NBA Rumors

The NBA has opened a tampering investigation into the New York Knicks' free-agent pursuit and signing of point guard Jalen Brunson, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Per Haynes, "the league will look into whether the Knicks made contact with Brunson prior to the start of the free-agency period."

Before Brunson signed his four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks, reports had emerged that New York would pursue him.

On June 24, six days prior to the opening of the league's legal tampering period June 30, NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote the Knicks were "increasingly expected to assemble a four-year offer to Brunson valued in the $100 million range."

Days later, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Knicks were planning to offer a four-year, $110 million deal to Brunson.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon followed up that report with a similar one:

At this point, it's widely anticipated that Jalen Brunson will go to the Knicks on a four-year deal in excess of $100M. It remains to be seen how New York will clear the rest of the necessary cap space and whether the Mavs can work a sign-and-trade to recoup assets.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 28, 2022

The Knicks also hired Brunson's father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach this offseason. Brunson had previously worked with Tom Thibodeau as an assistant on the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

As Haynes noted, Brunson reportedly was scheduled to take several visits with teams during his free agency but only met with New York—all of that after the Knicks made several trades this offseason to clear enough cap space to offer Brunson his deal.

The Knicks aren't the only team being investigated for tampering. On Friday, Woj reported the Philadelphia 76ers were being looked at by the NBA for potential tampering in their free-agent pursuit of P.J. Tucker and Danuel House and the re-signing of James Harden.

If the Boston Celtics do trade for Kevin Durant, it's not because they are worried about Jaylen Brown leaving.

Brown has only two years remaining on his current contract compared with four for Durant, making the latter the safer bet to stay with the organization. However, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported he has "not yet gotten the sense the Celtics are operating from some position of fear" when it comes to Brown.

As Lowe noted, Boston can offer the most years and money in a new deal and even a supermax if eligible, and "players rarely turn that down."

This discussion comes amid reports the Celtics offered Brown, Derrick White and draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets in a potential deal for Durant, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Nets are reportedly looking for even more in a deal—potentially including Marcus Smart—but the trade talk alone could damage the relationship with Brown. The wing has certainly noticed the ongoing discussion:

Smh

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 25, 2022

Bleacher Report's A. Sherrod Blakely reported the relationship with the team could be damaged.

"Jaylen won't let this affect his play, but he won't forget this, either," one Eastern Conference scout said.

Brown was an All-Star in 2020-21 and produced similar numbers this past season, finishing 2021-22 with 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He was a major reason the Celtics reached the NBA Finals this past year, averaging 23.1 points per game in the playoffs with 24.1 per game in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.

Even with this production, Boston could improve on the court with a trade for Durant, who has 12 All-Star selection and four scoring titles. The 33-year-old averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season.

While any potential move could ruin the Celtics' chemistry last season, there is little doubt the team would be better on paper with Durant.

It's enough for Boston to remain involved in trade talks, regardless of what it means for Brown's future with the team.

Donovan Mitchell is no closer to becoming a member of the New York Knicks.

Trade discussions involving Mitchell between the Utah Jazz and Knicks have "stalled out," according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania. Other teams still remain in play for the veteran, including the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.

"As of right now, sources tell me that talks between the Jazz and the Knicks around a Donovan Mitchell trade have stalled out. I'm told there hasn't been contact between the two sides in roughly the last two weeks.

"... But in the meantime, I'm told that the Jazz are continuing conversations with other teams that are interested in Mitchell. Teams like Charlotte and Washington, I'm told. But overall, throughout this entire process, the Knicks have been the focus of many around the league, including the Jazz, when it comes to Donovan Mitchell, because they have eight first-round draft picks at their disposal to use via trade. They have a couple of young players like Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, that could be of interest to teams around the league, including the Jazz in a deal for Donovan Mitchell. So, all eyes will continue to be on the Knicks as a potential suitor, but as of right now, no new movement on Mitchell to the Knicks."

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week on Stein Line Live (via HoopsHype) that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was eyeing seven of New York's eight available first-round draft picks in a package for Mitchell.

