Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: M. Gasol, Carter, Green, Richardson

January 1st, 2017 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies need Marc Gasol‘s injured ankle to heal as quickly as possible, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Gasol rolled his left ankle in Saturday’s game, providing a scare for the team’s top player this season. The 32-year-old center is averaging a career high in points and rebounds, while anchoring the NBA’s top defense. X-rays were negative and Gasol was listed as day-to-day with a sprained ankle, according to ESPN. “It hurts, but it’s not broken,” Gasol said. “It’s tender right now, so we will take it day-to-day, just like always.”

There’s more out of the Western Conference:

The contracts for Grizzlies Vince Carter and JaMychal Green both became guaranteed today, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Carter will make $4,264,057 this season, while Green will collect $980,431. Both players will become free agents when the season ends.
The Kings are planning to give more playing time to rookie guard Malachi Richardson, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Richardson has gotten into just five games with Sacramento, averaging 6.4 minutes. But he has played well in the D-League, with 21 points per night in 11 games, and coach Dave Joerger is ready to give him a chance at the NBA level. “I think that it’s time for Malachi to get into the rotation, especially with Rudy [Gay] out,” Joerger said. “That’s something that you’ll see, probably, going forward.”
Agent Rich Kleiman will leave Roc Nation to become the manager and business partner for the Warriors‘ Kevin Durant, according to Mark J. Burns of SportTechie (Twitter links). The agency will continue to represent Durant.

New York Notes: Galloway, LeVert, Porzingis

December 31st, 2016 at 9:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks made an effort to re-sign Langston Galloway over the summer, but the lure of returning to his home-state propelled the combo guard to join the Pelicans, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I didn’t think I would leave [New York],’’ Galloway said. “But I had an opportunity to go home. That definitely was big, important for me and my family and wife. It’s definitely been great playing back home, loving the atmosphere New Orleans has.’’

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

Caris LeVert has only played 12 games this season because of a foot injury, but Nets coach Kenny Atkinson likes what he’s seeing from the rookie, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. “[LeVert’s play has been] Super positive. I just said that to our coaches, his energy, how hard he plays, how fast he is, his athleticism, how aggressive he is,” Atkinson said. “So that’s the positive we take out of [it], that he’s really starting to grow in front of our eyes. That’s good to see.”
Randy Foye is taking advantage of his playing opportunity this season and he credits his experience playing alongside diverse play-makers for his ability to help the Nets run an effective offense, Lewis writes in a separate piece. “I played with [Blake Griffin in the past], last year being with [Russell Westbrook] and [Kevin Durant], and seeing the double team and just knowing you’ve got to have the right spacing,” Foye said. The shooting guard signed a one-year deal with Brooklyn during the offseason.
Kristaps Porzingis said Anthony Davis‘ game has greatly influenced his own, Berman passes along in a separate piece. “Before I got to the NBA, I was watching him a lot — skinny guy coming out of college, how he was able to adjust to the NBA, at this level,” Porzingis said of Davis. “Obviously, I learned from him — even seeing defensively, able to hold guys in the post. His skill set is his, pretty all-around. He can do everything, but it was more seeing how he can adjust with his physicality.”

Officiating Report Adds Another Critic

December 29th, 2016 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is the latest NBA figure to criticize the Last Two Minute Report regarding officiating in close games, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Warriors forward Kevin Durant and Cavaliers forward LeBron James were both critical this week of the NBA’s practice of publicly reviewing officiating calls in the last two minutes of close games. Van Gundy has now joined the chorus.

In Cleveland’s one-point win over Golden State on Christmas Day, Durant felt he was tripped up on the final play of the game. But when the officiating report confirmed that, Durant felt it was unfair for the officials to be subject to additional scrutiny, claiming it makes them more tentative to do their jobs.

“The refs didn’t lose us that game,” Durant said. “We lost that game. I think it’s (terrible) the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that.”

Van Gundy agrees with that assessment, as he told Ellis and other reporters on Thursday.

“I understand Kevin Durant’s comments because the referee could have had a great game and, when they grade them out, he could have been great, but he makes one crucial bad call at the end of the game, and that’s all the public knows about,” Van Gundy said.

