounding his name, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel relays. “If I pay attention to it, I wouldn’t be back in the league. There’s all kind of rumors. A lot of people said a lot of things to keep me from being back in the league,” Whiteside said.

It was previously reported that no member of the Heat was off-limits in trade talks, but on Tuesday, a team spokesman shot down that report.

Here’s more from Miami:

Dealing Whiteside just six months after signing him to a four-year, $98MM contract would be troublesome for the franchise, Winderman argues in his weekly mailbag. Part of the value in retaining Whiteside was not letting an asset leave without getting anything back in return, Winderman adds before stressing that the team should be patient when evaluating possible trades.
If Whiteside is going to be the team’s franchise player, he needs to be more consistent, Winderman writes in the same piece. The scribe calls for more performances like the one against the Warriors on Tuesday, where the center pulled down 20 rebounds and scored 28 points.
The Heat always thought they had a chance to sign Kevin Durant in free agency up until the 2013/14 MVP signed with the Warriors, Winderman writes in a separate piece. “We’re all wired to think that we always have a chance,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Heat. Spoelstra added that he was impressed with how Durant handled himself when the small-forward met with the team over the summer. “Big fan before I met him. That was the only time I had ever met him. Bigger fan after that, even after he chose Golden State,” he said of Durant.

Pacific Notes: Barnes, Paul, Warriors, Kerr

January 7th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Matt Barnes has become a veteran leader since signing with the Kings in July, but he entered free agency expecting to return to the Clippers, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Barnes spent three years with the Clippers before being traded to Charlotte after the 2014/15 season. Ten days later, he was shipped to Memphis in another deal. Even though coach Doc Rivers opted to get rid of him, Barnes was expecting a reunion this summer. “I thought it was a done deal, I was going to the Clippers,” Barnes said. “The day before I was supposed to meet with Doc, they decided to go in another direction with Wesley Johnson. That was obviously my first choice at the time, to be close to my kids. Golden State was always a choice; they just didn’t have very much money. I’ve always been the guy to take less money to play on a better team, but the price gap was too far on this one.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Chris Paul‘s return has boosted the Clippers‘ confidence as they try to fight back from their recent six-game losing streak, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Paul believes he is finally over the left hamstring problems that sidelined him for seven of the past eight games. “I want to hoop, regardless,” Paul said. “But the toughest thing is when you can’t. Ain’t no point coming out there and not being you and hurt the team.”
Friday’s meltdown against the Grizzlies is part of an ongoing problem for the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Even with a 31-6 record, Golden State has been outscored by 15 points this season in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Warriors have played 38 clutch minutes since December began and have been outscored by 21 points. “We’re not used to these fourth quarter struggles,” said coach Steve Kerr. “We’ve really closed teams well the last couple years. So it feels different. It feels weird.”
Kerr has a lot of work ahead to turn a wealth of talent into a “super team” in time for the playoffs, contends Marcus Thompson II of The Mercury News. Thompson argues that the free agent signing of Kevin Durant disrupted team chemistry and says Kerr has three months to restore it.

Pacific Notes: World Peace, Griffin, Green

January 7th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by Austin Kent

When Metta World Peace racked up three fouls in two minutes on Friday night there was an ominous undertone that the performance may be the veteran’s last. It’s unclear whether the 37-year-old’s leadership will be enough to convince the Lakers brass to retain him after today’s deadline, writes Mark Media of The Los Angeles Daily News.

January 7 marks the last day that teams can release players on partially guaranteed contracts and still have them clear waivers. The Lakers have the option to release both World Peace and 25-year-old Thomas Robinson should they wish to free up a roster spot for an acquisition later on down the road.

World Peace has played sparingly in his sixth season across two stints with the Lakers, but will forever hold a spot in team history after winning a title alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in 2010.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers head coach Luke Walton knows what today represents for World Peace and has voiced his desire to keep the veteran forward. “I like him with us,” Walton tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, “but that’s a front office decision. My recommendation is to keep him.“
After undergoing knee surgery on December 20, Blake Griffin has been making consistent progress, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “You can tell he’s in better spirits,” says Clippers head coach Doc Rivers.
After blowing a 24-point lead and ultimately losing to the Grizzlies yesterday, vocal Warriors forward Draymond Green told the media “I’m happy we lost.” Green believes that the loss will help the team address some bad fourth-quarter habits. After a timeout earlier in the game, Green was seen having a heated conversation with summer acquisition Kevin Durant.

Warriors Notes: Pachulia, Chase Center, Durant

January 4th, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Austin Kent

When Zaza Pachulia opted to sign with the Warriors this summer, he left millions of dollars on the table. The big man’s decision to take the $2.9M offer rather than other more lucrative ones came at a time when his value was at one of the highest points of his 13-year-year career.

According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the 32-year-old’s choice to forego more money and longer terms wasn’t all that tough to make, either.

“Not really,” Pachulia tells Scotto. “Honestly, at the moment that’s what my gut feeling was, especially after talking to Steve Kerr.”

In Pachulia, the sharp-shooting Warriors get a heady veteran capable of clearing floor space with his broad-shouldered screens.

Pachulia has seen action in 31 games so far this season and averaged 4.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the process.

That’s not all the news on the Warriors front:

The Warriors will officially break ground on their new arena on January 17, the team has announced in a press release. The Chase Center, built in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, should be ready in time for the 2019/20 NBA campaign.
In a phone interview with Steve Nash, Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News spoke at length about the retired point guard’s relationship with Kevin Durant. Nash, now a player development consultant with the Warriors, stressed that Durant’s free agency decision was a personal one. “He’s at a stage of his life where he wanted to challenge himself as a man and put himself in an environment where he felt there was room for a different kind of growth,” Nash said.
Throughout his tenure with the Thunder, Durant’s relationship with the media was spotty. Recently, the superstar connected with ESPN’s Chris Haynes for a candid discussion about what’s different now versus then.