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Warriors Rumors: Durant, Curry, McGee, Jones

November 12th, 2016 at 1:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Retaining both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant beyond this season could prove difficult for the Warriors under the next CBA agreement, Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com examines in great detail. While the provisions in the new labor deal are unclear, Durant might have to leave money on the table to re-sign with Golden State, or opt in and take the $27.7MM salary in the final year of his two-year contract, in order to keep the Super Team together. As a non-Bird free agent if he opts out, Durant would likely have to take less than the max to stay put because of cap-space constraints, Feldman continues. The amount of cap space available will depend in part on the cap hold for Curry, who will become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and the hold could be significantly greater in the new CBA, Feldman explains. Max salary tiers could also rise, complicating the process even further, Feldman adds.

In other news regarding the Warriors:

Coach Steve Kerr wants to give reserve center JaVale McGee increased playing time, Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News reports. McGee sparked the team in his first chance to play rotation minutes against the Nuggets on Thursday, contributing 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes. “We’re looking at the first part of the season as somewhat experimental,” Kerr told Slater and other reporters. “We haven’t really given him a chance yet. You could see he gives us a dimension that we don’t have, throwing it up to the rim for a lob, which provides you extra spacing.” McGee was signed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract in September. His $1.4MM salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster January 10th.
Rookie center Damian Jones is expected to join the Warriors’ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz on November 20th and make his season debut there five days later, according to Connor Letorneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. The late first-round pick underwent surgery in June for a torn right pectoral muscle, which he suffered during a weight-lifting session. He is one of four centers on the NBA roster, along with McGee, Zaza Pachulia and Anderson Varejao, but Jones could spend much of the season in Santa Cruz. “He’s a kid, he’s a rookie, and it takes a while to get to know this league and understand how to be productive,” Kerr told Letorneau .“We’re not being overly hopeful for him to step in and play right away.”

Curry On 2017 Free Agency: “I Want To Be Here”

September 28th, 2016 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Along with the return to NBA players and coaches to training camps this week, we also got the return of players in contract years answering questions about their future plans. Of course, at this point in the league year, very few players – Rudy Gay excepted – will even hint that they may considering leaving their current teams next summer, and Stephen Curry provided no surprises on that front. Asked about his 2017 free agency, Curry replied, “I want to be here. That’s it” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Marc Stein).

The Warriors will head into the 2016/17 season as significant favorites, and if they can win another championship this season, there’s little doubt that Curry will continue his relationship with the franchise for the foreseeable future. Still, while it’s hard to imagine things not working out in Golden State upon Kevin Durant‘s arrival, there’s no guarantee it’ll be smooth sailing from now until next June, so we’ll have to wait to see how the year plays out.

As Stein tweets, Curry could be in line for a maximum-salary contract in the range of $165MM over five years next summer if he sticks with the Warriors. Those figures are based on the NBA’s most recent salary cap projection of $102MM for the 2017/18 league year, which would mean a starting salary of $28.8MM for players with Curry’s experience. If Curry were to sign with another team, his salary under a $102MM cap would max out at about $123MM over four years.

Curry ranked first in the initial installment of our 2017 free agent power rankings earlier this month, one spot ahead of his new Warriors teammate (Durant).

And-Ones: Roberson, Babcock, Ujiri

September 16th, 2016 at 8:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors executive Masai Ujiri noted that the decision to sign a multiyear extension with the team this offseason was an easy one, given his love for the city of Toronto, Lauren La Rose of The Toronto Star writes. “I love it here. I really do. Toronto is home for me,” Ujiri said. “We don’t go to another home in the States or somewhere else. This is our home. And I love the organization, I think they’ve treated me well. They’ve given it their all. It’s humbling for me for them to come to me and say: ‘Hey, let’s do this.’ And then the city, the fans, everybody — what else can you ask for?”

Here’s more from around the league:

With the offseason addition of guard Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, who is a natural shooting guard, will likely see extended time at small forward for the Thunder this season, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. The potential shift doesn’t trouble Roberson because coach Billy Donovan’s offensive scheme, Horne adds. “With our offense, the way we want to run it, it doesn’t really matter what position you’re in,” Roberson said. “We all kinda work together, jell together and have the offense cutting, moving and just sharing the ball more. It’s definitely going to be a fun year and more ball-oriented stuff, so it should be fun.”
Former Raptors and Wolves executive Rob Babcock is currently doing some consulting work to pass the time, with the former executive hoping to land another NBA post in the future, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Minnesota fired Babcock, who was the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations, back in May.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is from North Carolina, has mixed emotions regarding all the events that have pulled from the state due to a controversial bill that many say will lead to discrimination for LGBT people, The Associated Press relays. “I think it’s unfortunate for our city and our state to be under the microscope with HB2 and how it’s unfolded,” Curry said. “I’m all for equal and fair rights and treatment for everybody. Until it gets addressed, until some changes are made, this could be a recurring theme in North Carolina. I don’t want that happen.“

