NBA Rumors

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.

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Anthony Davis, it was assumed he would lead the franchise in a post-LeBron James world.

That may no longer be the case.

Sean Deveney of Heavy reported some in the Lakers front office would prefer to explore Davis' trade value when James exits the franchise.

“A lot of that depends on where LeBron winds up. If he stays in Los Angeles and he stays a Laker, he had a lot personally invested in AD being there, so, yes, in that case, Davis stays. But it is not a sure thing," a league executive told Deveney. "There are some in that organization who would not mind seeing what they can bring back for AD, but they would not do it with LeBron there. You get to 2024, though, and maybe things change.

"The Lakers have AD for two more years for sure, and they can only hope he stays healthy. But after that, they have to think, is this guy really our future? He can’t stay on the floor. And he has to think, do I want to be here without LeBron? That’s why the Lakers do not want to give up those future picks."

Davis is under contract through at least the 2023-24 season. His five-year, $190 million contract includes a player option for the 2024-25 campaign, and it would make sense for him to opt out with eyes on a new max contract that would pay him well north of $50 million annually.

On the flip side, it would make some level of sense for the Lakers to explore their options once James exits the franchise. The Lakers have zero viable assets outside Davis. Their roster was a cast of misfit veterans last season, and there is no young player on their roster with anything close to All-Star potential.

There's also likely little help coming from the draft, with the New Orleans Pelicans controlling their picks for at least the next two seasons. New Orleans has swap rights in 2023 and can choose between the Lakers' 2024 and 2025 first-round picks to satisfy terms of the Davis deal.

When James leaves, the Lakers' roster will likely be a barren wasteland consisting only of Davis. It could behoove the team to move on and start a full-scale rebuild by 2024.

Davis has proven himself an unreliable heir to the throne, missing more games than he's played over the past two seasons as the Lakers floundered following their 2020 championship. The Lakers acquired Davis at his absolute apex value and are carrying him on their roster as he's hitting a nadir.

It's possible a healthy Davis re-emerges as an All-NBA superstar, but little of what we've seen the last two years suggests he's the generational building block the Lakers hoped.

The Chicago Bulls and Nikola Vucevic are reportedly expected to engage in contract extension talks during training camp.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the two sides will have "initial discussions" camp ahead of Vucevic's impending free agency. The veteran center will make $22 million in 2022-23 and is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $118.2 million.

It's unlikely the Bulls offer Vucevic his full max, given a four-year extension would take him through his age-36 season. A more likely offer could extend Vucevic by two or three years, with a three-year extension coming with a partially guaranteed final season.

Bulls fans were largely agitated with Vucevic's performance last season, as the two-time All-Star saw his scoring (17.6 PPG) and his three-point shooting (31.4 percent) dip to their lowest rates since 2017-18. As DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine soared as All-Stars, Vucevic lagged behind as the third in their Big Three.

The Bulls signed LaVine to a five-year, $215.2 million contract in July and have DeRozan under contract through 2023-24, so they're pot-committed to this core for at least the foreseeable future. The LaVine and DeRozan contracts give the team little maneuverability under the salary cap to replace Vucevic should he bolt in free agency.

Chicago also traded its first-round picks in 2023 and 2025, so the trade asset coffers are a little bare as well. Even if the front office hasn't gotten its full expected value out of Vucevic, there's no other logical option besides extending him.

The NBA draft is long over and the height of free agency has passed, but a few remaining items must be ironed out on the Association's 2022 offseason front.

Namely, there's still the question of where Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, who has been the subject of trade rumors for months, will be playing next season.

That's still unclear, but a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic indicated a potential timeline:

"Now, to the second question, there will come a time in which the Lakers have to decide if they’re willing to continue to play hardball and risk missing their window to trade Westbrook. There is a sense among some that training camp is a soft deadline to move Westbrook. If he’s on the roster in late September, there will be a massive off-court distraction, with the media asking about his future, his relationship with [LeBron] James and the organization, [new head coach Darvin] Ham’s vision of his role and responsibilities."

Westbrook, who exercised his $47.1 million player option for the 2022-23 season, averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in his first year with L.A.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers, Utah Jazz and New York Knicks discussed a three-team trade that would have involved Westbrook.

Notably, Westbrook would have gone to the Jazz, who would have bought out the remainder of his contract. Star Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell would have gone to the Knicks, among other player and pick movements. The Lakers and Knicks would have needed to give up some draft capital to Utah in the move as well.

That obviously never happened, and now training camp is just one month away.