That comes as little surprise as Ainge and the Jazz already set the market for blockbuster deals earlier this summer by trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 No. 22 pick Walker Kessler and four first-round picks.

Charania and The Athletic's Tony Jones reported earlier this month that the Knicks were "the focused destination" for a Mitchell trade because the franchise can offer the best package of picks and young players.

However, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the Knicks are "wary of trading the combination of picks and players that it would take to land a player like Mitchell" because it would leave the franchise without enough left to contend for a title.

Mitchell, a New York native, has been linked to the Knicks for some time now.

If he were to land with the Knicks, it would be the team's second significant addition this summer. After unloading Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, New York signed former Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal in free agency.

Adding Mitchell to a starting unit that includes Brunson, R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson would surely make the Knicks a playoff contender and could potentially help the franchise make a deep playoff run for the first time since 2000 when it reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 25-year-old has been one of the best guards in the NBA since making his debut in 2017. During the 2021-22 campaign, he averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 67 games while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from deep.

However, there's clearly some competition for the veteran, so things should heat up as we inch closer to the 2022-23 season.

"Multiple people" inside the Cleveland Cavaliers organization reportedly prefer having Caris LeVert over Collin Sexton on the Cavs roster.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com dropped that report during an appearance on the Lowe Post Podcast (h/t Peter Dewey of Cavaliers Nation):

"There are multiple people inside the organization that if they have their choice between Caris and Collin, they would take Caris over Collin because of the size, because of the length, because of the versatility that he can bring on the defensive end of the floor. And they liked what they saw with Caris and Darius together. Obviously, the numbers back that up."

Sexton, who missed all but 11 games last year with a torn meniscus he suffered against the New York Knicks on Nov. 7, is a restricted free agent.

LeVert, who landed in Cleveland after the Indiana Pacers traded him on Feb. 7, has one year remaining on his contract.

They've both played in the backcourt alongside Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, a breakout star who earned a five-year, $193 million extension after a 2021-22 All-Star campaign. Garland quickly became the centerpiece of the team's future, and now the Cavs will have to decide how to build around him.

LeVert averaged 13.6 points on 43.5 percent shooting, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Cavs last year. He took more of an offensive backseat in Cleveland compared to Indiana, where he was asked to help carry the offense on a nightly basis. For the Pacers, LeVert averaged 18.7 points and 4.4 assists.

The Cavs can give LeVert a nine-figure extension on Aug. 7, per Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid:

Note: it doesn't have to be that amount but that's the absolute most that Cleveland can offer LeVert in an extension.

— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) July 21, 2022

Sexton was tremendous in 2020-21, averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game. His brief 2021-22 season saw his scoring figure dip to 16.0 points per game, although he played fewer minutes (35.3 MPG in 2020-21, 28.7 MPG in 2021-22).

As noted by RealGM, Sexton has a one-year, $7.2 million qualifying offer on the table from the Cavs. He can take that and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Or, he can take the reported three-year, $40 million deal that the Cavs have offered him, per Fedor, although he told ESPN's Zach Lowe that he doesn't think Sexton will go for it.

"The offer I reported, the three-year around $40 million, I don't get the sense Collin and his camp would take that," Fedor said in part.

"I don't think they would take a multi-year deal at that number. In fact, I think it would be more likely they would take the qualifying offer, go into unrestricted free agency next offseason..."

At any rate, the Cavs have some decisions to make. Garland is already going to stick around long-term. The same goes for All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who's entering the second season of a five-year, $100 million deal. Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley should stick around for a while too.

While it's conceivable that the Cavs have both Sexton and LeVert around next year, it doesn't appear as if that will be the case following the upcoming campaign. That leaves Cleveland with a choice to make, and it appears that the Cavs will try and keep LeVert around if the Fedor report is any indication.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis appears to have been paying attention to criticism from fans and analysts after he said this offseason that it had been a while since he shot a basketball.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein in his Substack newsletter, Davis has been "working out with increased diligence" amid blowback to his statement about not touching a ball since April.

Davis made his comment during a June 10 appearance on the Nuke Squad YouTube vlog.

