It may be the offseason in the NBA, but there is still so much going on around the league – both on and off the court.
In Brooklyn, the Nets don’t appear to be in any rush to trade away superstar Kevin Durant despite his desire to leave the team. Although, they have been busy making signings to fill out their roster.
Meanwhile, Summer League is ongoing and a couple of top picks from the recently concluded NBA Draft have put up some promising performances for their new teams.
Read on below as SBOTOP rounds up the latest NBA 2022 news from around the Association.
Nets willing to wait for right Durant deal
The Brooklyn Nets are set to have quite a busy summer. Not only are they possibly working on a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers involving Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, but they are also expected to field calls for Kevin Durant, who has reportedly expressed his desire to be traded from the team.
However, The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania reports that the Nets are not in any rush to trade Durant away and are intent on waiting for the best possible return on their superstar.
“[The Nets] are making moves and doing things this offseason with the preparation and operation as if they’re bringing these two guys back next season and playing with these two guys. They’re open in dialogue and open to teams like Toronto, Phoenix, Miami making offers but until they get that price threshold met, which I’m told is All-Star-type players, a boat load of draft picks, they’re not gonna move. This is what they’re telling teams: We’re not going to move Kevin Durant until the price is met. We’ll see how this summer goes … this process with Kevin Durant could take a while.”
The Nets just saw the Minnesota Timberwolves make a massive trade involving multiple players and draft assets to the Utah Jazz for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and they will likely be hoping for a similar haul for Durant, who is still a legitimate MVP candidate at age 33.
But if the Nets hold out for such a steep price for Durant, the NBA 2022 odds of this trade saga dragging look quite low.
Nets sign TJ Warren, Edmund Sumner
As the Nets try to deal with the future of their two disgruntled superstars, they also made a couple of signings in forward TJ Warren and guard Edmond Sumner.
Warren and Sumner were teammates on the Indiana Pacers and have extensive injury histories.
Warren, 28, has not featured in an NBA game since the start of the 2020-21 season due to lingering foot issues.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Sumner has suffered a torn ACL and a torn Achilles, which kept him out for the entirety of last season. Sumner was then traded to the Nets, who subsequently waived him.
Warren is a capable scorer who had some outstanding performances in the NBA Bubble and if healthy, he could help fill the massive offensive void that Durant’s potential departure would leave on the Nets.
Kings go unbeaten in California Classic
The Sacramento Kings concluded the California Classic Summer League undefeated as they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 87-75 in their final game.
Rookie forward Keegan Murray led the Kings with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. The 21-year-old,, who was drafted No 4 overall by the Kings in the 2022 NBA Draft, led the California Classic in scoring as he averaged 19.7 points in three games. He also shot 51 per cent from the field and nearly 44 per cent from beyond the arc.
Murray will likely be in consideration to start alongside All-Star centre Domantas Sabonis and veteran Harrison Barnes in the Kings’ frontcourt this season.
Chet Holmgren shines in Summer League debut
In other rookie news, No 2 pick Chet Holmgren had a dazzling Summer League debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder as he scored 23 points and set Summer League records for blocks (6) and 3-pointers made (4).
Holmgren also had seven rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes of play to help the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz, 98-77.
Holmgren, a versatile 7-footer drafted from Gonzaga, was one of the top college players last season as he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. He is expected to be a key defensive piece for the Thunder, who have been in a complete rebuilding mode for the last two seasons.
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