Western Notes: Chriss, Jazz, Curry

September 5th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Suns primary target with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft was Dragan Bender, due to his combination of size and skill, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes. But the franchise was also enamored with Marquese Chriss‘ potential, which prompted the team to work out a trade with the Kings to allow them to select the forward out of Washington, the scribe adds. “It’s an idea we came up with on the morning of the draft, once we had more information about who was likely to go where,” Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough said. “We felt like if the Celtics took Jaylen Brown at No. 3, which they did, and we took either Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss, the next three picks would be guards. That’s exactly the way it happened: Kris Dunn to Minnesota, Buddy Hield to New Orleans and Jamal Murray to Denver.”

Discussions between Phoenix and Sacramento regarding the No. 8 pick began a week prior to the draft, Thomsen notes.. “It’s really hard to acquire picks in the mid-lottery,” said McDonough. “We knew Sacramento would consider dropping down from 8 to 13 if we made it worth their while. But both teams wanted to get on the clock in the draft to see who was still available on the board. We took Dragan and said, let’s see what we can do to get No. 8 and get both of them. We think those two guys are perfect for the modern NBA, where athleticism and shooting and defensive versatility is at a premium, and they were the two best guys in the draft at those things.”

Here’s more from out West:

The Jazz have set themselves up for a big season, adding a number of veterans to their solid young core. But the talent the team has accumulated will become markedly more expensive over the next few season if the team wishes to keep the roster together, Tony Jone of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. “Post Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz have had some decent years, most notably with Deron Williams and Paul Millsap,” said Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. “They’ve done a great job in building this current team, but now this is a key moment. Gordon Hayward can leave, Rudy Gobert is up for an extension. The front office has to make decisions now for the long term. They need to show who they are, and the players need to show they are a core worth building around.”
Warriors guard Stephen Curry finally made himself watch Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, telling Darren Rovell of ESPN.com that he is using the loss as motivation for the coming season. “I was a little mad at myself and getting back into the grind of working out for next season,” Curry said. “I think it was a good motivator to get back into the gym and keep working. I wasn’t 100%, but who cares? I was playing. I was out there trying to help my team win and that’s all that really matters. I’ve taken advantage of the summer to get right and I still have a little bit of work to go.“

Eastern Notes: Bosh, Clifford, Smart

August 30th, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It remains to be seen if the Heat‘s medical staff will allow Chris Bosh, who has missed significant time the past two seasons due to blood clot issues, to take the court this campaign. Regardless of the team’s opinion, the forward has left little doubt regarding his desire to do so, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. Bosh posted a video on Snapchat earlier this week showing him working out, as well as posting a message where he said, “I know I’ve been gone for a moment, but now I’m back. Everybody is always asking me am I hooping? Yes, I’m hooping. Absolutely. I’m a hooper.”

Bosh still believes the team should medically clear him to play, though the front office hasn’t given any indication that it will do so, but the team does say that it is trying to find an agreeable solution, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes (Twitter links). Miami strongly disputes any notion that it is trying to clear Bosh’s salary of $23,741,060 for this season of its books, Jackson adds.

Here’s more from the East:

Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is one of the most undervalued assets in the league, Jonny Auping of RealGM posits. The scribe notes that Clifford’s squads have been some of the hardest to score on in the league despite giving heavy minutes to unheralded defensive players like Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. The strength of Clifford’s system, as well as the positive team chemistry he fosters, could potentially be seen as a draw should Stephen Curry decide to leave the Warriors and return to his home state, Auping adds.
Marcus Smart is in line to become a bigger part of the Celtics offense now that Evan Turner is no longer a member of the team, something the guard is looking forward to, Logan Mullen of WEEI 93.7 FM notes. “Becoming more aggressive. Becoming more of an offensive threat,” Smart said when asked how he will raise his overall game. “I’m improving and trying to improve every aspect of my game. Trying to become more of a second to third, fourth option on the team in scoring, assists and everything. Just anything I can do to help my team on the offensive end.” Smart also expects to take on more of a leadership role this season, Mullen adds. “I’m ecstatic about it,” Smart said. “This is a great opportunity for anybody, and there’s a lot of people who would die to be in the situation I’m in, so it’s a blessing and I’m ready to step up, like I said. I’m ready for more responsibility, especially as a leader and that role and that aspect. It’s crazy because being able to say that this is a guy who is a leader on the team and it’s only his third year, it’s incredible.”

