NBA Rumors: Latest on Bradley Beal, Celtics Rotation and Nets D-League Team

Get used to the Kevin Durant free-agency talk. It's only starting to heat up.

The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar will soon be a free agent. This isn't a new development, but there will be discussions and speculation on where Durant will play next year between now and July.

One of those teams happen to be Durant's hometown Washington Wizards, who have long been linked to Durant for years. If Durant decides to go back home, this could bring up one huge question: What will the Wizards do with Bradley Beal?

Let's take a look at what Beal thinks about free agency, as well as other items of note for two Eastern Conference teams.

Beal "Not Looking" to Leave Wizards

One minute, you hit game-winning three-pointers against the San Antonio Spurs; the next, you're discussing your impending free-agency adventure.

Beal is set to be a restricted free agent this upcoming summer, and it was the Wizards' choice not to extend their young star guard's contract by the rookie-scale extension deadline on Monday.

Either way, Beal is set to get paid come July. It just comes down to which team he wants to play for next year, but early indications are that Beal wants to be in Washington, D.C. regardless of the team's plans for Durant, according to Yahoo Sports' Michael Lee:

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This is where I want to be. I'm not looking at any other teams. I'm not looking to go anywhere else. I believe in this team we have in this locker room. I'm a big cornerstone of this team, so I'm here. I want to be here. Hopefully, the front office knows that. I'm pretty sure that they know that. It's a business at the end of the day. I can't let that affect the way I play, nor will I ever let it.

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The level of maturity displayed by the 22-year-old Beal in this interview was through the roof.

Typical knowledge would say that this is the answer one would expect only four games into a new NBA season, but the offseason chatter will never rest. If Beal really wants to stay with the Wizards beyond this year, whether or not Durant returns to D.C. or not, he's going to get paid handsomely. The only issue left to resolve at that point will be whether Beal will sign an offer sheet from another team.

Beal understands that the No. 1 goal heading into the summer is to try to steal Durant from the Thunder, creating a Big Three with John Wall that would rival any team in the NBA, let alone the Eastern Conference:

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That's the goal. Obviously, that's the goal. I trust what they're doing. I understand what they're doing. I have no [anger] toward [team president] Ernie [Grunfeld] or anyone else in the organization. I know at the end of the day, this is where I'm going to be and hopefully that I continue to be here.

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That will almost surely be the case, as a lot of teams would surely like to have a 40 percent three-point shooter in his early 20s on their rosters.

Celtics Rotation A Work In Progress

The Boston Celtics are a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference, but head coach Brad Stevens is finding out that too much depth may not always be a good thing.

Despite being a young and talented team, the Celtics are off to a 1-3 start. There's plenty of time to get things going, but there are players who saw a good amount of minutes last year who've barely seen the floor this year.

Stevens' challenge early on may be doing something he hasn't done since becoming an NBA head coach: shortening the rotation to nine or 10 players, according to Scott Souza of the Providence Journal:

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There are two ways to do it: No. 1, create separation, or No. 2, just decide on a course of action. We are probably closer to deciding on a course of action. Maybe that will change a little from game to game. But as long as there is some evenness there, that’s your choice. That’s Plan B. That’s not a fun plan. But other than tweaking a guy a night, or two guys a night, [choosing and] sticking with a tighter rotation may be preferable.

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Boston big men Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk were on the bench for the entire second half against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Jared Sullinger, who scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds on Wednesday, got the start for Boston. 

It's going to be an even bigger challenge for Stevens once his roster is fully healthy. Marcus Smart (toe) and Amir Johnson (ankle) have been dealing with nagging injuries so far. Once they return, it could signal more backcourt and frontcourt crowding for the Celtics. It could also mean plenty of small ball, as noted by Jay King of Mass Live:

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Big men Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk both sat for the entire second half of Wednesday's loss as Stevens called on smaller bench lineups with Jonas Jerebko at power forward. Despite a stable of capable power forwards and center, Stevens said he won't hesitate to go small if that's what's best for the team.

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One thing seems to be sure with the Celtics: If this is still an issue come February, Boston could be a very active player in free agency. There are plenty of pieces like Olynyk and Smart who could be used to trim the roster and give the Celtics some quality assets in return.

Nets' New D-League Team Heading to Nassau Coliseum

The Brooklyn Nets have gone the last two years without a D-League team, but that will not be the case next season. A formal announcement is expected Friday, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

It also turns out the Nets will have a home for said D-League team by 2017, that being the renovated Nassau Coliseum, according to Bontemps: "Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark let the cat out of the bag Thursday morning at the groundbreaking of the renovation of Nassau Coliseum, saying there would be a 'major announcement' about professional basketball coming to the Coliseum in the future."

The Nets had a D-League team for five seasons, 2009-14, before the Detroit Pistons moved the Springfield Armor to Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team, reportedly called the Long Island Nets according to NetsDaily.com, will play one year at the Barclays Center before heading to the renovated Coliseum the following year.

With three more teams on the way from the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Nets, the D-League will have 22 teams. Eight more will result in one for each NBA team, which could make the D-League a true minor league system in the future. If that happens, it could be a major stepping stone for the NBA and a turning point for how the NBA develops its talent.