Kevin Durant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Notes: Durant, Waiters, Mohammed

June 1st, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Durant, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, said the two most important factors for him in deciding where to play next season will be a strong environment and solid personnel around him, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman relays. “Just when I sit down and think about it — to be honest, I haven’t put that list together, I guess,” Durant responded when asked what he is looking for in a team. “Just being around great people, being in a great basketball environment, that’s the two most important things for me. That’s all I really care about. Who I’m going to be doing life with every single day, who I’m going to be playing basketball with every day.”

The small forward also noted that the reports he wants to be courted by prospective teams are not true, Slater adds. “I never said that. That’s not who I am. Whatever this thing entails, I’m ready to take it head on, but I’m not that type of person,” Durant said. “I mean, that’s not really — like I said, the two most important things for me is being around great people and having fun playing basketball. All that other stuff that comes with, being who I am and being in this position, it’s not really what I’m concerned with. So I never said that, obviously. You could say that about any player in this position, but yeah.”

Here’s more from OKC:

Shooting guard Dion Waiters is eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but said that he hopes to return to the Thunder next season, Slater writes in a separate article. “Of course,” Waiters said when asked if he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. “Why not? Since I got here I feel as though they have helped me become a better person off the court. It’s not even about basketball. I’ve never been connected with a group of guys like this that I’m actually close to. Why not? The best fans in the world. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back.”
Veteran big man Nazr Mohammed said he would like to become an NBA GM in the future, Slater tweets. It’s unclear if the 38-year-old intends to retire and pursue a front-office position this summer. Mohammed will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after appearing in just five contests this past season.
Assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team next season, head coach Billy Donovan said, Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear if Williams will take the season off to deal with family matters in the wake of his wife’s tragic passing or if he intends to catch on with another team.
Nick Collison, Randy Foye and Anthony Morrow all said that they expect to be back with the team, but noted that much of the Thunder’s offseason plans depend on what Durant decides, Slater relays in a series of tweets. Collison’s deal for 2016/17 is fully guaranteed, but Foye is set to become an unrestricted free agent and Morrow’s pact is non-guaranteed.

Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Durant, Heat, Wizards

June 1st, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

In our Tuesday round-up of the latest Kevin Durant-related free agency rumors, we passed along a list of 10 teams – including the Thunder – who will likely attempt to land Durant if given the chance this summer. Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds another club to that list, writing that the Hawks – and owner Tony Ressler – are expected to make “a strong push” for the perennial All-Star.

Of course, Schultz himself acknowledges that Atlanta’s odds of landing Durant are extremely slim, suggesting that a return to Oklahoma City is the likeliest scenario for the 27-year-old. But until Durant officially puts pen to paper and signs a new contract, teams around the NBA will prepare their strongest pitches for him, and the Hawks haven’t yet given up hope.

Here’s more from around the NBA’s Southeast division:

Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat will be able to recruit a top free agent to a roster that may lack Chris Bosh. If Bosh is unable to play next season, it would limit Miami’s cap flexibility and would likely make the team less appealing to free agents.
J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com doesn’t view any of the Raptors’ pending free agents as ideal fits for the Wizards, but suggests that a less expensive big man with a skill set similar to Bismack Biyombo‘s would be perfect for Washington.
Former Stony Brook forward Jameel Warney will be among the prospects working out for the Wizards today, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

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.

Western Notes: Durant, Nedovic, Warriors

May 31st, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Durant, fresh off the Thunder being eliminated by Golden State in the playoffs, said it was too soon for him to start thinking about where he will be playing next season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. “I mean, we just lost like 30 minutes ago, so I haven’t even thought about it,” Durant, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, said. “I’m just embracing my teammates and just reflecting on the season. I’ll think about that stuff, I don’t know when. But we just lost an hour ago, 30 minutes ago, so I don’t know.”

