NBA Atlantic

Ben Simmons reportedly didn't appreciate it when his Brooklyn Nets teammates asked him if he planned on playing during the team's first-round exit against the Boston Celtics.

"They're having a team chat before Game 4, thinking he's going to play against the Celtics, and from what I'm told, Ben just left the chat," Ric Bucher told Colin Cowherd on FS1's The Herd last week (8:30 mark). "They asked him, 'Are you going to play?' Ben left the chat. Like he didn't even answer the question. Just left the chat."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsNtcMllp0o

The past year for Simmons has been one long saga.

The longtime Philadelphia 76ers point guard requested a trade from the team last summer and, after briefly reporting to practice in October, proceeded to stay away from the team into the regular season.

Simmons cited mental health issues as the reason for his absence, and the Sixers and Simmons' camp battled over the team's decision to withhold his salary and fine him during that time.

Ultimately, he was traded to the Nets in the deal that sent James Harden back to Philadelphia.

But Simmons never played for Brooklyn either, reportedly injuring his back while working on his conditioning over the winter.

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in May, "Simmons had planned to return for Game 4 of the Nets' Eastern Conference first-round series against the Celtics, but a week-plus of pain-free days ended with pain soreness on the eve of Brooklyn's elimination."

Simmons ultimately had a microdiscectomy surgery to "address pain located in a herniated disk in his lower back," per Woj. That surgery was expected to include three to four months of rehabilitation.

When healthy, Simmons was one of the best and most versatile perimeter defenders in the NBA, adding solid transition playmaking and elite athleticism. But he never developed a consistent jump shot and was often criticized for his lack of offensive aggressiveness in Philadelphia, which came to a head when he attempted just four shots in the team's Game 7 loss against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, infamously passing up a wide-open dunk in the fourth quarter of that game.

When Simmons was traded to Brooklyn, there was excitement that his defense and playmaking would fit well with a pair of offensive juggernauts in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With the uncertainty of that pair's future in Brooklyn coming to a head this summer, however, it's now possible that the trio will never actually take the court together.

So if, or when, Simmons does play for the Nets this season, there are very real questions about which teammates will even be on the group chat.

The Kevin Durant saga took a juicy new turn Monday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Durant met with Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai over the weekend and maintained that he either wants to be traded or wants the Nets to fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.

Shams added that Durant "does not have faith in the team's direction."

Twitter was on fire after Charania's report broke:

KD every time the NBA offseason slows down... https://t.co/Qc7cnpBI5T

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2022

the moment he knew https://t.co/W4zKZCLmel pic.twitter.com/LijHkKnlrj

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 8, 2022

They fired a good coach for a coach we aren't sure about because the good coach wouldn't play the bad center over the good center who is now an all star and now they're demanding to fire the gm who traded the good center for pennies and now I have a headache https://t.co/FJ76wT3irV

— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) August 8, 2022

https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/status/1556711627566858240

If you're a GM you always trade for Kevin Durant if given the opportunity.

That being said, it is funny to trade for a guy who might tell the owner it's you or him not soon after.

— Doug Norrie (@DougNorrie) August 8, 2022

kevin durant looking at the entire nets organization: pic.twitter.com/OLt7Ogho2b

— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) August 8, 2022

If that is all it takes to keep the 1B best basketball player of the last decade+ on your roster.... https://t.co/2GapPIDWgc

— Kenjac (@JackKennedy) August 8, 2022

The question is how this saga plays out next.

The likelihood is that the Nets will ultimately trade both Durant and Kyrie Irving. It's hard to imagine Tsai firing his general manager and head coach at the behest of Durant.

Until then, this showdown could potentially drag on for months.

Kevin Durant has apparently had enough of playing for Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Durant met with Nets governor Joe Tsai and said the team needs to choose between either trading him or firing the combination of Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

What's more, the future Hall of Famer made it clear he does not believe in the direction the team is headed.

Charania reported the Saturday meeting was "transparent and professional," and Brooklyn has "direct knowledge of the reasons behind Durant's request" and knows he will remain "resolute" in his desire for a trade.

Tsai took to Twitter on Monday to show support for the Nets' coaching staff and front office:

Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022

This latest development causes more uncertainty for a Nets franchise that seemed to have built a championship contender on paper but has been unable to convert that potential on the floor.

Last season started with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden forming a superstar trio, but Irving did not play for the majority of the season because he remained unvaccinated against COVID-19. What's more, Harden was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought in Ben Simmons, who didn't play a single game last season.

The journey ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics and an offseason of more question marks with Irving opting into his player option for 2022-23 with free agency eventually looming and the Durant situation.

If Durant did stay, he could form something of a Big Three with Irving and Simmons to go along with a solid supporting cast that includes Royce O'Neale, T.J. Warren, Patty Mills, Nic Claxton and Joe Harris.

Yet the primary star of that group seemingly doesn't want to take the court for Nash, who has been Brooklyn's head coach since the 2020-21 campaign when KD arrived.

Of note, the perception Durant picked Nash to be the team's head coach in 2020 is "inaccurate," according to Ian Begley of SNY. Begley noted Nash was Marks' choice.

This is also a change in direction from public comments Durant made in April:

Kevin Durant gives his vote of confidence in having Steve Nash remain as the Nets' head coach:

"Steve has been dealt a crazy hand the last 2 years" pic.twitter.com/OM07pHojxo

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) April 26, 2022

Trading Durant has been anything but easy, as Charania reported potential suitors have been unwilling to meet Brooklyn's "sky-high threshold for the return the franchise wants." Charania listed the Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as "the most significant candidates" to pull off such a trade, but there is still work to be done.

There are even some question marks about what version of Durant teams will get as he plays out the remainder of his contract that expires after the 2025-26 season.

Yes, he is an all-time great with two championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, a league MVP, four scoring titles, 10 All-NBA selections and 12 All-Star nods on his resume, but he turns 34 years old in September and played just 35 games in 2020-21 and 55 games last season after sitting out the 2019-20 campaign to recover from an Achilles injury.

Durability is a real concern, especially as he ages, and figures to be something potential suitors weigh when deciding how much to offer in any trade package.

Brooklyn being put in a situation where it has to choose either a star player or the combination of head coach and general manager may also cut into the team's leverage in any negotiations as it looks to resolve some of the uncertainty surrounding the franchise before the season starts.

Jayson Tatum has heard the rumors that President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has been cooking up trade offers for Kevin Durant.

The Boston Celtics star is staying out of it.

"The cool part about his job is Brad don't tell me how to do my job anymore. You not the coach," Tatum told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "He lets me do my thing. I let him do his thing. In all honesty, that's his decision and that's his job."

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Durant, who requested a trade in June. The Nets countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart and multiple future draft picks, an offer Boston declined.

Durant trade negotiations have moved at a glacial pace, as Brooklyn seeks to reap a historic trade haul for the 12-time All-Star. It's unclear if the Celtics—or any team, for that matter—remain active in talks with the Nets. Mum has been the word as the status quo moves forward during what is typically a quiet period in the NBA.

Stevens is heading into his second season running the Celtics' basketball operations. His first year was an unequivocal success, with Boston making its first Finals run in more than a decade and first-year coach Ime Udoka appearing to be the real deal.

The Celtics have already been active this offseason in improving the roster, trading for Malcolm Brogdon and signing Danilo Gallinari. It's arguable they're already the favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

That said, if Stevens learned anything from predecessor Danny Ainge, it's to never stay stagnant and assume the same results will follow. Exploring a trade for Durant—even if it means giving up Brown—is smart business. They're two players on completely different stratospheres; Durant raises the ceiling on title contention.

If Stevens is unable to pull off a Durant deal, however, it's fair to wonder how the rumors will impact Brown's relationship with the franchise. The 25-year-old has already seen his name bandied about in talks for Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and now Durant. At some point, there's likely going to be a period where Brown gets tired of the rumors and wants to take his future into his own hands.

Suffice it to say the rest of this summer will involve navigating those precarious waters.

The Boston Celtics were two wins away from earning their first NBA championship since 2008, but trade rumors still persisted this offseason with Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic notably reporting that the C's offered a package centered around Jaylen Brown to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant.

Trade rumors seemingly follow most big-name players at some point or another, and Celtics star Jayson Tatum is no exception.

Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire sat down with C's star Jayson Tatum to discuss a number of topics, including trade rumors in general.

"How do you feel if you ever see your name in a trade rumor?" Quinn asked. "Is that something you think of as a compliment? Does it ever get annoying? How do you deal with that?"

Tatum responded as follows:

"That’s the world we live in, right? It always comes from an anonymous source. But it always makes ESPN or Twitter or whatever, and everybody sees it. So you never know what is true and what’s not true, but it gets people to talk about it, and I guess that’s the idea. They got what they wanted out of the deal, for people to talk about it and make speculations. If you pay attention to everything you see on Twitter or TV, you drive yourself crazy. I think that’s just something that you have to learn just to keep your own sanity and your own peace.

"They will literally say anything, and some of it might be true, and there are other things that just couldn’t be further from the truth. But, the average fan at home doesn’t know the difference, and they just might believe whatever they see. And it doesn’t help that people on the sports talk shows are talking about it every day and we don’t know who said it, so just control what you can control. That’s what I always live by."

It was an enlightening response on trade rumors from a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player's perspective.

It's something he's used to. A quick look at HoopsHype shows a litany of rumors and trade talk Tatum has been involved in during past years.

Ultimately, those are things Tatum personally shouldn't have to worry about anytime soon after leading the C's to the Eastern Conference title. He's also currently signed through 2025, with a player option for 2025-26.

His co-star in Brown may have found himself in KD talks, although nothing ever materialized. However, longtime Boston and ESPN NBA columnist Jackie MacMullan said on NBC Sports Boston's Early Edition (h/t Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston) that the team isn't "actively trying to trade Jaylen Brown."

"The Celtics aren't actively trying to trade Jaylen Brown. One of the generational players, Kevin Durant, is available. You'd be a fool not to investigate it. [President of basketball operations] Brad Stevens isn't doing his job if he doesn't investigate it."

For now, Tatum and Brown are leading a Celtics team with championship prospects in 2022-23 with training camp one month away and the regular season starting on Oct. 19.

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum said he's well down the road to recovery from the shoulder injury he dealt with during the latter stages of the 2022 NBA playoffs.

Tatum, who suffered the injury during the Eastern Conference Finals and played through it in the team's loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, provided an update Thursday to Justin Quinn of CelticsWire on the Celtics Lab podcast.

"Yeah, it feels a lot better," Tatum said. "It got a lot of time to rest that it needed. So, it definitely felt a lot better."

The injury didn't appear to hurt Tatum's shooting stroke as he knocked down 20 of his 44 three-point attempts (45.5 percent) in the Finals, but it was a bigger issue while dealing with contact as he made just 24 of his 76 two-point shots (31.6 percent) against the Warriors.

After the Celtics' season-ending loss in Game 6, the three-time All-Star said he planned to recover through standard rest and recovery.

"No, I don't think [I'll need surgery]," Tatum told reporters.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Duke product told Quinn his main focus throughout the summer is making sure his body is prepared for another campaign after a short offseason following the team's deep playoff run.

"Always first and foremost taking care of my body, in the weight room working on my legs and making sure my core [is good]," Tatum said. "Changing my diet, trying to eat better. The basketball stuff is easier to figure out; I've been doing it so long. I think your body is what keeps you up here."

The All-NBA first-team selection averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 threes across 76 appearances during the 2021-22 regular season. He finished sixth in MVP voting.

Despite the Celtics' success, there have been rumors about a potential blockbuster trade that could bring Kevin Durant to Boston, which could see the departure of longtime teammate Jaylen Brown.

Tatum explained to Quinn the best thing to do is avoid all the speculation when possible, saying it's important to "learn just to keep your own sanity and your own peace."

"That's the world we live in, right? It always comes from an anonymous source. But it always makes ESPN or Twitter or whatever, and everybody sees it," he said. "So you never know what is true and what's not true, but it gets people to talk about it, and I guess that's the idea."

So far there's been no indication a Durant deal is actually close, so there's a strong chance the Celtics run it back with mostly the same core next season.

And it sounds like Tatum will be all systems go when the campaign tips off in October.

The New York Knicks reportedly "want to hang onto" point guard Derrick Rose despite rumors his contract could be important in the team's pursuit of Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported Friday on the HoopsHype podcast the Knicks and Jazz haven't been close to an agreement on Mitchell throughout the offseason, and that remains the case with several sticking points, including Rose being a "favorite" of head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team's hesitation to include young players on team-friendly contracts.

New York has been the most frequently mentioned possible landing spot for Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, but discussions have been sluggish.

That's actually been the case around the NBA ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves paid a high price, headlined by four first-round picks and a pick swap, to acquire defensive cornerstone Rudy Gobert from the Jazz.

Now every front office must weigh offers for their players against that package, which also included impact veterans Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.

It's no surprise the Jazz would want something similar for Mitchell. In this case, they're targeting the likes of Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes from the Knicks, per Jones.

New York has remained hesitant throughout the offseason about going all-in to acquire a marquee name, though.

In mid-July, SNY's Ian Begley reported the Knicks' front office was concerned "there wouldn't be enough left on the roster to field a contending team" if it paid a king's ransom for a player like Mitchell.

The key question may be whether the Jazz are totally focused on starting a full-scale rebuild, which would receive another boost from a monster return for Mitchell, or if they're OK keeping him while the roster reconstruction continues.

Jones reported it's the latter, at least at the current stage.

"They don't feel like they have to trade Mitchell or are obligated," he said on the HoopsHype podcast. "They don't feel an urgency to trade him. They think they have multiple roads back to being the team they were a couple of years ago."

There also isn't any contract pressure, as Mitchell's deal runs through 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26.

So the Jazz are in a position where they can demand interested teams pay their price, and so far the Knicks haven't shown a willingness to part with that many assets.

As for Rose, he'll likely be ticketed for a smaller role this season following the free-agent signing of Jalen Brunson to run the team's offense, but he could still provide valuable minutes off the bench while being a mentor for the team's young players.

The 2010-11 NBA MVP is entering the final guaranteed season of his three-year, $43.6 million contract, though the Knicks hold a club option for 2023-24.

Kevin Durant requested a trade a little over one month ago, but the superstar still remains with the Brooklyn Nets as we inch closer to the start of the 2022-23 campaign, and there's now "pessimism" that a deal will get done in the "near future," according to SNY's Ian Begley.

Some of the pessimism comes from the fact that franchises have no interest in serving as a third or fourth team to help facilitate a trade, according to Begley.

"No one wants to help [Brooklyn get a deal done]," one team said.

Begley added that a source told him late last month that things with the Nets and Durant were in a "holding pattern."

There have been a number of reported trade offers for the four-time scoring champion, but none that have met the Nets' massive asking price. ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston) reported on July 2 that Brooklyn wants "a young star player" and "at least three first-round draft picks" in exchange for the veteran.

Durant reportedly prefers to be moved to the Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat. However, neither franchise has been willing to completely blow up their current rosters, nor their future, to acquire the 33-year-old.

The Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Nets in exchange for Durant, according to The Athletics Shams Charania, but the offer was rejected and Brooklyn asked Boston to also include Marcus Smart, draft picks and another rotation player to their package.

The Nets also offered Durant to the Timberwolves in exchange for Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards and four future draft picks, according to NBA insiders Chris Haynes and Vincent Goodwill, but Minnesota turned it down.

Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported last month that the Nets were in "no rush" to deal Durant. So, at this point, it seems like he could begin the 2022-23 campaign in Brooklyn. Whether or not he plays for the Nets is another story.

Durant has spent the last two seasons with the Nets alongside Kyrie Irving, and the duo has yet to lead the franchise to the NBA Finals or Eastern Conference Finals. The Nets fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 semifinals and were swept by the Celtics in the 2022 first round.

Despite the lack of postseason success, Durant has still played well over the last two years. In 2021-22, he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 55 games while shooting 51.8 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from deep.

There's clearly no shortage of suitors for the two-time NBA champion. If he can't come to a reconciliation with the Nets, the franchise might have to lower its asking price in order to move him.

Perhaps Kyrie Irving will get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers or perhaps he won't as rumors continue to circulate, but he is reportedly "in a good place" with his current team if he does stay put.

Ian Begley of SNY reported as much, noting the Brooklyn Nets point guard is "comfortable entering the 2022-23 season."

Irving is just one question mark for the Nets this offseason.

Kevin Durant requested a trade in late June, meaning a generational talent could be on the move with four seasons remaining on his contract. However, it has been more than a month and he still has not been traded even though most of the NBA's offseason dust has settled.

Begley cited multiple sources familiar with the trade discussions who are "pessimistic about the possibility of a deal getting done in the near future" in part because teams aren't looking to help Brooklyn by being the third or fourth squad in a potential deal.

As for Irving, he opted into the final year of his contract this offseason but has been connected to the Lakers a number of times.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported in early July that the two teams were "actively engaged" in a trade that would have sent Irving to rejoin LeBron James on the Lakers and sent Russell Westbrook to the Nets.

However, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported late last month there was "no traction" on such a deal.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported Wednesday that "all indications" are Irving's "top destination" is L.A. if he does leave the Nets. Yet that may have to wait until free agency next offseason since there apparently isn't much interest in trading for him around the league.

While Irving is one of the league's top offensive playmakers and a seven-time All-Star, he also hasn't been on the court much of late. He appeared in 20 games in 2019-20, 54 games in 2020-21 and 29 games last season, missing most of his time in 2021-22 because he remained unvaccinated against COVID-19.

It seems as if he may be back in Brooklyn in 2022-23, and that is apparently fine with him.

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers had high praise for Tyrese Maxey after a breakout second season in the NBA.

"He's the most impressive young player I've ever had in 21 years of coaching," Rivers told Vince Carter on The VC Show (2:19 in video).

"His work ethic, Vince, is beyond belief," Rivers added. "Many times already this summer, at least two or three times, we've had to tell him to go sit down somewhere and go relax."

The team had to convince Maxey to go on vacation this summer—the first vacation of his life.

Maxey averaged 8.0 points and 2.0 assists per game as a rookie after being selected 21st in the 2020 draft, but the Kentucky product made huge strides in his second season with averages of 17.5 points and 4.3 assists per game.

The 21-year-old especially thrived in the playoffs, notably scoring 38 points in the first game of Round 1 against the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 20.8 points per game in 12 postseason games, ahead of veterans James Harden and Tobias Harris while only trailing Joel Embiid for the team lead.

Philadelphia has high expectations for Maxey heading into his third season, with Rivers clearly enjoying what he's seen.

Rivers has been an NBA head coach since 1999-2000, winning 1,043 regular-season games and 104 playoff games across four different organizations. In February, he was named one of the best 15 coaches in league history.

The 60-year-old has seen a lot of elite players come and go over his time on the sidelines, which makes his comments on Maxey even more notable.