This wasn't a total surprise since he told reporters his normal offseason routine consists of four weeks of rest after the season, six weeks of only weight training and bringing in basketball work six weeks before the start of training camp.

Lakers fans didn't take well to Davis' comments, based on some reactions from social media:

Revisionist what.

Anthony Davis has achieved nothing in his career.

1 Championship and no awards.

He wasn't even an all star at age 29. 2 years without all NBA mentions.

He is the worst shooter in the league.

4 playoff apps in 10 years.

I'm an AD fan but it's unacceptable.

— LA (@labronlandNBA) June 12, 2022

Anthony Davis going down as biggest waste of NBA talent ever

— Top Shelf (@joshpires7) June 12, 2022

Calling an eight-time All-Star who also played a significant role in the Lakers winning the 2019-20 NBA title the "biggest waste" of talent in NBA history seems like a stretch, but fans aren't unjustified in being nervous about where things stand with Davis.

The 29-year-old has missed 79 games between the regular season and playoffs over the past two seasons combined. He only played in three of the Lakers' final 24 games during the 2021-22 campaign because of a foot injury.

When Davis has been able to play, he's been terrific during that span. He has averaged 22.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in 76 starts since the 2020-21 season.

During his first season with the Lakers in 2019-20, Davis was named to the All-NBA first team after averaging 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He was even better in the playoffs, scoring 27.7 points on 38.3 percent three-point shooting and had 12 double-doubles in 21 games.

They made the playoffs in 2020-21 as the No. 7 seed by defeating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, but their hopes of repeating as NBA champs ended with a first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns. A groin injury kept Davis out of Game 5 against the Suns. He attempted to play in Game 6, but only made it through five minutes before getting removed.

The Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference last season with a 33-49 record and missed the play-in tournament. It marked the seventh time in the past nine seasons that they haven't made the playoffs. The franchise only missed the playoffs five times in its first 65 years of existence from 1948-2013.

Any expectations for the Lakers heading into the 2022-23 season will be tied to the health of Davis and LeBron James.

It's unclear if Davis' renewed commitment to putting himself in peak physical condition will help him avoid injuries, but this is at least a positive sign as the Lakers prepare for a crucial season.

The Golden State Warriors and guard Jordan Poole are reportedly expected to discuss a new contract ahead of the Oct. 18 deadline for rookie extensions.

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported Wednesday that while the sides are expected to "engage" in talks, so far there "doesn't appear to be a level of urgency" from the Dubs' front office.

Poole was one of the breakout stars of the 2021-22 NBA season. He initially helped fill a starting spot while Klay Thompson recovered from injury and then played a key reserve role as the Warriors rolled to a championship in June.

The third-year guard averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds across 76 regular-season appearances. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 36.4 percent on threes and 92.5 percent from the free-throw line.

His rookie contract includes a team-friendly $3.9 million cap hit for 2022-23 and the Warriors can extend a qualifying offer next offseason to make him a restricted free agent.

So there isn't a ton of time pressure on Golden State to offer him an extension that would likely include a significant pay raise, especially since the team likely wants to maintain a little financial flexibility amid speculation they could bring back Kevin Durant.

On the flip side, Poole's growth into a valuable offensive weapon and potential foray into free agency next summer mean he's set to cash in regardless of whether the offer comes from Golden State or another organization.

The Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs are among the possible suitors for an offer sheet if he does hit the free-agent market next summer, per Slater and Thompson.

Of course, the Warriors would have the opportunity to match any proposal the 23-year-old University of Michigan product receives if he's given the qualifying offer.

So the lack of urgency ahead of the October deadline isn't a surprise. Poole is an important piece for the Warriors as they attempt to bridge toward a new era in the years ahead after long-term success led by Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and he'll eventually be paid like a franchise cornerstone if he continues his upward trajectory.

If there's no movement on the Durant front over the next six weeks, perhaps the Warriors will get more aggressive in their efforts to re-sign Poole ahead of the deadline. They sound content to let him play out his rookie contract for now, though.