The report on the Cavs’ win also indicated that a technical should have been called against James for hanging on the rim. That prompted him to say the NBA should cut the officials some slack.

“I think it discredits what the referees are doing for 48 minutes,” he told the assembled media. “If that’s the case, you might as well do a 48-minute report.”

During the offseason, the referees’ union called on the league to stop releasing the report publicly. At the time, commisssioner Adam Silver defended the practice, saying transparency was the best policy.

“It’s our hope that you take the Last Two Minute Reports together with using a certain amount of replay that we’re building to build trust and integrity in the league,” he said. “People are going to recognize that we are going to make mistakes, the officials are going to make mistakes. Human error is going to be part of this game, just as it is with players. … I’d say largely what these Last Two Minute Reports are showing is that the referees get it right about 90 percent of the time.”

How do you feel in this hot button issue? Should the Two Minute Report stay or go? Weigh in on the comments section below.

And-Ones: CBA, Roster Spots, Bynum, Senegal

December 21st, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Negotiators for the league were determined to make it more difficult to assemble “super teams” under the new collective bargaining agreement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical. In a brief video, Wojnarowski recounts a meeting this summer in which Commissioner Adam Silver told team owners that he was troubled by Kevin Durant‘s move to Golden State, fearing it would impact competitive balance. Warriors owner Joe Lacob defended his organization, saying it managed its salary cap in a way to enable the signing of a max player. In negotiations, the league tried to give small-market stars more incentive to re-sign with their current teams. Wojnarowski says the new system creates a “far more punitive financial choice” for players who want to leave for larger cities or more competitive teams. However, he adds that some small-market owners are concerned that the league didn’t go far enough with its rules changes.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

The new CBA will add two roster spots for each team, which will be two-way contracts for players who shuffle back and forth from the D-League, notes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. In a transcript from an interview with onthenbabeat.com, Reichert notes that the salary range for those players will be $50K to $75K, which is more than typical D-League players receive. The rise in NBA minimum salaries will also benefit D-League players because the 10-day contracts that teams can offer starting in January are based off minimum salaries adjusted for a player’s years of experience.
Veteran guard Will Bynum has signed a contract with the D-League, according to a tweet from D-League Digest. The 33-year-old was among the last players cut by the Hawks in training camp. He spent the majority of his 360-game NBA career with the Pistons, but also played for the Warriors and Wizards. He played most of the past two seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China.
The NBA plans to open an academy in Senegal next year, writes Gerald Imray of The Associated Press. This will be the sixth international academy for the league, which already has three in China and one in Australia, with another in India set to begin in April.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Durant, Pachulia, West

December 16th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Stephen Curry is one of the players who stands to benefit most from the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com detail. Under the previous CBA, and based on previously reported cap projections, Curry looked to be in line for a new deal that started at around $29MM. However, the designated player rule should allow Curry to get a starting salary closer to $36MM.

According to Windhorst and Stein, the “widespread expectation in league circles” is that there’s little chance Curry leaves the Warriors next summer, but the extra money the team can offer him should even further increase his odds of remaining in Golden State. If the Dubs were to offer a full five-year max deal and it started at $36MM, it would be worth a staggering $208MM+ over five years, including $47MM+ in the final season. In other words, there’s a decent chance Curry could become the NBA’s first $200MM player in July.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While Windhorst and Stein focused on Curry, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post takes a closer look at what the new CBA means for Kevin Durant. As Bontemps details, if Durant wants a new maximum-salary contract next summer, Golden State will have to make some tough roster decisions on their complementary players, including Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala.
The Warriors’ frontcourt is banged up, with Zaza Pachulia already out of action and David West leaving Thursday’s game early. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), Pachulia’s MRI showed a deep bruise – but no fracture – on his right wrist, and he has no definitive timeline for a return. West, meanwhile, will undergo an MRI today after injuring his hip, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.
Before the NBA and NBPA finalized an agreement on a new CBA this week, Haynes published a conversation with Draymond Green in a piece for ESPN.com, examining (in part) the big man’s penchant for speaking in mind. A day later, Green lived up to that reputation when he became one of the only NBA players to criticize the new CBA deal.

Clippers Notes: Durant, Jordan, Anderson

December 7th, 2016 at 6:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant said Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul “made it tough” to turn down the Clippers in free agency, as Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group passes along.

