NBA Rumors: Latest on Kevin Durant Free Agency, Gordon Hayward Trade and More
The NBA offseason didn't take long to kick into high gear. Last Thursday's draft was filled to the brim with high-profile moves and buzz, as Serge Ibaka, Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young, George Hill and Victor Oladipo all found new homes.
That trend will only continue over the next few weeks. July 1 marks the beginning of perhaps the most compelling free-agency period in league history. The salary cap is expected to reach $94 million, per Shams Charania of The Vertical, a $24 million increase over 2015-16.
More than half of the league can open up max salary space, meaning we should be prepared for a never-before-seen spending spree. Bad contracts are an inevitability as teams become desperate to either retain their own guys or reach the salary floor. Trades involving big-money contracts are also coming, as younger teams looking to reach the floor and acquire picks will be willing to add salary for draft considerations.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the most notable buzz going around the league at the moment.
Durant Prepares for Meetings; WAS, NY Already Out of Running?
Kevin Durant holds the basketball world in his hands. With LeBron James returning to Cleveland, Durant is the only foundational superstar in this free-agent class. Andre Drummond, Al Horford and Mike Conley are good players who are going to get maxed out this summer; you're not winning a title with one of them as your best guy.
Everyone knows this, and Durant is going to be priority No. 1 for any team that can get a meeting. ESPN's Chris Broussard reported the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat have been added to a list of contenders that already included the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
These are the expected suspects. Boston has a treasure trove of assets and is coming off a 48-win season despite lacking star power. The Clippers are the only good basketball team in Los Angeles. Pat Riley gets a meeting with anyone he wants. The Warriors, Spurs and Thunder are three of the NBA's four best teams.
Not on that list? Durant's hometown Washington Wizards. ESPN's Britt McHenry reported the Wizards believe it's unlikely they can lure Durant home. Broussard reported the 2013-14 MVP has "no plans" to talk to the team.
The New York Knicks have not entirely been eliminated from the running, but there is no meeting scheduled at this time.
We kind of knew this is how it would play out. Teams need to have a cogent championship plan to have any chance of luring Durant away from Oklahoma City. The Thunder were one game away from a Finals berth and would have been favorites over James' Cavaliers. Their collapse opened up a potential Durant departure, but it's going to be an uphill battle.
The Warriors offer the most obvious chance at a title. A starting lineup featuring Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Durant would set the world on fire. The Spurs can promise a partnership with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard, with tutelage from the NBA's best coach. The Heat are the Heat; they find a way to make things happen sometimes.
But the overwhelming likelihood is that Durant takes a one-plus-one deal in Oklahoma City, and we're all doing this again next year.
Hayward Doesn't Want Out of Utah
Brian Geltzeiler of HoopsCritic.com reported last Wednesday that the Jazz were "actively" trying to move Gordon Hayward. The guise here is that he was the latest young star to become unhappy with a franchise that's seemingly stuck in the NBA's mid-tier.
Well, it didn't take long to debunk those rumors.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News spoke to multiple sources who denied Hayward has expressed any displeasure. Genessy noted that Hayward would be open to playing for Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, who coached him at Butler, but the premise that he wants out is a falsehood.
“There is no truth to this rumor,” one team source said. “Gordon has been terrific.”
Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said "unequivocally" that the swingman did not request a trade.
Essentially: This is much ado about nothing. Perhaps a source floated the rumor to Geltzeiler before the draft in hopes that Hayward would become available. It's not exactly a secret that the Celtics were trying to move the No. 3 pick for a win-now veteran. Rumors and bad information are the cost of doing business in an NBA offseason—it happens to nearly everyone.
Hayward does possess some leverage here. He'll become an unrestricted free agent next summer, assuming he declines the $16.7 million player option (he will). If Hayward actually wants out, now is the time for Utah to strike. But it appears the team smartly wants to keep him around as it goes for a clear playoff push in 2016-17.
More Notes
Bulls Have No Chance of Re-Signing Noah
From Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: "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."
This falls in line with previous reports. Joakim Noah understandably wants out in Chicago, and the Bulls probably weren't going to be interested in his price point regardless. Noah is 31 years old, has been trending downward for two seasons and was dreadful in 2015-16 whenever he was on the floor. He ranks among the likeliest players on the market to get vastly overpaid this summer.
With Robin Lopez on the books for a reasonable $13.21 million next season, the Bulls have a superior player at a lower price. Noah may rebound at his next stop, but the price it'll take to find out is way too steep. This is a smart divorce for both sides.
Kings to Target Courtney Lee
From James Ham of The Kings Insider: "The Kings, from what I know, are targeting Courtney Lee. They love Courtney Lee. They love what he brought to the end of the season to the Charlotte Hornets."
After adding approximately nine more big men to the roster (OK, two) on draft night, it would make some sense that the Kings would add wings in free agency. Lee is in that mid-tier of free agents who might be interested in Sacramento if general manager Vlade Divac was willing to overpay.
That's the reality for the Kings: They're not sniffing any of the best players on the market. They're going to have to be aggressive in the middle—if Lee's worth $12 million per season to a contender, the Kings better be offering $15 million.
Of course, these types of contracts are what got the Kings into trouble in the first place. So...yay?