Six Teams Solidify Meetings With Kevin Durant

June 27th, 2016 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

8:08pm: Durant will not meet with his hometown Wizards, J. Michael of CSNMidatlantic.com reports. The Wizards have already moved on with their free agency plans, as league sources told Michael that the idea of returning home “doesn’t resonate” with Durant.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Durant and his representatives have now scheduled meetings with the Celtics, Clippers, and Heat, bringing the total number of meetings on tap for KD to six, reports ESPN’s Chris Broussard. A meeting with the Knicks also remains in play, but hasn’t yet been confirmed.

FRIDAY, 10:44pm: The Warriors, Spurs and Thunder will be the first three teams to land face-to-face recruiting meetings with Kevin Durant, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein adds that the meetings will take place next week and more teams are expected to be granted an opportunity to make a pitch. Durant’s representatives are working to solidify meetings with the Celtics, Clippers and Heat in addition to the aforementioned teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports.

Both the Warriors and Spurs are planning on having key members of their respective organizations in attendance, Stein adds. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be among the attendees for Golden State’s pitch, while San Antonio will have Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan among the attendees at its meeting. Sources tell Stein that the Warriors believe their chances of landing Durant have increased as a result of losing to the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Earlier this week, a source suggested to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that the Warriors appear to be the biggest threat to land the 2013/14 MVP should he leave Oklahoma City.

Durant is expected to have his agent Rich Kleiman and a few family members and friends alongside him during the initial meetings. The meetings are expected to take place in New York, according to Wojnarowski, although teams are still awaiting official word. It was reported last week that the meetings would take place in Los Angeles, where Durant owns a home.

The Knicks and Lakers remain hopeful about getting a meeting, Stein adds. Despite no definite report of a future meeting with Durant, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets that the Knicks are expected to get one.

The Rockets are not expected to get serious consideration, as was previously reported, and Stein adds that the Wizards are not optimistic about their chances of landing Durant.

Durant’s top priority for a destination remains competing for a championship and doing it immediately. A source tells Wojnarowski that Durant has plans to go on a publicity tour starting on July 9, and he expects to make a decision before that date.

Northwest Notes: Durant, Westbrook, Dixon

June 19th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agency won’t be the only item on Kevin Durant‘s summer schedule, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The former MVP plans to be part of the U.S. Olympic team and may be the biggest name on a roster that has already lost Stephen Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Stein reports that Durant is considered a sure thing for the team, along with Klay Thompson and Paul George. They will join DeMarcus Cousins, whose participation was first reported by Marc Spears of The Undefeated. Kyrie Irving is considered almost certain to join the team, while officials are waiting to hear from LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The full 12-man roster is expected to be announced soon.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Westbrook is making a smart decision to skip the Summer Games, contends Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. With Rio de Janeiro beset by a financial crisis, reports of drug-resistant super bacteria on the beaches and possibly the Zika virus present, Tramel believes that presents too many risks for NBA players.
At age 38, Nazr Mohammed has probably played his last NBA game, according to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Mohammed signed with the Thunder in March, but appeared in just five games and served mostly as a mentor to younger players, in particular giving defensive tips to Enes Kanter. Mohammed said he won’t try to play again next season and would like to someday become a GM. “That’s my five-year, 10-year plan,” he said. “To one day run my own organization.”
Mike Dixon Jr. has received a passport from the nation of Georgia and will participate in the Blazers‘ free agent camp Monday, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Dixon was a senior at Memphis in 2014 and played in the Czech Republic this season.
The Nuggets are facing an unpredictable draft with three picks in the first round, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey lists shooting, shot blocking and toughness as Denver’s top needs and speculates that a significant roster shakeup could happen by draft night.

And-Ones: Murray, Bogdanovic, Miller, Zipser

June 11th, 2016 at 9:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

After being rated 16th among points guards in his high school class, Washington’s Dejounte Murray may be the third one taken in the NBA draft, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Murray had a solo workout for the Suns on Friday, shortly after a session with the Jazz. He will also work out for the Bulls, Bucks and Pelicans before draft day arrives. “He’s not afraid to mix it up,” said Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough. “He’s not afraid of contact for a thin guy. He’s got a bright future. He’s probably one of the top point guard prospects in the draft.”