The Houston Rockets and guard Kevin Porter Jr. reportedly have "mutual interest" in agreeing to a contract extension before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the two sides could strike a deal before the Oct. 17 deadline for rookie extensions. Porter is heading into the final year of his rookie contract after being taken with the No. 30 overall pick in 2019.

Negotiations for a contract extension will be interesting, in large part because Porter is a decidedly non-max player. Rookie max extensions tend to be generally straightforward. There's only a certain amount the team can offer, and negotiations often come down to whether a player gets an option in the final year of the deal.

Non-max players are trickier because, in nearly all cases, the player sees his value as much higher than the team. Porter is coming off a season where he averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. He's a solid 22-year-old player with upside, but he's also shown significant decision-making flaws—both on and off the floor.

On the floor, Porter tends to be a combination of trigger-happy with his shot and turnover-prone. His advanced stats are almost unilaterally concerning, particularly on the defensive end, where he's been a sieve. When Porter is at his best, his potential to develop into a quality NBA point guard is obvious; his on-court maturity has just been lacking to this point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded Porter after a locker room outburst saw him throw food in the locker room. That incident was predated by Porter being arrested on gun charges after he was involved in a November 2020 car crash. Those charges were later dropped.

The Rockets suspended Porter and Christian Wood last season for their actions in a January loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Porter reportedly left the arena at halftime after a heated confrontation with assistant coach John Lucas.

Houston traded Wood to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason but seemingly remains committed to Porter. That said, Porter's history of questionable behavior behind the scenes likely limits what he can demand in contract talks.

Boston Celtics fans apparently draw the line at Marcus Smart when it comes to any deal for Kevin Durant.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Brooklyn Nets rejected a deal centered around Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for Durant. The Nets reportedly want at least Brown and Marcus Smart along with picks and possibly more.

Celtics fans were not happy about it:

I absolutely do not want to give up an all star player like Jaylen brown, Marcus Smart and a pick for someone whose declining like Durant. https://t.co/O77aAHsF8v

— Michael DeMaio (@DeMaio22) July 25, 2022

Nets asking for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and picks for KD? Yeah the Celtics ain't doing that LMAO. Just move on bruh y'all already have a top 3 team in the East, why trade the players that had a huge part in you becoming that good? Doesn't make sense to me

— Kabory (@KingKDP13) July 25, 2022

Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown and multiple picks.

Not saying no because it’s Kevin Durant, saying no because why should we rip our finals bound roster, especially after we’ve shown we can guard KD.

— tai lung (@FlakoSentYa) July 25, 2022

https://twitter.com/bradyclips/status/1551532056051679233

Boston needs to counter back grant Williams and another pick instead of Marcus smart and get this done

— 2025 has arrived (@brooks_english) July 25, 2022

If this is to be believed, I have no idea how the Nets trade Durant. If you get a Brown/White/pick offer and ask them to also add in MARCUS SMART, the talks aren’t close. https://t.co/qpkkwQwI4w

— Josh Engleman (@JoshEngleman) July 25, 2022

Sean marks greedy ass will prolly ask Rob williams, Marcus smart and jaylen brown and multiple draft picks for KD lol

— Zen (@zenitfrbackup) July 25, 2022

Yeah. But they want Marcus smart too and picks and that’s the deal breaker for me.

— “J.R.” ☘️ (@jrdarville) July 25, 2022

https://twitter.com/snaphoodie/status/1551536396132818946

Smart is the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game last season.

The 28-year-old has been named first-team All-Defense three times and has twice won the league's Hustle Award, which helps make him a fan favorite in Boston.

Even with these attributes, Smart is still somewhat limited offensively with a career high of 13.1 points per game in 2020-21. His career 38.2 field-goal percentage and 32.1 three-point percentage also show his inconsistency on that end of the court.

Durant, a 12-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP and four-time scoring champion, remains an elite offensive weapon at 33, as he averaged 29.9 points per game with a 51.8 field-goal percentage and 38.3 three-point percentage last season.

Even in a relatively down year for him from an efficiency standpoint, he finished 2021-22 with a 4.8 value over replacement player to tie for sixth in the league, per Basketball Reference. That is more than Smart (1.5) and Brown (2.2) combined.