“There’s no moral victories in our locker room after the game,” a frustrated Durant continued. “We’re all upset. We wanted to get a chance to play for a championship in the Finals, so that hurts. But when you sit down and look back at what happened throughout the season, you can be proud of not just the players, but everybody in the organization, from the top to the bottom, people that you guys don’t know or ever see contribute to what we bring out on the court. That’s just pride, effort, passion, love for the game. Pure love for the game every single night, and that comes from just walking into our practice facility every single day and feeling those vibes and feeling that energy from everyone. I’m just proud of what we’ve all been through this season. We stuck together and we sacrificed for each other. That’s just what makes this game so special.”

Here’s the latest from out West:

Former Warriors point guard Nemanja Nedovic inked a two-year contract extension to remain with the Spanish club Unicaja Malaga, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 24-year-old former first-rounder last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 campaign. Nedovic had given up $599,760 of his $1.104MM guaranteed salary in a buyout deal to secure his release from Golden State after he had grown unhappy with his lack of playing time.
Golden State has been rumored to be “significant” frontrunners for Durant should he leave the Thunder this summer, and current Warriors forward Andre Iguodala noted that it would be entertaining to play alongside the “Slim Reaper,” Jimmy Durkin of The Mercury News relays. “He made some really tough shots, which is what I expected,” Iguodala said of Durant. “He’s a fighter and competitor and fought to the end. It must be fun playing with a guy like that. Unless I’m not playing with him.” Of course, the rub for Iguodala is that it would be extremely difficult for the team to retain him and his 2016/17 salary of $11,131,368 and sign Durant to a max deal. This is regardless of whether or not Golden State retains restricted free agents Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli, though keeping both would make adding Durant virtually impossible without some significant corresponding roster moves.
Speculating on Durant’s impending free agency, ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links) noted that many league insiders predict the forward will ink a two-year deal to remain with the Thunder that includes an opt-out after the first season. The scribe lists the Wizards, Heat, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Lakers, Spurs and Warriors as the teams expected to make the most aggressive pitches for Durant this summer.

Rockets Notes: Free Agency, Beasley, D’Antoni

May 28th, 2016 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets should concentrate on shooters in free agency if their primary targets don’t work out, recommends Kevin P. Smith of Real GM. Houston is hoping to meet with Kevin Durant and Al Horford, two of the top names in the free agent class, but if neither player comes to Houston, Smith believes 3-point marksmen should be the priority in new coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense. The writer mentions Brandon Jennings and Jerryd Bayless as possible backups to Patrick Beverley, and suggests Ryan Anderson and Mirza Teletovic as potential front court prospects. Smith also says the Rockets could have interest in Marvin Williams, Jeff Green, Derrick Williams, Marreese Speights and Al Jefferson.

Two late-season additions, Michael Beasley and Andrew Goudelock, are likely to stay in Houston for another season, Smith says in the same piece. Beasley, who played most of last season in China, averaged 12.8 points per night in 20 games after joining the Rockets. Houston has a $1.4MM team option on Beasley for 2016/17. Goudelock only made it into eight games after signing with the Rockets in March, but a $1,015,696 team option gives him a chance to stick around.
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander chose the “big, splashy name” when he hired D’Antoni this week, charges Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Smith writes that the Rockets should have hired Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, and that D’Antoni is the wrong choice to bring the discipline and emphasis on defense that the Rockets need to improve on a 41-41 season.
Free agents will be more likely to consider Houston because of D’Antoni’s history of helping his players land big contracts, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com. Adande lists Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amar’e Stoudemire and Jodie Meeks as players who struck it big in free agency after playing in D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.

And-Ones: Rose Rule, Noah, Draft, Roc Nation

May 27th, 2016 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Two standout NBA players were significantly impacted by Thursday’s announcement of this year’s All-NBA teams, with Damian Lillard receiving some good news while Anthony Davis got hit with bad news. By earning a spot on the All-NBA second team, Lillard ensured that his max extension, which goes into effect for the coming season, would increase from 25% of the Trail Blazers‘ cap to 27.5%, guaranteeing him an extra $12MM+ over the life of the deal. Conversely, since he missed out on All-NBA honors this year, Davis will have his max extension count for 25% of the Pelicans‘ cap rather than 30%, costing him nearly $25MM over the next five years.