“Those guys are tremendous, unbelievable talents,” Durant said. “DJ is a close friend. CP, been knowing him since I was in high school…All that other stuff [doesn’t matter]. I’ve been in L.A. every summer. Facilities, all that stuff is the same to me. As long as you have a court and the ball. The players, that’s what made it tough. They did a great job.”

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

Durant met Jordan years ago when he served as the center’s host for a recruiting visit at the University of Texas and the two remain close despite him choosing to play for a rival, Slater relays in the same piece. “He wanted me to come to the Clippers, but he’s going to be my friend no matter what,” Durant said.
Durant’s decision to join the Warriors created backlash, which is something Jordan knows well from his own free agency during the previous summer, Slater notes in the same piece. “I think that’s what we kind of had in common,” Durant said. “Him making [the decision to turn down the Mavericks] was bold, it was a tough decision, it made him uncomfortable, but it grew him as a person and as a basketball player. I felt the same way about my decision. It made conversation. It made us get to know each other better and having things in common as far as work related. It helped having someone that could relate to what I went through.”
Alan Anderson, who signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Clippers over the summer, is fitting in with the team despite not receiving the minutes that he’s accustomed to seeing, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com writes. “[Anderson] wants to play, like everyone else, but if you had to vote for the MVP teammate, I think he wins hands down,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s gone through that frustration of trying to train and not play, yet if you watched our bench during the games, you would never know it.”

Western Notes: Calderon, Miller, Durant

December 2nd, 2016 at 10:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With D’Angelo Russell out of the Lakers‘ lineup due to knee woes, Jose Calderon has assumed the role of starting point guard and has pleased coach Luke Walton with his play, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register writes. “He helps stabilize the first unit that has been a different lineup way too many times this year already,” Walton said. “Just having a veteran that knows how to play and can run an offense and knock down open shots, it’s been nice to have him to lean on when D’Angelo is out.”

While he’s happy with his recent bump in playing time, Calderon was content being a mentor to his much younger teammates, Medina adds. “I’m happy with the way things have been going. I’m comfortable out there every day and I’m feeling more comfortable with my teammates. I’m ready for whatever role,” Calderon said. “I’m here to help this team to win. It doesn’t matter what. If I’m on the bench, it’s the bench. If I’m playing five or 30 minutes, I’m good.”

Here’s more from out West:

Mike Miller, 36, is happy with his role as an older veteran on the Nuggets and says he’s still having too much fun playing to walk away from the game, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays. “I think the one thing you’ve got to learn in this league as you get older, is there’s different roles and responsibilities and you’ll be asked to do different things,” Miller said. “For me, I’m just thankful to be in a position to still be playing this game, and still get to practice against these guys every day, still get in the games, still a lot of fun for me.“
In a piece by Michael Pina of RealGM, the scribe examined what Eric Gordon brings to the Rockets, his value as a player and what he can do to successfully resurrect his career in Houston this season.
Warriors offseason signee Kevin Durant is finally getting used to his new home in Golden State, and the forward chatted with Chris Haynes of ESPN.com about a number of the issues and difficulties he faced in relocating from OKC to the West Coast.

Warriors Rumors: Durant, Jones, New Arena

December 1st, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant has quickly assimilated himself into the Warriors’ offense and his production is comparable to his MVP season in 2013/14, Sam Amick of USA Today points out. Durant is on pace to have the most efficient season of all time for a player averaging at least 25 points a game, Amick notes. The perennial All-Star forward has posted a player efficiency rating of 30.7, higher than the 29.8 PER he had during that MVP season with the Thunder. Unlike the struggles of the Heat’s Big Three during their first season together, the Warriors are already maximizing the talents of Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, as they are taking nearly the same amount of shots, Amick continues. The Warriors are averaging 117.6 points a game, which would make them the most prolific offense since the 1991-92 Warriors, Amick adds.

In other Warriors news:

First-round pick Damian Jones is unlikely to claim a rotation spot this season, GM Bob Myers said in a radio interview that was relayed on CSNBayArea.com. Jones has been shuttling between the Warriors and the team’s D-League affiliate the past two weeks after recovering from a pectoral injury. The 7-footer out of Vanderbilt has yet to make his NBA debut. He is averaging 2.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over 19.4 minutes per contest with the Santa Cruz Warriors. “It’s gonna be hard to crack our rotation,” Myers told radio station 95.7 The Game. “He hasn’t played basketball in seven months. He needs to play a lot more basketball. But we’re encouraged.
Rockets star guard James Harden wasn’t upset that Durant left the Rockets off his list of teams that he visited during free agency last summer, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “It would have been nice for a visit,” Harden told Watkins. “For himself and his family, he made the decision, and he’s very confident about it.”
Rick Welts, the team’s Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement the franchise plans to break ground soon on a new arena now that another legal hurdle has been cleared, according to Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. The California Appeals Court upheld a previous ruling that declared the Environmental Impact Report for the team’s site on San Francisco’s Mission Bay met all required standards. The ruling is likely to be appealed by the Mission Bay Alliance to the California Supreme Court, Poole continues. The Warriors plan to vacate Oracle Arena after the 2018/19 season and move into Chase Center in 2019, Poole adds.

Durant Surprised Celtics Fans Have Beef With Him

November 17th, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant is baffled by the notion that Celtics fans are angry at him for not signing with their team, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports.

Boston was one one of six clubs that had a meeting with Durant during free agency before the All-Star forward surprised nearly everyone by signing with the Warriors. The Celtics did land one of the biggest free agents on the market, power forward Al Horford, though he’s been sidelined this month by a concussion. Horford verbally agreed with the Celtics just before their brass met with Durant, giving them a chance to create their own ‘Super Team,’ according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

The Warriors make their annual trip to Boston on Friday.

“What can they be mad about?” Durant told Haynes and other members of the media. “I never played there. I never said I was going there. … No matter who goes in there, they’re going to boo them. But I have no attachment to Boston at all.”

Himmelsbach declares that Celtics fans felt abandoned by Durant, despite his lack of history with the club.

Durant said he has no beef with Celtics forward Jae Crowder, one of the players who tried to recruit him. Crowder criticized Durant this summer for selecting the Warriors.

“Why am I going to be mad about a guy who has an opinion? I respect all these players,” Durant told Haynes. “If they don’t respect what I did, I can’t control that.”

Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas, who was part of the team’s meeting with Durant, said he exchanged text messages with Durant last season and into the summer until he chose the Warriors, Himmselbach continues. But Thomas holds no animosity toward Durant, Himmelsbach adds.

“For whatever reason, he picked the Warriors,” Thomas told Himmelsbach and other media members. “I know one thing: He wanted to have fun playing basketball, and he thought the style of play and the coaching staff we had, it was fun playing here. He loves the style of play that we played at, and we just came up short.”

And-Ones: Oden, Durant, DeRozan

November 14th, 2016 at 10:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant doesn’t believe Greg Oden should be considered the biggest bust in NBA history, as he tells Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. “Nonsense. That’s nonsense,” Durant exclaimed. “In order for you to be a bust, you have to actually play and show people that you progressed as a player. He didn’t get a chance to.” Oden was the only player selected ahead of Durant in the 2007 draft.

Here’s more from around the league:

Durant added that he initially wanted to be drafted by the Blazers, Haynes writes in the same piece. “I definitely wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but I landed in a great situation,” Durant said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. I would love to play with LaMarcus [Aldridge] and Brandon Roy, but when I was the second pick, I was very excited to get to Seattle. We had traded Ray Allen, like, two picks later, and I was like, ‘Wow. They’re really opening it up for me and really allowing me to grow as a player.’ So I didn’t even worry about being the No. 1 pick after that. Once we traded Ray Allen, I was like, ‘This is my team.’ They’re going to allow me to grow and make my mistakes. So I was looking forward to it.”
DeMar DeRozan has been sensational this season and he credits his summer dedication for the elevation in his game, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes. “I didn’t get to enjoy the summer,” DeRozan said. “It was really one of them summers where it was just a sickening dedication to where I had a lot of days where it was [difficult]. It was really tough to be that self-motivated. It was all on me. It was no one saying you have to do it. I wanted to do it.” The shooting guard re-signed with the Raptors over the summer on a deal that will pay him $139MM over five years.