Both Smart (5.6) and Brown (5.8) set career highs in win shares last season, but both fell well short of Durant (8.4), who had his worst mark since 2008-09 with at least 40 games played.

If Durant stays healthy, he is one of the game's best players and someone who can carry a squad to a championship. The offseason addition of Malcolm Brogdon also makes Smart more expendable in Boston.

Of course, the Celtics did just reach the NBA Finals with a team led by Jayson Tatum, Smart and Brown. Fans clearly want to keep the roster intact as they try to get over the top to a title.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly emerged as a potential suitor in Kevin Durant trade talks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Celtics have been in "regular contact" with the Nets regarding a trade but "appear no closer to acquiring Durant than others." The Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns have been the most regularly mentioned potential suitors.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN later told 98.7 Arizona Sports that the discussions with the Celtics were not "fresh talks" and that the offer was likely "weeks old," per Sarah Kezele.

Boston's ability to deal Jaylen Brown could give the Celtics a leg up in talks should they start to heat up.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Celtics offered Brown, Derrick White and an undisclosed draft pick for Durant. The Nets countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and another rotation player.

Boston has balked at including Smart in trade talks.

The Celtics' willingness to include Brown—regardless of Smart's involvement—in trade talks likely makes them the favorites to land Durant.

The Suns, once considered the front-runners, are essentially out of the conversation after having to match the Indiana Pacers' offer sheet to Deandre Ayton. Phoenix's best trade package would have included a sign-and-trade of Ayton, given the team's understandable unwillingness to part with Devin Booker.

The Heat could include Bam Adebayo in talks, but Brooklyn and Miami would require a third team to get involved and take on Ben Simmons. The Nets could not have Adebayo and Simmons on their roster because both are on designated rookie extensions; NBA rules prohibit teams from trading for more than one player on a designated contract.

The Raptors' most attractive trade chip is Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, but Toronto has shown no willingness to make him available. Adding Durant also would not necessarily make the Raptors an NBA Finals favorite.

The Celtics have the best player who is realistically available to the Nets in trade talks. Brown doesn't turn 26 until October, has been a 20-point scorer for three straight seasons and has never gotten a chance to be a true lead option on offense.

It's also possible Brown is motivated to leave Boston even though the team is coming off an NBA Finals berth. He liked a tweet last month about feeling "disrespected" by fans, given his semi-regular inclusion in trade speculation.

Hearing the Celtics offered him to Brooklyn is unlikely to heal whatever wounds exist. Don't be surprised if Brown looks to find a new home for himself ahead of next season, regardless of whether the Celtics wind up landing Durant. Brown has two years remaining on his contract, giving him leverage to force a deal if the "disrespect" isn't rectified.

Longtime NBA shooting guard Kyle Korver is joining the Atlanta Hawks for a front-office role, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Korver, who played in the NBA from 2003-20, served as a player development coach for the Brooklyn Nets last season. He suited up for six teams during his NBA career, including the Hawks from 2012-17.

Korver made his lone All-Star team as a member of the 2014-15 Hawks, who finished first in the Eastern Conference standings and reached the East Finals.

Korver got rave reviews for the first stop of his post-playing career, per Chris Milholen of NetsDaily:

Lots of Nets praised Kyle Korver last season. He notably helped out Kessler Edwards, Nic Claxton, and Ben Simmons with shooting. He was a Nets player development coach last season. https://t.co/ABAk3QxXv1

— Chris Milholen (@ChrisMilholen) July 19, 2022

However, Korver is going to switch gears and go the front-office route with the move to Atlanta.

The former Creighton star, who shot 42.9 percent from three-point range for his career, joins a Hawks team that figures to make big improvements after adding San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray via trade. He and Trae Young now form a dynamic backcourt for a Hawks team that won 43 games and reached the playoffs last year.

Korver joins a front office run by president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk. That office also includes another former NBA player in Landry Fields, who was promoted to general manager on July 1. Fields, a former Stanford standout, played in the NBA for five seasons with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors.