Some thoughts here as it unfolds on Day 2 of the NBA Free Agency …
Kevin Durant Draw, Day II
All eyes are on Phoenix when it comes to Durant, the Nets star who is believed to point to the Suns as his next favorite destination. While I wrote extensively on Thursday about how a restricted free agent center-centered deal Deandre Ayton and little striker Mikal Bridges could work for both parties, the first sense is that it would take more than that. Or, to be clear, something different.
As Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News pointed out following Rudy Gobert’s blockbuster in Minnesota that fell on Friday, the asking price of the Nets for Durant, two All-Stars, as we were told, may have just gone up. There’s no way the Suns will trade Devin Booker, who has just agreed to a four-year, $ 224 million extension.
It’s worth seeing Cam Johnson as a potential player who could move the Nets ’needle. But the truth is, it’s too early to know if Durant will achieve his Valley-of-the-Sun desire here.
While we wait, let’s explore the more macro question: Because Durant seems focused on Phoenix as the best place to continue his legendary career? There are likely to be many factors at play here: the opportunity to fight again, the place adjacent to LA, your relationship with Booker, and respect for Chris Paul. But when it comes to personal dynamics, his close relationship with Suns coach Monty Williams may top the list.
The two were together for a season at Oklahoma City, that 2015-16 campaign when Williams was head coach associated with Scott Brooks and Durant was in his final Thunder days before heading to Golden State in free agency. The two men had already been close during that season, but the bond deepened even further after the tragic death of Williams’ wife and mother to their five children, Ingrid, in a car accident on Feb. 9. 2016. A quick story that I will never forget from that time …
During that year’s All-Star weekend in Toronto, I had planned to stop in Oklahoma City for an interview on the way back west (I’m near Sacramento). But before I was informed of the news of Ingrid’s death, Durant’s long-time business manager Rich Kleiman called me to let me know the interview was off. Naturally, I asked why.
He shared the terrible news of what had happened and described Durant — like so many others close to Williams — as devastated. All these years later, the people who lived through that situation with Williams say that Durant’s respect for him grew immensely as he saw the graceful way he handled all that pain. (If you’ve never seen the incredible speech Williams gave at Ingrid’s funeral, do it.)
Shortly after Durant took his controversial choice to join the Warriors, he returned with Williams to the U.S. team that won Olympic gold in Rio with Durant as the top scorer. They have since stayed close. Does that mean it’s tied to Phoenix? Not at all. But it could help people understand some of their motivations right now.
As for the possibility of Miami also seeming to be at stake, I am told that there is a major hurdle on this front. During, it seems, he would only want to play on a Heat team that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. Therefore, even if the Heat were willing to move Butler to an agreement as a way to satisfy the Nets ’(understandably expensive) request, doing so would leave Durant unhappy from the start.
As others have pointed out, Adebayo comes with a complication of his own, even beyond the fact that Durant probably wants him to stay. Since teams cannot have two players at designated rookie-max extensions that are reached through the trade, Brooklyn would have to swap Ben Simmons to introduce Adebayo. If the Heat’s best offer focuses on Tyler Herro, I don’t see how that gains traction. And as for Durant’s favorite destinations, that’s why it looks like the Suns may have a chance to make the magic happen here.
To Gary Payton II in Portland and the ripple effect of Damian Lillard
Payton’s three-year, $ 28 million deal with Portland, according to our Charms Shams, has all sorts of layers. First, the Golden State side.
While the Warriors ’luxury tax concerns are understandable given that every dollar spent multiplied by seven, the prospect of that loss will be difficult for homeowner Joe Lacob and his group. Payton was not only an important part of his elite defense, a great fit in his offense and an absolute change of game in the NBA Finals after recovering from his elbow fracture, but he was also a fan favorite.
These are first-world problems for a fan base that has seen their team dominate for most of the last decade, but it’s still a problem. A source familiar with the Payton-Warriors talks said Golden State offered the taxpayer a mid-level exception for two years (starting at $ 6.4 million a year).
