Less than a week before the NBA Draft and trade talk is ramping up fast. Here is a breakdown of some of the hot rumors, with a focus on Kevin Durant talks.
Durant wants Spurs, Suns make no promises
Kevin Durant is a hooper — he just wants to play basketball. You know all the focus on where he plays and his trade value can't thrill him, but here we are. His trade is the next major domino to fall this offseason. With so much going on, let's break it down point by point.
• Durant wants Spurs. While there are three teams Durant reportedly is open to signing an extension with — Miami, Houston, and San Antonio — it's playing for the Spurs alongside Victor Wembanyama that he most wants, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski. There's a logical fit there: Durant playing between Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox speeds up the timeline and instantly vaults the Spurs to the top tier in the West, making them a real threat.
Except that may not be what the Spurs want. San Antonio is going to draft Dylan Harper No. 2 and, if he is the future All-Star (and maybe more) many scouts believe he can be, the best move for a patient franchise may be to focus on Harper and Wembanyama and the core, maybe trading Fox in the next year for a wing player, and build that way with youth. San Antonio appears to be thinking that way, with trade offers centered around the No. 14 pick and Devin Vassell at best, which reportedly have not thrilled the Suns.
• Phoenix trying to find better offers. The Suns are working with Durant's longtime business partner and agent, Rich Kleiman, to find a deal that works for both parties. So far, that trade has yet to emerge. Phoenix is checking around the league to find better offers than the ones they consider lowball from the Spurs and Rockets (a Jabari Smith-based trade). The best Miami can offer is one centered around Andrew Wiggins and/or Duncan Robinson, and that's not going to be enough for Phoenix.
• Suns, Timberwolves hope Durant changes mind. Minnesota has genuine interest in a Durant trade — he is Anthony Edwards' idol, and he could help get them over the top — but Durant has no interest in going there.
Phoenix is not looking to tear it down and rebuild, they want to retool fast and win with a Devin Booker-based team, and a trade with Minnesota would be based around Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle, with maybe someone such as Donte DiVincenzo mixed in — that is closer to the kind of haul the Suns want (even though they realize they are not going to get back what they gave up to land Durant in the first place). The problem is that Durant wants no part of this, something ESPN’s Sham Charania reported.
"I'm told Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves. So how does that shape how the Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams that could have interest?"
• Suns prioritizing return, not Durant's wishes. In an ideal world, the desires of Durant, the Suns, and a third team would all line up in a trade that would make everybody happy. That seems less and less likely, and when push comes to shove the Suns will focus on what's best for them, something Marc Stein reported at his The Stein Line Substack, and Amick and Krawczynski echoed at The Athletic.
"The Suns have made it clear to Durant's camp that they need to prioritize the best return for the team in a deal. What's more, they appear focused on landing the kind of impact players who can help now as opposed to prioritizing draft picks."
• Knicks were not interested in Durant. Kevin Durant was open to a trade to the Knicks this summer, but the Knicks had no desire to land Durant, reports ESPN’s Marc Spears.
"KD wanted the New York Knicks. He wanted to go there. The Knicks have no interest in bringing him in."
Grizzlies not trading Morant, Jackson
In the wake of the Desmond Bane trade and all the draft picks that poured back into Memphis, speculation arose both in league circles and among fans that this could mark the start of a tear-down and rebuild for the Grizzlies.
That is not the case, the Grizzlies have shot down overtures about either Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr., a league source told NBC Sports. That echoes other reporting, specifically at ESPN, that Memphis is looking to retool around Morant and re-sign Jackson.
Don't bet on the Grizzlies trading away another star.
Heat, Bulls on Kuminga watch?
If the Heat can't land Giannis Antetokounmpo (not currently available) or Kevin Durant, would they pivot to a sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga? Would the Bulls want to pair Kuminga with Josh Giddey? HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported the Heat and Bulls "are two teams to monitor as potential sign-and-trade candidates."
Monitor, sure, but I'm not sure there's a trade to be made. Would the Heat move on from Andrew Wiggins and send him back to the Bay for Kuminga (would the Warriors want him back?). The sign-and-trade market for Kuminga is quiet right now, but Scotto is right that a team or teams may pivot on that front after the opening of free agency doesn't go as they hope.
Gary Harris, Cory Joseph become free agents
Speaking of fallout from the Desmond Bane trade, the Orlando Magic have declined the team options for Gary Harris and Corey Joseph for next season, according to Michael Scotto of Hoopshype. Both become free agents.
No market for Issac Okoro
While the focus outside Cleveland has been on the blockbuster trade ideas (usually based around Darius Garland, who the Cavs don't really want to trade), the franchise itself has had other priorities. Like trying to find a new home for wing Isaac Okoro, but that's not going well, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
"From everything that I'm told they're having a hard time finding anybody that has legitimate interest in Isaac Okoro, unless Isaac also comes with some kind of sweetener from the Cavs."
Okoro averaged 6.1 points a game in 55 games for the Cavaliers last season, and he has two years and $22.8 million remaining on his contract. Other teams are not going to take that on based on the hope he might be a better fit with them.
Kurt Helin