In a column for The Vertical, Bobby Marks takes a closer at Lillard’s and Davis’ situations with the Blazers and Pelicans, respectively, and argues that the NBA needs to revamp what’s known as the Derrick Rose Rule. As Marks points out, the criteria for the Rose Rule hinges on fan and media votes, and it doesn’t seem right that those votes should have such a huge impact on a player’s earnings.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the NBA…

Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders identifies five potential landing spots for Joakim Noah if he leaves the Bulls, starting with Minnesota, where Noah’s former coach Tom Thibodeau is set to take the reins.
Chad Ford’s latest Insider-only dispatch at ESPN.com includes plenty of interesting notes on prospects like Buddy Hield, Kris Dunn, Marquese Chriss, and others. Among Ford’s tidbits: Chriss is generally viewed as a candidate to be picked in the No. 7-10 range, but teams as high as the Suns (No. 4) are considering the power forward out of Washington.
Within an in-depth look at Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z’s sports agency, Rick Maese of The Washington Post speaks to Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant‘s agent at Roc Nation. “We know this is a big deal and a big moment in his career,” Kleiman said of Durant’s impending free agency. “We also have to be his guiding light in this. We can’t let the pressure of the situation be bigger than it is. Obviously, we understand all eyes are looking at him and looking at his decisions, and people want to see how we’re going to handle it, too.”
In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Eric Pincus takes an in-depth look at how the NBA’s playoff pool works, and which teams are benefiting most from the postseason bonus money.

Western Notes: Howard, Felton, Thomas

May 26th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets guard Jason Terry doesn’t believe that center Dwight Howard is a lock to opt out of his deal this summer and test free agency, as he told Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “He has yet to opt out,” Terry said. “Again, it’s just going to depend on if you get the right coach in there. At this point in his career, he’s not going to be the focal point offensively. They’ve made that clear. He’s gonna have to, if he remains in Houston, buy into the role fully, commit himself to setting screens, rebounding, running the floor, blocking shots and working on his free throws, obviously.” Terry’s comments were made prior to the reports that Mike D’Antoni would be the team’s new head coach, which may significantly impact Howard’s thinking given the two did not mesh well together in Los Angeles.

Here’s more from out West:

The Mavericks could benefit by re-signing Raymond Felton this summer after his solid 2015/16 campaign, though the team should only do so if he is willing to accept the salary of a backup player, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. Felton made 80 appearances this season, including 30 starts, and he averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per outing.
Former NBA player Adonis Thomas will attend mini-camps with the Rockets, Spurs and Jazz, his agent Travis King informed Jorge Sierra of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). The 23-year-old swingman appeared in six games during the 2013/14 campaign for the Sixers and Magic.
If Kevin Durant leaves the Thunder as a free agent this offseason, he will also be leaving behind Russell Westbrook, whose presence has played a significant part in Durant’s success thus far in his career, Ben Alamar of ESPN.com writes.

Heat Notes: Durant, Deng, Johnson

May 23rd, 2016 at 9:17am CST by Dana Gauruder

Oklahoma City’s surprising playoff run means there’s virtually no chance that Kevin Durant will land with the Heat as a free agent, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel opines. Unless he’s desperate to get out of Oklahoma City, Durant has no real incentive to leave a team that can win championships, Hyde continues. While the Heat still must make an effort to contact Durant during free agency, it’s now clearcut that re-signing center Hassan Whiteside is their biggest offseason priority, Hyde adds.

In other news regarding the Heat:

Retaining free agent small forward Luol Deng will be difficult if the Heat manage to retain Whiteside, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. It will be tough to make the salary-cap math work in that scenario, as Deng likely will have suitors willing to immediately pay a number the Heat would hesitate to match while wooing Whiteside, Winderman continues. Starting point guard Goran Dragic could be traded to free up cap space, while Dwyane Wade is likely to finish his career in Miami, Winderman adds while examining the roster.
Restricted free agent Tyler Johnson might interest the point-guard starved Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post speculates. Johnson is quite versatile and would be a good fit if New York continues to run the triangle offense under new coach Jeff Hornacek.
Continuity under team president Pat Riley and a stable coaching staff are the Heat’s greatest assets, Hyde writes in a separate piece. The belief that the Heat will regain their status as a prime title contender starts with Riley, according to Hyde, adding that Riley’s biggest decision this summer is whether the team should splurge on an outside free agent or wait until next year.

Heat Notes: Durant, Whiteside, McRoberts, Johnson

May 22nd, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are treating Kevin Durant like a long shot and concentrating their free agency efforts on keeping Hassan Whiteside, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami intends to make an offer to Durant, but Jackson says the team’s intentions were clear when president Pat Riley called Whiteside the priority this week.

Miami might have a better shot at signing an outside free agent next summer, Jackson writes, even if Whiteside returns at a max or near-max contract. Dwyane Wade can free up some money if he agrees to another one-year contract or a two-year deal with an opt out after one season. Even if Chris Bosh is able to keep playing and his $25.3MM counts against the Heat’s cap, the franchise could have about $26MM to use next summer, possibly closer to $32MM if it can find a taker for Josh McRoberts. That would be enough to re-sign Wade and add a player such as Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, Danilo Gallinari, Taj Gibson, Andre Iguodala, Tony Allen or J.J. Redick.

There’s more out of Miami:

The Heat will gauge the trade market for McRoberts, but the front office recognizes his value in case Bosh can’t play, Jackson writes in the same story. Miami might prefer to keep Luol Deng, who filled in for Bosh this season, but the offers he will get in free agency might be more than Miami can afford. “When you watch players play with [McRoberts], who know how to play with him, they’re very effective,” Riley said. “… We’re still high on him. We’re praying all the time he stays healthy.”
Joe Johnson may not stay with the Heat if he wants a quick decision in free agency, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Winderman expects many variables to play out, including whether coach Erik Spoelstra wants to make Justise Winslow his starting small forward. If that happens, the Heat would prefer to add another shooter to the starting lineup, a role Bosh can fill if he’s healthy. The Heat may want to fill their salary cap with other players first and then offer Johnson its $2.9MM “room” mid-level exception. However, he could get a better offer from another team before that happens.
After passing on Devin Booker to draft Winslow last year, the Heat need to concentrate on finding shooters this summer, Winderman contends in a separate piece. Their 7-for-25 performance from 3-point range in Game 7 against the Raptors underlined the need for improvement, but Spoestra said the team won’t be searching for just one skill. “Teams are built differently; teams can win in different ways,” he said. “… The most important thing is finding the best fits around the players you currently have, and can players bring out the best in each other?”

Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Durant, Free Agents

May 16th, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Following their Game 7 loss to the Raptors on Sunday, the Heat will begin their offseason preparation in earnest, and Hassan Whiteside – who was sidelined for most of the team’s series against Toronto – will play a key role in Miami’s summer. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, there will be “considerable debate” within the organization over the next several weeks about whether or not to offer Whiteside a max deal.

Of course, before the Heat can even move forward in negotiations with Whiteside, the club will have to determine whether Kevin Durant will be a realistic free agent target, says Jackson — the Oklahoma City star would be Miami’s top priority in free agency if he’s available, and if the Heat could land Durant, the odds of keeping Whiteside would decline significantly. So the team may need to get a read on Durant’s intentions before getting serious about retaining Whiteside.

Let’s check in on a few other notable issues and decisions facing the Heat this summer…

Even if Chris Bosh isn’t healthy enough to return to the Heat next season, the team wouldn’t be able to excise his cap number from the books until at least February 2017, notes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. If Bosh remains on the cap but is unable to play, the Heat will essentially be operating with about 75% of the salary cap flexibility of the rest of the league’s teams, says Winderman.
We rounded up some postgame comments from the Heat’s pending free agents after Sunday’s game, and Winderman goes a little more in-depth on those comments in his own Sun Sentinel piece, with Udonis Haslem, Joe Johnson, and Amar’e Stoudemire among the free-agents-to-be who offered their thoughts on a potential return.
Within a pair of recent mailbags, Winderman explored whether Joe Johnson has a future in Miami beyond this season, whether or not Whiteside deserves a max deal, and whether there would be a market for Goran Dragic if the Heat made him available via trade.