Here’s more news from around the NBA:

Phoenix is waiting for Bogdan Bogdanovic’s Turkish league playoffs to end before talking about his plans for next season, Coro reveals in the same piece. The Suns‘ 2014 first-round pick, Bogdanovic is in the league finals with Fenerbahce.
With Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden announcing they won’t participate in the Olympics, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo may add another point guard to the roster, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. Chris Paul and John Wall have already been ruled out because of injuries, so Team USA is left with Kyrie Irving, Mike Conley and Damian Lillard.
Quincy Miller, who played with three teams during his three-year NBA career, will sign with Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. Miller will receive $2.6MM over two seasons with an opt-out clause for the NBA next summer. He won ABA League and Serbian championships this season with Crvena Zvezda. Miller was drafted by Denver in 2012 and spent his first two seasons with the Nuggets. His last NBA experience came in brief stints with the Kings and Pistons in 2014/15.
German star Paul Zipser had a standout performance at today’s adidas Eurocamp, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The 6’8″ small forward has several private workouts scheduled with NBA teams and has a chance to be drafted late in the first round or early in the second round.

Pacific Rumors: Curry, Olympics, Clippers, Suns

June 6th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Stephen Curry is just two wins away from his second consecutive NBA championship, but whether or not the Warriors finish off the Cavaliers, this year’s MVP reportedly won’t try to add a 2016 Olympic gold medal to his résumé. According to Marcus Thompson of The Bay Area News Group, Curry has decided not to play in this year’s Olympics in Brazil, opting instead to let his right knee heal.

While Curry’s decision to get healthy doesn’t come as a surprise, it remains to be seen how many other NBA players will back out of the Olympics in Brazil due to health or safety concerns. Thompson writes that other Warriors players like Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson could opt out due to concerns about the Zika virus epidemic, but neither has informed USA Basketball of such a decision at this point. For his part, Draymond Green tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link) that he “would love to play” in Rio this summer.

Let’s check out a few more updates from out of the Pacific…

The Clippers are telling player agents that they’re trying to move up in the first round of the draft, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether or not Los Angeles, currently slated to pick 25th and 33rd, is eyeing a particular prospect.
Former California forward Jaylen Brown, projected as a potential top-10 pick, has a solo workout today with the Suns, who hold the No. 4 and No. 13 picks in this year’s draft (Twitter link).
Manhattan’s Jermaine Lawrence‘s pre-draft workout with the Warriors was originally scheduled to take place today, but it has been pushed back to June 11th, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Curry, Blatt, Shaw, Crawford

May 22nd, 2016 at 1:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has earned a raise, but the Warriors can’t afford to renegotiate, writes Danny Leroux of The Sporting News. Curry will receive a little more than $12.1MM next season in the final year of his contract, about half of what other top stars make. Working out a new deal over the summer would prevent Curry from reaching free agency, but it would also upend the team’s salary structure, Leroux warns.

Curry is eligible for a new contract because he will be entering the fifth year of his current deal. However, any raise he receives — and it would surely be a maximum contract starting in the neighborhood of $25.9MM — would drain Golden State’s cap space. The Warriors plan to operate under the cap this summer, and a new contract for Curry could cost the team Harrison Barnes or Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli. Also, the NBA limits renegotiated extensions to four seasons, which would include 2016/17. If Curry waits until free agency next summer, he can receive a five-year contract that would run through 2021/22, and he could receive even more money if max deals are increased as part of a 2017 labor renegotiation.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

David Blatt is not on Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s short list to become his top assistant, tweets Monte Poole of CSNBayArea. Kerr was interested in Blatt for the position two years ago.
Brian Shaw is nearing a return to the Lakers as lead assistant, but the rest of Luke Walton’s staff is uncertain, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Shaw, who was an assistant in L.A. under Phil Jackson from 2005-11, was also rumored to be a candidate for assistant posts with the Pacers and Magic, Oram reports. He adds that no one knows if any members of former head coach Byron Scott’s staff will be retained, as Walton may seek coaches with ties to the Lakers or he may try to lure other assistants from Golden State, where Walton had been serving as lead assistant.
Shaw’s hiring is imminent, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News, who says the two sides are finalizing the contract.
It wouldn’t take a playoff team to pry free agent combo guard Jamal Crawford away from the Clippers, tweets Noah Coslov of CineSport. “Definitely money, situation, could be a team on the rise,” Crawford said in listing his priorities in an interview on Bleacher Report Radio. “Doesn’t have to be contender.”