NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kevin Durant, Possible Taj Gibson Trade and More

In case you had forgotten, the NBA news cycle takes a while to settle down after the Finals. The annual draft brought plenty of excitement Thursday, just four days after the Cleveland Cavaliers secured the title, and now the upcoming free-agency period is grabbing headlines.

This summer, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant is the biggest catch on the market. However, several other stars a tier or two below Durant are also mulling their decisions, all of which could significantly affect the league’s landscape for 2016-17 and beyond. And there are always potential trades to get excited about.

A new development has surfaced on the Durant front, so we’ll check in with that. But let’s also run through some recent storylines surrounding a couple of Chicago Bulls big men.

Kevin Durant

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

On Friday, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Durant's representatives were looking to solidify free-agency meetings starting July 1 at a singular location with six different teams: the Thunder, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Wojnarowski added that the Thunder are still the favorites to re-sign their superstar forward, likely on a two-year deal that would give Durant a chance to opt out next summer.

However, according to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Thunder won't retain Durant without a fight from the other squads. On Sunday, Kyler reported none of the former MVP's upcoming meetings are only formalities:

Durant's search for the right team with which to continue his future Hall of Fame career is off to a great start. The squads he plans to meet with are the league's most professional organizations—all six of the aforementioned teams would be sure to surround him with strong talent that could help him win his first championship ring.

It’s no wonder that Oklahoma City looks like the favorite at the moment, though. Not only did the squad come close to beating the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, but it also agreed to a draft-night trade with the Orlando Magic that brought in more firepower. Serge Ibaka will be gone next year, but Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis should be more than enough to replace his impact.

Durant would make any of the teams listed above a title contender. There doesn’t seem to be a wrong move for him if he sticks to those squads, but returning to the familiarity of Oklahoma City may be the right choice.

Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson has given the Bulls seven productive seasons—far exceeding the impact anyone could have predicted for him after the team selected him 26th overall in 2009. But it looks like his time in Chicago may be coming to an end.

On Sunday, the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported the Bulls are talking to several teams about a trade for Gibson, who has one year and $8.9 million left on his contract. 

Brett Davis/Associated Press

Speculation over Gibson’s departure has popped up now and then over the past couple of years, but all that buzz may finally come to fruition in the offseason. The Bulls seem to be ready to tear it down after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and they’ve already traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks and considered trading Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, per The Vertical’s Shams Charania.

Any squad looking for a veteran presence and defensive-minded rotation big man would be lucky to nab the 31-year-old power forward at the right price (no high first-round picks or blue-chip prospects in return). Gibson’s best days are likely behind him, but he can still play 15 to 20 minutes per game on a title contender.

Joakim Noah

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of the Bulls’ imminent offseason purge, the team is also looking like it has no shot at retaining its longtime center, Joakim Noah. Cowley uncovered some developments regarding Chicago and Noah:

"

A source close to the situation not only shot down a report last month that the Bulls and Noah were having early 'positive dialogue' on coming back together, but reiterated a Sun-Times story from late May in which Noah was telling teammates that he had no trust in the direction the front office was taking the team. … According to the source, Noah and his agent, Bill Duffy, have already been gathering information on possible destinations, with a specific priority list in mind. First and foremost, Noah wants a chance to win. Followed closely by a chance to start, as well as finish games, and also a team that will continue to get behind his Noah’s Arc Foundation.

"

The writing is on the wall for Bulls fans—their longtime leader is not coming back. But if Cowley’s report is true, Noah is putting teams in a difficult position with his priority list. 

Considering the 31-year-old’s age and extensive injury history, he’s not good enough to be a full-time starter on a good team anymore. His 4.3 points per game last season on terrible efficiency (38.3 percent shooting from the field and 48.9 percent from the free-throw line) overshadowed his above-average defense, rebounding and passing.

The team that ends up with Noah will have to toe the fine line between giving him a significant role and putting him in a position that could doom the squad offensively.