As the calendar turns to August and much of the roster maneuvering that occurs through the NBA draft and free agency is behind us, the dog days of the offseason are here. But the unsettled futures of superstars Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell continue to loom over the league. The NBA never sleeps.
So while NBA executives and players scatter around the world for much-needed rest and personal time after the shortened 2020 and 2021 offseasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, a full summer provides everyone with time to clear their minds, even while the balance of power for next season and beyond remains to be determined.
There is currently no trade deadline, but deadlines always trigger action that allows the parties to either get really serious or decide to abandon discussions. Now, the start of training camp around September 26th is the unofficial trade deadline. Teams looking to move players face a late September deadline to find a move before camp — or risk having a cloud hanging over the start of the season.
Durant requested a trade from Brooklyn on June 30, according to sources, and after active discussions between the Nets and interested teams in early July, talks have slowed. The Nets have set an incredibly high bar for the return the franchise wants in a trade for Durant — a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, former league MVP and 12-time All-Star — and teams have yet to come close to live up to their price.
Durant has shown no change in his position, sources said, and executives around the league at the Las Vegas Summer League this month wondered if his training camp status could be in question on waivers if a trade does not develop.
After the Phoenix Suns matched Indiana’s $133 million max offer to Deandre Ayton, the list of candidates for Durant became clearer. With Ayton currently untradeable, it appears the Suns are all but eliminated from the Durant sweepstakes. The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain among the teams being pursued — and the Boston Celtics recently offered a package around one-time All-Star Jaylen Brown for Durant and have emerged as a real threat to acquire Durant, league sources told The Athletic.
The Celtics offered Brown, guard Derrick White and a Nets draft pick for Durant, sources said. The offer was rejected and Brooklyn asked Boston — in any offer — to include Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially another rotation player, those sources added. Right now, the Celtics are less likely to include Smart along with a host of other player assets or draft picks, but the franchise is considering next steps on how to approach discussions.
Right now, the Celtics are emerging as a strong possibility as a landing spot for Durant. They have a vested interest in attracting him and see him as a figure who can carry them through the final hurdle. While there is work to be done, a deal must be made that will satisfy the Nets’ huge asking price.
For Boston, fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, the opportunity to potentially land one of the greatest players in league history is one for president Brad Stevens to analyze and explore. However, the Celtics are certainly intent on being smart and looking to ensure that the franchise can remain a championship contender for years to come, which the current core looks set to do. But this is Kevin Durant, and his greatness can instantly change a team’s fortunes from title contender to title winner under the right circumstances.
A deal for Durant is not imminent, and as August and then September approach, the true desire of interested teams will become clear to the Nets. Brooklyn’s front office, led by general manager Sean Marks, placed a high price on Durant’s market while building a team that gives the organization confidence in its ability to contend if the team brings the roster as it is into training camp. The onus is on interested parties to sit down at the table to reach a price for one of the NBA’s greatest players. The Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a multi-player package, their 2022 first-round pick in Walker Kessler, four future first-rounders and a trade of draft picks — which somewhat boosted Durant’s market value and the Nets’ desire for All-Star caliber players and picks.
Nets star Kyrie Irving has picked up his $37 million player option for next season, committing through the 2022-23 season with the franchise. There’s a lot to sort out in Brooklyn — and a clearer picture promises to emerge as the summer approaches — and still the belief that the best way to compete for a championship could certainly be to bring the current roster into the new season.
ESPN first reported the Celtics’ entry as an interested candidate for Durant.
Meanwhile, eyes and ears around the league also remain glued to the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks involved in trade talks surrounding Mitchell. The Knicks’ asset pool — up to eight first-round draft picks and young players like Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Taupin — gives them a clear opportunity to acquire Mitchell, but sources say talks have so far been slow and the sides are far from agreement. With three guaranteed years remaining on Mitchell’s contract, the Jazz are not operating with a sense of urgency and have time to evaluate the best offers for the 25-year-old.
Mitchell spent the summer in his usual offseason routine: high-intensity workouts and time with family and friends. Sources said the three-time NBA All-Star hasn’t asked for a trade or tried to leave Utah, but if the franchise is headed for a full rebuild, a player like Mitchell would rather be in an environment focused on winning now, not later.
Along with New York, several other teams have expressed interest to the Jazz when it comes to Mitchell, including Washington, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Sacramento and Atlanta, according to sources.
Like Brooklyn, the Jazz have firmly set the bar high for any potential Mitchell deal and expect to be patient throughout the process. For now, the Jazz will continue to evaluate incoming calls and look for ways to balance their roster.
The NBA’s unofficial offseason deadline is two months away, and Durant and Mitchell loom as major dominoes for the entire league.
More NBA news and notes…
Cleveland Cavaliers
Collin Sexton is in the midst of the most difficult free agency status — restricted free agency — but the fourth-year guard and his representative, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, have shown so far that they won’t settle for negotiations. Discussions could carry over into training camp and potentially into the season as the league’s roster landscape changes.
Sexton has a qualifying offer of $7.2 million for the 2022-23 season, which would make him one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market next offseason.
Houston Rockets
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. and the organization have mutual interest in a contract extension before the start of the 2022-23 season, sources said. Porter, the No. 30 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is entering the final season of his rookie contract. He joined the Rockets on January 29, 2021 and has made progress over the past two years in Houston.
Porter averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game last season while shooting a career-best 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
Los Angeles Lakers
After further talks, former NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace will no longer join new Lakers coach Darwin Hamm’s staff, sources said. Last season, Wallace was an assistant under Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis.
Utah Jazz
Utah, New York and Indiana are among the teams that have discussed trades with the Lakers involving Russell Westbrook and draft capital, sources said. There doesn’t appear to be a deal imminent in those talks — as the general trade market unfolds over the next two months of the offseason.
(Top photo: Al Bello/Getty Images).
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