Westbrook, who was also connected to the Brooklyn Nets in trade talks involving guard Kyrie Irving, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, is still a Laker. If he does stick in town, he'll try to help the Lakers rebound from a bitterly disappointing 33-49 season two years removed from an NBA title.

Injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis left L.A. short-handed, and the team rotated through a bunch of different lineups as the Lakers were unable to form much chemistry. Better health and a full offseason together could certainly help bring about brighter days in L.A., though, even if Westbrook is coming off a down year.

He's still two years removed from averaging a triple-double with the Washington Wizards and can certainly resemble something closer to that form in 2022-23.

The regular season will open on Oct. 19.

LeBron James is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, and there is optimism that the two sides will strike a deal to keep him in purple and gold for at least a few more years.

"All signs point toward both sides looking to extend their partnership together," ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Friday on NBA Today. "It's already led to one championship in 2020. It's also led to two playoff appearances where they didn't make it, but overall I think both sides recognize that they can help one another get to their mutual goal, which is to compete at a high level and stay relevant as both one of the best players in the NBA and one of the most marquee franchises in the NBA."

James is entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers in 2022-23 and is eligible to sign a two-year, $97.1 million extension that would keep him in L.A. through the 2024-25 season.

The four-time NBA champion will be 38 by the time his current deal expires. Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, any player 38 or older is only eligible to sign a two-year contract.

James' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told McMenamin that the two sides had a "productive" discussion together Thursday. They met with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and new head coach Darvin Ham.

Thursday was the first day James was eligible to sign an extension. He has until June 30, 2023, to put pen to paper on a new deal before he becomes a free agent.

Regardless of how his potential extension turns out, James has said he wants to play with his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA before retiring. Bronny will enter his senior year of high school this fall and is eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.

"My last year will be played with my son," James said in an interview with The Athletic's Jason Lloyd in February. "Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

James, who is entering his fifth season with the Lakers, showed no signs of slowing down during the 2021-22 campaign despite the Purple and Gold missing the playoffs. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep.

The 18-time All-Star is expected to play just as well in 2022-23, though he'll hope his efforts pay off with a berth in the playoffs and another NBA title.

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.

The Miami Heat are still in pursuit of Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, but they reportedly have a backup plan in place.

Sean Deveney of Heavy spoke to an executive who believes acquiring Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets is Miami's "Plan B."

“If you want to give up [Tyler] Herro before you pay him and you want to move [Duncan] Robinson, you would have to add a pick, but those two guys and Omer [Yurtseven], that might be enough to get Hayward if the Hornets decide to reconfigure," the executive said. "It’s a short-term move for Miami, but they need to make their move now. You can play him at the 3 and go big or go small at the 4. He’s a guy they’ve had interest in before.”

The Hornets were reportedly exploring a trade of Hayward ahead of the 2022 NBA draft but did not make a move. It's unclear how motivated the Hornets are to make a move now, especially given the uncertain NBA future of Miles Bridges, who is currently facing domestic violence and child abuse charges.

Regardless, it's almost a lock that Herro would not be involved in any trade for Hayward, barring some previously unknown falling out with the organization. Herro is a 22-year-old coming off winning Sixth Man of the Year; Hayward is a full decade older and hasn't played more than 72 games in a season since 2019.

Even if the Heat add Robinson's contract to the mix, there's no world in which moving Herro in a deal for Hayward makes sense. Robinson's five-year, $90 million contract has proved to be a misfire from Miami's perspective, but Hayward's locked in for $61.6 million over the next two years. Robinson's guaranteed only $64.4 million over the next four seasons.

A more logical Hayward-to-Miami deal could be consummated after Jan. 15, when the Heat could package Victor Oladipo, Robinson and a draft pick.

If Kyrie Irving leaves the Brooklyn Nets, he'll almost certainly be suiting up in Purple and Gold during the next phase of his career.

"All indications" are that the Los Angeles Lakers are Irving's "top destination" if he leaves the Nets, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, whether that's in a trade this year or next year in free agency.

Irving opted in to his $36.5 million player option for the 2022-23 campaign and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Buha added that since there's currently a lack of interest in trading for him around the league that "it seems like the Lakers are his most likely free-agent option next summer, other than the Nets."

In early July, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the Nets and Lakers were "actively engaged" in preliminary trade discussions centered around Irving and Russell Westbrook and that there was "palpable optimism" a deal could be reached this offseason.

However, Haynes also noted that the Nets "are not expected to be rushed into a deal and will continue conversing the complex specifics with the Lakers on an Irving-Westbrook swap."

Since then, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported late last month on NBA Today (h/t Jared Greenspan of the New York Post) that there was "no traction" on an Irving-Westbrook swap and that talks had stalled out.

Irving has been linked to the Lakers for much of the summer since ESPN's Steve A. Smith reported in June that the veteran point guard wanted to team up with LeBron James again in L.A. "as soon as he possibly can."

The Athletic's Sam Amick, Alex Schiffer and Joe Vardon also reported that Irving was focused on joining the Lakers even before he opted in to his 2022-23 contract with the Nets. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst added that Irving would need to first wait until Kevin Durant, who requested a trade, was moved.

Nonetheless, it's no surprise the Lakers are interested in adding Irving as he would be an upgrade over Westbrook, who had an abysmal first season with the Purple and Gold, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

Irving, who wasn't allowed to play in home games for much of the 2021-22 season due to New York City's vaccination mandate for indoor arenas, still averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from deep last season.

Putting the seven-time All-Star alongside James, his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, and Anthony Davis would give the Lakers a better chance at contending for an NBA title in a tough Western Conference that saw them miss the playoffs last season.

The wonky fit between Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers could take another contentious turn this season if the veteran point guard finds himself benched late in games.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic: "Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have more power to bench Westbrook down the stretch of games, according to league sources. (Former head coach Frank Vogel did so a few times last season). That could eventually extend to removing Westbrook from the starting lineup as well."

That won't be an issue if Westbrook is traded before the season, of course, but up until this point, such a deal hasn't come to fruition.

Given how poorly Westbrook fit with the Lakers last campaign, that still feels like a real possibility. The 33-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, fine numbers in a vacuum but a drop-off for a player who averaged at least 21.0 points a game for the prior 11 seasons and won an MVP in the 2016-17 season.

Add in that Westbrook shot just 29.8 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line—or that the Lakers were outscored by four points per 100 possessions last season when Westbrook was on the floor, per NBA.com, a number that dropped to being outscored by 1.6 points per 100 possessions when he sat—and the numbers don't paint a pretty picture.

Neither did Westbrook's regular appearances on Shaqtin' A Fool.

Amid all of that, Westbrook's ball-dominant style and lack of floor spacing made him an awkward fit next to LeBron James.

Reports emerged this offseason that the trio of Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis spoke on the phone during Las Vegas Summer League, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, with "each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work."

That doesn't make the basketball fit any less wonky, however. And that might mean that the Lakers' best lineup doesn't include Westbrook, which could lead Ham to experimenting with Westbrook on the bench late in games.

It's hard to imagine the nine-time All-Star taking that decision well. But it's the sort of potential drama that makes the Lakers such an apt inhabitant of Tinseltown.

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant reportedly will meet with team governor Joe Tsai this week after requesting a trade that hasn't come to fruition yet this summer.

"What I'm hearing is that KD is going to meet with the owner this week," a league executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports. "He's going to go directly to the owner, Tsai, sometime this week. We'll see how that works."

NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that the Nets declined to comment when he asked them about that potential meeting.

Whether the potential meeting helps facilitate a Durant trade remains to be seen.

"I have no idea what's going to come of that meeting," the executive added. "There are some things that KD is unhappy about, and I'm not sure any of that gets fixed here. But maybe it does."

Another personnel executive told Bulpett that teams around the league haven't been thrilled that talks with the Nets have leaked to the media.

"I think there's some teams that aren't very happy that when they talk to Brooklyn it gets in the papers," he said. "That doesn't help. I've talked with a couple of teams that are not happy with the rumors that creep out of there through all this. It's not a good way to do business."

That Boston Celtics, for instance, found themselves at the center of rumors after there were reports that the teams had discussed Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a potential Durant trade. Bulpett speculated that the Nets may have leaked that information to sour the relationship between Brown and the Celtics.

"That's probably why they won’t get anything done and why they haven't had any conversations for a while,” a source told him. "I don't think they are going to get anything done with Boston."

There is, of course, the possibility that the Nets simply bring back Durant and Kyrie Irving this offseason, even at the risk of losing Irving for nothing next summer when he hits free agency.

That could lead to plenty of tensions in the building this season, though it's also Brooklyn's leverage in any KD trade talks, given that he's still under contract for another four seasons. If teams aren't willing to meet Brooklyn's price, they have the option to simply keep him.

It's a gambit—unhappy superstars don't generally lead to healthy team dynamics—but it's an option for these Nets. And it's the sort of thing one would expect Durant and Tsai to discuss as a possibility in their reported meeting this week.