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Payton’s deal with Portland includes a player option. Besides, sources say Steph Curry and Draymond Green were part of the process with Payton, but they clearly were unsuccessful in convincing him to stay.
Add to that the fact that the Warriors lost Otto Porter Jr. in Toronto on Friday and Nemanja Bjelica decided to play with Turkish champion Fenerbahce, and it was a tough 12 hours in the bay. As the rebound moves forward, in more ways than one, re-signing Kevon Looney fan free agent / favorite center with a three-year, $ 25.5 million deal on Friday was an absolute must.
Now around the corner from Portland.
While it has been widely assumed that Lillard will accept the two-year extension offer worth more than $ 100 million expected to reach him, sources say the Trail Blazers still needed to have a low season. strong to persuade Lillard to sign until the 2026-27 campaign (when he will make 36). The deadline here isn’t until the start of the regular season, and I’m told that’s still not safe.
The addition of Jerami Grant (through trade with Detroit) this offseason was an important step in the right direction on that front, as Lillard’s desire to play with the 28-year-old striker was no secret. They have thrived as teammates before, of course, winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the US team. Grant’s defense is also much needed, as Portland finished 27th, 29th and 29th in the defensive standings over the past three seasons, respectively.
The draft was much more of a question mark, as the choice of Blazers general manager Joe Cronin to remove the mysterious Kentucky man Shaedon Sharpe from the seventh selection was a long-term move. The Anfernee Simons deal is another positive, though the price was curiously high (four years, $ 100 million) for the fourth-year guard who had a highlight year when not playing much significant basketball in Portland (Lillard, of course, only played 29 games due to his abdominal surgery, and Portland went 27-55). The great Jusuf Nurkic will also return, accepting a four-year, $ 70 million deal that keeps Lillard’s favorite in town.
However, when it comes to Payton, this is the kind of move that will surely make Lillard smile. Not only does he desperately need elite wing advocates by his side, but Lillard is very close to Payton’s father, Gary Payton, the Hall of Fame base and also a native of Oakland, California, who has helped mentor for years.
In addition, Payton II, his father and Lillard have been represented by the same agent, Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management. There is also the Northwest link for Payton II, as he was loved during his two years at Oregon State (2014-16).
The loss of the Warriors, in other words, is the gain of the Trail Blazers as they try to keep the Lillard era alive.
Progress (playoff) for the Kings?
I like the low season of the Kings so far, however imperfect it may be. First-year coach Mike Brown will have a hard time getting that group to defend at a high level, and that could mean his ceiling is low enough to continue the league’s longest playoff drought. Especially considering the number of quality teams in the West (like, say, the Timberwolves!). But the additions of Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray are substantial solutions to their shooting problems, and they have very reasonable contracts (two years). , $ 19 million for Monk through free agency; four years, $ 50.5 million for Huerter through trade with Atlanta). The centerpiece of the De’Aaron Fox franchise has everything to do with these moves, as the Kings simply had to find a way to give them the kind of support cast that would help take their game to a new level at once. which helps Domantas Sabonis thrive as well (remember, on the 26th, the All-Star striker is a free agent in the summer of 2024).
Fox’s story in Kentucky with Monk makes this move even more significant and potentially shocking. Monk (13.8 points, the highest of his career; 39.1 percent deep in 5.1 attempts per game) was a rare bright spot in the Lakers’ 2021-22 campaign, on the other hand, terrible . In addition, the Monk’s movement unofficially justifies the Kings’ choice to let Donte DiVincenzo pass into a restricted free agency.
His choice to draft Murray over Jaden Ivey with the fourth selection will be debated and analyzed for years, but the Iowa product is widely seen as a special young player who should be able to help right away.
No doubt there could be more as well, as the Kings have been holding talks with Atlanta about John Collins (in a deal centered on Harrison Barnes) for months. There could also be opportunities around Durant’s situation, with teams like the Kings potentially able to benefit in a third-team role.
You don’t have to agree with the approach, but this is a team in win-win mode now. Again. And given the pressure this head office is under, with CEO Monte McNair and Deputy CEO Wes Wilcox working in the last years of their respective …