Kevin Durant is one of the greatest basketball players to grace the NBA with his presence. But despite his other-worldly talent, Durant has no issue embracing his fans (and haters) by exchanging in Twitter banter. On June 22, The Phoenix Suns’ superstar entered the Legend of Winning Twitter space after one fan called him out for the lack of criticism he receives for his playoff blunders compared to other players, such as Lakers star Anthony Davis.

Amid the conversation, several speakers in the space began to question Davis’s defense because of how well Nikola Jokic performed in the Lakers’ series against the Denver Nuggets. Durant did not hesitate to come to the Laker big man’s defense.

“To question Anthony Davis’s defensive prowess is insane,” Durant said in the space. “Every series is going to be different. One guy will have a great series before and next, are they good players at the end of the day?”

Could Chris Paul Reunite With Suns

For those who may be tardy to the party, the Suns traded Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in a deal that landed them All-Star guard Bradley Beal ahead of the NBA Draft. On NBA Draft night, the Wizards traded Paul to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for their star guard Jordan Poole. Per Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report, the Warriors intend to keep the All-Star guard this season.

But the NBA is ever-changing, and with the free agency period just days away, the Warriors could have a change of heart. If Golden State decides to move on, John Voita of SB Nation believes a reunion between Paul and the Suns is a viable option.

“What is unique about this transaction as it relates to the Suns is it opens the door for the possibility of Chris Paul potentially returning to the Valley. The way it works is simple: if a team trades a player, and then that player is waived, they cannot return to the team that traded him. The “reacquisition rule” prevents teams from doing this. This rule is intended to prohibit teams from bypassing salary cap laws by trading a player to another team and then signing him to a new deal right away,” Voita writes.

“There is a loophole, however, and that is if that player is traded again then waived. In July 2016 the Warriors traded Andrew Bogut to the Mavericks, and in February 2017 the Mavericks traded Bogut to the Sixers, who waived him. Because of the two trades, Bogut could have resigned with the Warriors. If the Golden State Warriors did this move simply in an effort to salary dump Jordan Poole’s contract, and if they choose to waive Chris Paul, he could return to the Suns”

Suns Entering Critical Free Agency Period

In exactly one week, the free agency period will begin. And although the Suns have done the bulk of their heavy lifting throughout the season after acquiring Beal and Durant, there is still work to be done by their front office.

After trading Paul, the Suns do not have a true starting point guard, which won’t bode well as they have three volume shooters who are not particularly known for their playmaking ability. And the only point guards they have under contract for next season are Cameron Payne and Jordan Goodwin.

They also have decisions to make on key free agents this summer including Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, and Terrence Ross. It will be interesting to see what additional moves they make.

Yesterday on June 19, a photograph of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers began making the rounds on social media.

It was originally shared by Proactive Sports Performance on Instagram, but it wasn’t long before it was trending on Twitter and other platforms. “When two MVPs walk into the gym…. #WhatAreYouCapableOf,” the post read, with Rodgers and four-time NBA scoring champ and former MVP Kevin Durant locking hands.

Although the pair of sports legends were pictured inside Durant’s arena, both appeared to be working out, or having just finished a training session. The original photo has over 3,700 likes in just about 24 hours.

The Pat McAfee Show Dissects the Aaron Rodgers, Kevin Durant Photo With the Help of an Insider

The following afternoon on June 20, the very popular Pat McAfee Show caught wind of Rodgers’ photo with “KD.” With the help of ex-Green Bay Packers teammate A.J. Hawk, they discussed the viral “hang” between the two superstar athletes.

“Have they always been buds?” McAfee questioned after bringing up the story. “Seems like a great relationship possibility with the limited we know about Kevin Durant.”

“Business savvy, dog, doesn’t mind the social media stuff, reads into things, smokes, does all that,” McAfee went on, adding: “Feels like him and Aaron would be f******, like, best friends potentially.”

That’s where McAfee brought in Hawk, his co-host and Rodgers aficionado.

“I don’t know if he had a previous relationship with KD,” Hawk responded, “I know this is where [Rodgers] always works out in the offseason up there, so has KD always been there? I’m not sure.”

McAfee agreed with the tail-end of Hawk’s point, noting that Rodgers has also been pictured at Proactive Sports Performance training facility with Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari in years past, as well as Jets WR Allen Lazard earlier this spring.

“That workout place seems to be fantastic,” McAfee concluded, adding that he’d “love to be a fly on the wall” of any conversation between Rodgers and Durant.

On their website, Proactive Sports Performance features several star athletes and celebrities, including Rodgers, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller, NBA stars Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns, tennis champ Naomi Osaka, actor John David Washington, New York Knicks youngster Obi Toppin and more. The 18,000-square foot training facility is located in Westlake Village, California, and was founded by Ryan Capretta.

New Yorkers Will Hope Jets Landing Aaron Rodgers Turns Out Better Than Nets Pursuit of Kevin Durant

Of course, Rodgers and Durant have something else in common. The latter was one of the recent big-name superstars to come to New York in the hopes of bringing a championship to one of the more famous cities on the planet.

Unfortunately, KD failed to do so with the Brooklyn Nets and has since been traded to the Phoenix Suns. Now it’s Rodgers turn with the Jets.

Durant did help his team win a playoff series in Brooklyn but considering the expectations, that wasn’t enough of a return on investment.

Rodgers will have to satisfy the same high hopes of Jets fans. His acquisition isn’t about ending the playoff drought in 2023, or even winning the division for the first time since 2002, it’s about getting to the Super Bowl — and potentially — hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for just the second time in the franchise’s long and painful history.

If Rodgers can do that, he won’t just be a Jets legend, he’ll be an all-time New York athlete too.

The Brooklyn Nets caught a stray following the Phoenix Suns’ latest blockbuster trade for a star.

Just four months after swinging a trade with the Nets for Kevin Durant, the Suns have unloaded virtually all of their remaining draft assets, sending them to the Washington Wizards along with Chris Paul and Landry Shamet for Bradley Beal, guard Jordan Goodwin, G Leaguer Isaiah Todd, a handful of second-round picks, and pick swaps.

Despite not being involved, Portland Trail Blazers star big man Jusuf Nurkic called them out.

“Brooklyn situation all over again,” Nurkic tweeted on June 18, also retweeting an image mocking the Suns’ new top-heavy lineup that was also shared by teammate Damian Lillard’s trainer Phil Beckner.

The Nets, of course, only traded Durant after he forced their hand following Kyrie Irving’s trade demand which Brooklyn granted. A big three that was supposed to be Durant, Irving, and James Harden only saw the floor together for 17 games and has seemingly made the Nets at least slightly more cautious about jumping right back into the star chase.

Brooklyn traded rights to its first-round picks through 2027 to the Houston Rockets for Harden.

They also broke up a playoff team to get Durant and Irving in 2019. But, even before Durant, the Nets were on the wrong side of a trade with the Boston Celtics that is regarded as one of the worst roster-building experiments in recent memory.

They tried to pair Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Piere alongside Deron Williams and Brook Lopez but that only lasted one season before they pivoted away from Pierce.

Garnett lasted 42 games into the following season before getting traded.

The Nets lost in the Easter Conference Finals that first season and were bounced in the first round the following year They proceeded to endure a three-year postseason drought but are now riding a streak of five consecutive postseason appearances including holding onto the six-seed even after the drain of losing Durant and Irving at the deadline.

Three of the picks they traded for the Celtics’ vets were turned into Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz, and Colin Sexton, each of whom would be solid fits with this current group.

Nets ‘Probably Very Happy’ at Suns’ Trade for Bradley Beal

The Nets were among nearly a dozen teams who were believed to be acceptable trade destination

“Ironically, I think the Nets are probably a team that was very happy about today’s trade,” said ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon on the ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective’ podcast on June 18. “Because what you have now…[it’s] all-in on a very short window. And those picks that [the Suns] gave up to get KD extend beyond that very short window.”

Phoenix traded its first-round picks in 2023 (No. 21 overall), 2025, 2027, and 2029, as well as the option to swap first-rounders in 2028, a pair of second-rounders (2028 and 2029), Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson to the Nets for Durant.

Durant, 34, was injured at the time and hurt himself again after the trade. He has made no more than 55 appearances during the regular season since 2018-19.

He has suffered a series of lower body injuries in that span.

Beal, 29, has not made more than 60 appearances in that span while Devin Booker, 26, made a career-low 53 appearances this past season. The significance of the regular season has been de-emphasized in recent years but they were just two losses from being in the Play-In Tournament where the Miami Heat proved anything can happen.

Nets Potentially ‘More Appealing’ Trade Partner for Blazers

Beal isn’t the only star the Nets have been linked to with Lillard also being on their radar. Lillard has also named Brooklyn as one of the destinations he would prefer if he were to request one which he has not at this time.

The other top team on his list, the Heat, could be at a disadvantage since Lillard does not have the no-trade clause that allowed Beal to force Washington’s hand.

“The Nets…could offer as many as 11 first-round picks, including nine unprotected,” wrote Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on June 19. “If the Nets offer five or more first-round picks, the Heat’s chances could hinge on Lillard specifically asking the Blazers to send him only to Miami. And it’s unclear if Lillard would do that.”

If stars on exorbitant contracts are going for discounts, the Nets may still be in luck.

The Brooklyn Nets’ interest in the latest star seeking a new home could be for naught.

“Developing: Washington is in serious talks with two finalists – Miami [Heat] and Phoenix [Suns] – on a Bradley Beal trade,” tweeted Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on June 17. “The Suns have emerged as a serious threat for Beal, who holds a no-trade clause.”

Brooklyn’s interest in Beal came to light just one day before Charania’s update on the situation via Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes on the ‘#thisleague UNCUT’ podcast. And there was some speculation that the Nets could be a team Beal would waive his no-trade clause for to facilitate a deal.

Now, in light of Charania’s new report, Haynes is noting that the outlines of a package to send Beal to the Suns could be in place.

“Phoenix can offer trade package of Deandre Ayton and Landry Shamet to Washington for Bradley Beal,” Haynes tweeted. “But it’s believed a Chris Paul, Shamet deal is what it would take if Beal chose to force his way to Suns via his no-trade clause.”

Haynes’ co-host, Marc Stein of The Stein Line, said Miami was Beal’s preferred destination.

But the bottom line appears to be that the Nets are on the outside looking in with Beal wielding more power than other players thanks to the no-trade clause. This new update further hinders what Washington can get back with Beal’s five-year, $251 million contract already limiting the list of potentially interested teams even without him having the final say.

Nets Content With Continuity

As tough as it may be for Brooklyn to potentially be out of the running so soon, Nets general manager Sean Marks has already made it clear that he is in no rush to make another blockbuster trade. Brooklyn is less than $16 million below the luxury tax, per Spotrac, and has to make a decision on Camron Johnson that could cost them upwards of $18 million annually.

“Continuity is big. It’s something that’s not lost on us, for sure,” Marks said during his exit interview in April. “I don’t think we’re in any hurry. We’re not going to be pushed to make changes just for the sake of making changes.”

The Nets avoided trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last offseason, working themselves into the Eastern Conference title contenders they were billed to be.

That they ended up having to dismantle those title hopes mid-season is likely not lost on Marks.

Brooklyn’s Last Superstar Experiment Took a Toll

New Nets cornerstone Mikal Bridges might have hit the nail on the head in explaining how he is different from the previous Nets stars because he mostly stays out of the spotlight. He also noted that the city needed a refresh after a tumultuous four-year span that also briefly included Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden.

“I think Brooklyn itself had a lot going on,” Bridges said on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “They had Kyrie, Harden, and KD and then all that happening, and Kyrie[‘s suspension], and all that stuff. I think they were just ready for refreshing.”

Beal has been a low-maintenance star in Washington, not making much of a fuss.

But, despite that and the Nets’ need for a No. 1 scoring option, the Nets still appear to be on the outside looking in on this one.

Time is supposed to heal all wounds but, in the case of former Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, it may be having the opposite effect.

In a sidebar from a larger discussion about his legacy, primarily regarding his two championships won with the Golden State Warriors, Durant was posed with the idea that his interactions with critics on social media are “weird behavior disguised as fun”.

Durant clapped back, as he is wont to do, saying that Nets fans are making him the “enemy”.

Just days earlier, Durant tweeted and then deleted a tweet saying Nets fans were “making s*** up” about his role in Denver Nuggets sparkplug Bruce Brown’s departure last offseason. Brown said that Nets general manager Sean Marks and Co. wanted him back but some players did not, though he did not name anyone specifically.

“Front office-wise, they’re great, they’re amazing,” Brown said on the ‘Dan Le Batard Show with Stugots‘ on May 25. “I love Sean Marks, [Jeff Peterson]. But I think, locker-room-wise, it was cool, but we didn’t do much together off the court.”

Brown and the Nuggets are one win away from the first championship in franchise history.

Fans immediately pinned it on Durant which the former Oklahoma City Thunder star was having none of before taking the tweet down.

Mikal Bridges Welcomes Being Different from Nets Ex-Big 3

The Nets looked like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference during their 12-game winning streak that spanned the better part of December into January. But, following the trade request of Kyrie Irving being granted, Durant wanted out too, requesting a trade for the second time he had requested a trade in eight months.

Marks obliged, sending him to Phoenix for a package of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and first-round picks. Bridges has been vocal about being different from the previous Nets era’s stars.

“I’m the total opposite of all them dudes,” Bridges told the crew on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “You’re never gonna catch me off-camera doing some crazy s***.”

Bridges took a shart star turn after arriving in the deal.

He averaged 26.1 points on 60.7% true shooting in 27 regular-season appearances and has essentially been deemed off-limits for trade this offseason. Brooklyn already rejected an offer of four first-round picks, albeit from the Memphis Grizzlies who figure to be picking towards the latter portion of the first round for the foreseeable future.

The gregarious 26-year-old is also not shy about recruiting players to his new team, even Eastern Conference Rivals.

Mikal Bridges Recruiting Celtics’ Grant Williams

Bridges first sent a distress signal out to Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams on June 9, calling for the 24-year-old restricted free agent to “save the city”. Taking it one step further, he was spotted at the New York Liberty’s win over the Dallas Wings on June 11.

Williams could be too expensive for the Celtics to retain long-term and the Nets could be aggressive in offering him the full mid-level exception worth $12.2 million, per Spotrac. Boston could always match it but the new CBA is highly punitive to tax teams while Williams can play 3-through-5 and shot 39.5% from beyond the arc last season.

No love is lost between former Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, now of the Phoenix Suns, and Nets Twitter.

The outspoken Durant made that clear with his charge that Nets fans on the social media app have a habit of “making s*** up” about how things happened during his time with the organization.

This time, he responded to an assertion that he cost Brooklyn Bruce Brown.

“At some point, Nets Twitter has to stop making s–t up,” Durant tweeted on June 9, per Larry Brown Sports. “I know, I know, I’m soft for this tweet. I’ll delete soon.”

The tweet has indeed since been deleted.

Brown, 26, has said that general manager Sean Marks and the front office wanted him to stay with the team, offering a vague (at best) reference to some other force influencing no offer coming his way. He landed with the Denver Nuggets last offseason and has helped the team get one game away from the franchise’s first NBA title.

“Front office-wise, they’re great, they’re amazing,” Brown said on the ‘Dan Le Batard Show with Stugots on May 25. “I love Sean Marks, [Jeff Peterson]. But I think, locker-room-wise, it was cool, but we didn’t do much together off the court. But when James [Harden] was there, obviously it was more fun.”

Brown has one year left on his two-year, $13.2 million contract but can opt out this summer and figures to do so after his breakout regular season and performance this postseason, the latter continuing a trend he started with Brooklyn during the 2022 postseason.

The former Miami Hurricane averaged a career-best 11.5 points with 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals during the regular season and 12.1 points in the postseason adding 3.9 boards.

He is also still dishing out 1.9 assists operating off of stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Kevin Durant’s Role in Nets Dysfunction

For the second year in a row, the Nets were swept out of the playoffs in the first round after coming into the season with championship aspirations. At one point, they rattled off 12 straight wins and looked like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference before Durant reinstated his trade demand following that of his friend and former teammate, Kyrie Irving.

Irving went to the Dallas Mavericks while Durant was subsequently sent to Phoenix and the Nets were left trying to piece together a feasible rotation of role players. Blame for the downfall has gone to everyone from Durant and Irving to Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden.

Brown noted Harden’s departure sapped some of the good energy out of the locker room while Harden has made no secret about why he wanted out.

It starts at the top.

“There was no structure and even superstars, they need structure. That’s what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations,” Harden told Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports in an interview released in March. “I just feel like…internally, things weren’t what I expected when I was trying to get traded there. I think everybody knows that.”

Harden pointed to Durant’s request as proof that he wasn’t in the wrong to push for his exit as he did. Durant has romanticized the trio’s – with Irving serving as the third component – short-lived run of just 17 games.

Irving has said his goal was always to win a championship in Brooklyn adding there is “no f****** doubt” the Nets would have won the title in 2021 had he not gotten injured.

Nets Ownership Says NBA Players are ‘Difficult’ to Manage

Nets governor Joe Tsai has been honest about his feelings on dealing with NBA players in the wake of a tumultuous season, comparing managing an NBA roster to working with actors on the set of a Hollywood production.

“And actors and actresses are human beings. They’re very, very difficult to manage,” Tsai said at the ‘BEYOND Expo 2023′ on YouTube on May 10. “Believe me, I manage a basketball team and the players are very difficult to manage. If you’re in Hollywood, it’s very, very difficult to manage people.”

Tsai has not always been in the good graces of fans but this may be one topic both sides can agree on.

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to have some competition for James Harden this offseason. However, according to John Gombadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 Radio FM, the Phoenix Suns will not be among the teams vying for him.

Gombadoro shot down the notion that Harden will reunite with former teammate Kevin Durant on the Suns this summer on his personal Twitter.

“Can we stop with these ridiculous James Harden reports. There is a zero percent chance this would happen. ZERO,” Gomabadoro tweeted.

This is likely in response to NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne floating Harden as a possible option for the Suns on a June 7 appearance on Mason & Ireland in light of rumors of the Suns potentially parting ways with Chris Paul.

“They don’t (waive Paul) unless they feel pretty good about somebody else, and I want you to keep your eye on James Harden,” Shelburne said. “I don’t want to report anything, but that was in the wind the past month or so. Everybody thinks it’s Philly or Houston, but there have been discussions in the wind.”

Though it appears the Sixers have one less team to worry about in the Harden sweepstakes, it’s far from guaranteed that he will return.

Exec Says James Harden is ‘No Longer a Max Player’

While talking with Heavy Sports’ Steve Bulpett, a source openly questioned why the Houston Rockets would go after Harden, adding that Harden is not the player he once was.

“There’s this talk about him going back to Houston, but from what I understand, it’s nothing more than a negotiating ploy. He knows that these guys aren’t going to max him. He’s no longer a max player, but he’s hoping that Philly wants him back and is willing to pay him.

“Houston’s making changes, so what connections will James have with the new people — and why would Houston, that has a bunch of youngsters that they’re trying to grow into NBA players, why would they bring in someone with James’ history of partying?”

An Eastern Conference executive spoke a similar sentiment while talking with Bulpett, though he added that Harden is still a quality player.

“He can get numbers; he can help a team,” the exec said. “But he’s not a max player anymore. You can’t justify it. The unfortunate part is that more and more of us are going to metrics, and there’s nobody’s metric measurement that looks at him and his efficiency and what he gives up defensively and says, ‘Oh, yeah, this is a guy we should max out.’”

James Harden ‘Torn’ on Who to Play for Next Season

Shams Charania revealed on the June 6 episode of “The Ryan Russillo Podcast” that Harden is currently torn on his free-agent decision this summer, as he does not know who to pick between the Sixers and Rockets.

“I don’t think he knows. As far as what I know about his mindset, I don’t think he totally is there,” Charania said. “We’re less than a month out from free agency starting. I really think he’s torn with the prospect of staying in Philadelphia or moving on to Houston potentially and returning back to his home.”

The Denver Nuggets are two wins away from winning the NBA Finals, and their two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Nikola Jokic, adding yet another accolade to his already decorated career. But even with Jokic having accomplished as much as he has, some are hesitant to label him a superstar because of his unorthodox style of play.

Usually, it is the long-range shooting of Steph Curry or the out-of-this-world athleticism of LeBron James on display in these NBA Finals. But this year, it is Jokic with a style of play that you usually see from some marketing executive at your local YMCA.

Adding a championship and possibly a Finals MVP Award to his trophy case would no doubt put Jokic in the conversation for one of the greatest big men in NBA History. But as far as being considered a star, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant doesn’t believe that is high on Jokic’s list of priorities.

“I don’t think Jokic wants or care to be a star,” Durant said on June 7 in a tweet that has since been deleted via ESPN. “ Go to work, go home, facetime his horses, and hop in the pool.”

Suns Meet With Chris Paul to Discuss Future

After losing convincingly to Jokic and the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs, the Suns got a head start on retooling their organizational structure. That started with firing former head coach Monty Williams, who recently accepted a job with the Detroit Pistons. He got replaced by Frank Vogel, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to a title in 2020.

As the NBA free agency period draws closer, the Suns are turning their attention to altering their roster construction. Per ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns met with starting point guard Chris Paul to discuss his future, including the possibility that they could waive him.

“Phoenix Suns’ ownership and executives had a series of conversations with Chris Paul and his representatives on the All-Star point guard’s future with the franchise Wednesday, including the possibility that he could be waived by the NBA’s June 28 guarantee date on his contract,” Wojnarowski writes.

“The Suns insist that they’re still working through several possibilities for Paul’s future and reiterated that to his representatives later Wednesday afternoon, sources said. Phoenix plans to explore trade opportunities including Paul and Deandre Ayton that could alter the franchise’s roster landscape ahead of a final decision on Paul’s partially guaranteed contract”

Waiving Chris Paul Gives Suns Cap Flexibility

Per Wojnarowski, Paul is owed $30.8 million this season. However, his contract is only partially guaranteed, so if he is waived, it would free up roughly $15 million in cap space.

That cap space could be used to build around Durant and Devin Booker. And after a playoff run where they were beaten handily by the Nuggets in the second round and struggled to get past a Clippers team without Kawhi and Paul George in the first round, it is clear that this Suns roster needs to get a lot better if they want to compete for a title.

There is also a possibility that Paul could be waived and brought back on a restructured deal. It is something to keep an eye on.

With the NBA free agency period drawing nearer, decision time is coming for players who have an option in their contract for next season. They will have to elect to either opt in for the final year of their deals or opt out and test free agency. As the season comes to a close, all eyes are on former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden, who has until June 29 to decide on his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.

After being eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the second round, some are speculative about what Harden’s next move will be as he is still looking to win the first NBA title of his career. According to ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne, Harden could be eying a move to the Phoenix Suns, which would reunite him with his former Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant.

“I’m simultaneously texting like four people as you just read that to me because it’s really shocking. They don’t do that unless they feel really good about somebody else,” Shelburne said on ESPN Radio’s “Mason and Ireland” show.

“I want you to keep your eye on James Harden. I don’t want to report anything but that was in the wind in the last month or so. Everybody thinks it’s like Philly or Houston, but I don’t know. There has been discussion in the wind.”

Devin Booker Could Help Lure James Harden to Suns

Since entering the league out of the University of Kentucky, Suns guard Devin Booker has gradually improved his game and thus has been crowned one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. But during this 2023 playoff run, Booker officially elevated into the tier of superstardom. He averaged a career-high in nearly every statistical category, including 33.7 points per game and a scalding 50.8% from beyond the arc.

The Suns have recently convinced some high-level talents to come to Phoenix. They have already enticed Chris Paul and Kevin Durant to join them in the last three seasons. Shelburne says that Booker has been one of the factors in that.

“This is the thing about Phoenix — everybody wants to play with Devin Booker. He is like the perfect guy to play with,” Shelburne added.

“He doesn’t suck up all of the oxygen in the room, he’s really good, he’s a great shooter, and he knows how to be a great teammate. He’s already proven — Kevin Durant wanted to be on his team, and Chris Paul wanted to be on his team.”

Is James Harden a Good Fit for Suns?

Booker and Durant proved to be one of the NBA’s top duos during their first postseason run together. And the Suns faired pretty well, considering they had to gut their roster unexpectedly to acquire Durant at the deadline. But now, with new owner Mat Ishbia approaching his first offseason, the franchise will have adequate time to build a roster around their two stars and hopefully be able to compete for a championship. Adding Harden to this roster would be a great way for the Suns’ front office to make a statement in the free agency period.

Of course, Harden is entering the latter years of his career and is no longer playing at the MVP level that fans have grown accustomed to. But the fact is that the Suns don’t need him to be that player. With Booker and Durant leading the offense, Harden won’t have to be a first or second option on offense and can focus on making plays for his teammates.

The Suns showed during the playoffs that they have one of the top duos in the NBA, who could one day be ready to compete for a championship. If the Suns can add Harden to their roster this offseason, that day could be coming a lot sooner than expected.

In many ways, this year’s NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets feels like a breath of fresh air. The two clear-cut best teams from this year’s playoffs are dueling for the right to become champions. It is a lot different than previous years when teams were being willed to the finish line by their star players.

This year’s Finals may not have as much star power as it has in previous years, but NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett says he is delighted to see the two best teams fight it out for the right to hoist championship gold.

“You know what’s crazy outta all this? It’s not even your three against my two. It’s like your seven, eight against my seven, eight. That’s what I love about this Finals,” Garnett said on the latest episode of “Ticket and Truth” on Showtime.

“It ain’t no more Bron [James], KD [Durant] going at it. It ain’t no star against star. Lord, it is about this seven, eight, nine against Miami’s seven, eight, nine.”

Kevin Garnett Gets Candid on Celtics’ Future

Garnett knows what it takes to hoist championship gold. He won the lone championship of his career in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and is never shy about his allegiance to the green and white. So it must have hurt him to see Boston get blown out at home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals after trailing 0-3.

There are a lot of decisions for the Celtics to make this summer, starting with the future of Jaylen Brown, who will be eligible to sign a $295 million supermax extension this summer after making second-team All-NBA this season.

But after a lackluster performance from him in the Eastern Conference Finals, some are wondering if a supermax deal is too high of an asking price for Boston to retain Brown. Garnett believes that the next step for the Celtics starts with them maturing as a team, but that all starts with their stars, Brown and Jayson Tatum.

“When I watch them play, I think it was maturity. I think the next step for the C’s, at least to me, is maturing. You’ve got to have those influences in there,” Garnett added.

“I’m talking from the development of a player now; these guys are top-tier players. They’re first-team, second-team All-NBA players. Now, it’s about bettering those players. Not even your bench, I’m not talking about Rob Williams. I’m talking about Tatum and Brown. It’s time for them to take the next step.”

Suns’ Assistant Kevin Young Gets New Deal

Many people were surprised at the Suns reportedly finalizing a deal to make former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel Monty Williams’ replacement. This was partially because many people believed Suns assistant Kevin Young was a shoo-in to get the position, especially after receiving a ringing endorsement from their star shooting guard Devin Booker.

With Williams taking the job to become the next coach of the Detroit Pistons, many believed there was a real possibility Young could follow him after not being selected for the Suns’ coaching vacancy. But Phoenix realizes Young’s value and is bringing him back on a new $2 million deal that makes him the NBA’s highest-paid assistant coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is staying with the franchise on a new deal worth more than $2 million annually that will make him the NBA’s highest-paid assistant coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday,” Wojnarowski writes.

“The Suns were determined to keep Young on new coach Frank Vogel’s staff and made a significant commitment to keep him from following former coach Monty Williams to the Detroit Pistons, sources said. Young has become one of the league’s top assistant coaches and was one of the three finalists for the job that Vogel eventually landed on Friday.”

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon stole the show in their 104-93 Game 1 win in the NBA Finals on June 2. He was the Nuggets third-leading scorer with 16 points on 7/10 shooting from the field to go along with 6 rebounds. But it was not just Gordon’s offensive output that turned heads. So too did his defensive efforts.

Gordon was the primary defender on Heat star Jimmy Butler, who scored just 13 points in the loss. For reference, Butler ranks top 10 in playoff scoring. He has also had the responsibility of defending LeBron James and Kevin Durant in their previous two playoff series. When asked about being called upon to defend some of the NBA’s biggest names on basketball’s biggest stage, Gordon did not hold back.

“I’ll be sitting in my rocking chair when I’m 79, 90 years old, talking about kids, like, ‘yeah, back in the day I locked these guys up,” Gordon said after the Game 1 win when asked about being the primary defender on said stars.

Monty Williams Named New Coach of Detroit Pistons

After the Nuggets eliminated the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals, Phoenix decided to part ways with head coach Monty Williams. The decision was not easy as Williams is just a year removed from being named the NBA Coach of the Year and led the Suns to their first NBA Finals since 1993, a year before that.

Many believed Williams would not return to the sidelines next season and take a hiatus while continuing to collect what the Suns owed him on his deal. But the Detroit Pistons made Williams an offer he simply could not refuse. On May 31, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the Pistons would be signing Williams to a record six-year $78.5 million deal, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.

“Coach Monty Williams has agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Detroit Pistons, sources told ESPN’s, Adrian Wojnarowski. It is the largest coaching deal in NBA history. Williams, 51, was fired by the Phoenix Suns earlier in May after four seasons as their coach. The move came after the Suns were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals,” Wojnarowski writes.

“Williams, who was named NBA Coach of the Year in May 2022, was 194-115 (.628) in the regular season and 27-19 in the playoffs for Phoenix. The Suns won a franchise-record 64 games in 2021-22 and reached the NBA Finals in 2021. In Detroit, Williams will replace Dwane Casey, who stepped down as the Pistons’ coach in April to move into a front-office role.”

Suns Name Frank Vogel New Head Coach

Shortly after the Pistons hired Williams, the Suns announced his successor in Phoenix. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, who led the team to a title in 2020 during the NBA Bubble, will take over the reins in Phoenix, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Vogel will come into Phoenix after one season removed from the sideline. But that does not mean he will be devoid of pressure. He will be coming in to lead a Suns’ core that features Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. And with a team that stacked, the championship expectations will be running high.

Luckily for Vogel, he is no stranger to leading teams with high expectations. Not only from his experience with LeBron James and Anthony Davis during his Lakers tenure but with Paul George during his tenure with the Indiana Pacers. Vogel had Indiana one win away from beating the Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron-led Heat and advancing to the NBA Finals in 2013. It will be interesting to see if he can duplicate that success with the Suns.

The biggest issue facing the Brooklyn Nets is they don’t control their draft future.

With draft picks owed out from previous deals, namely the trade for James Harden in 2021, even the picks they have gotten back from subsequent transactions can’t offset the need to remain competitive.

But what if the Nets could get back some of that control, even if it would mean another deal with the Houston Rockets?

Nets get:

– Kenyon Martin Jr.
– Jae’Sean Tate
– 2023 1st Rd Pick (No. 4 overall)
– Future 1st Rd Picks (incl. Nets’ 2024 1st Rd)

Rockets:

– Cameron Johnson

“The point is to get a conversation going and enticing Brooklyn back with their lost draft capital is a great way to do so,” wrote Rockets beat writer Kelly Iko of The Athletic on May 25. “In essence, the Rockets get their hands on Johnson, a versatile two-way wing they’ve coveted for a while.”

Johnson, 27, averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 25 games with the Nets after the trade deadline while knocking down 37.2% of his triples.

In the postseason he was even better with an 18.5/5.8/2.8 line on .509/.429/.857 shooting.

But the former No. 11 overall pick will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and there are enough red flags to be at least partially wary of inking Johnson to the kind of deal he is expected to command, says former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks.

Marks also name-dropped the Rockets as a team to keep an eye on to make things interesting for Brooklyn. They will have enough money to come right out of the gates with a deal approaching and even surpassing $20 million annually.

“Teams almost never return picks to their original owners, which makes this trade a bit unrealistic,” wrote Nets beat writer Alex Schiffer in response to Iko. “But it would give the Nets a younger core around Mikal Bridges and the ability to tank for a possible co-star, even if it’s just for a season while getting another young and talented player with the No. 4 pick.”

Martin, 22, is a former second-round pick (No. 52 overall, 2020) who averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists this past season. Heading into the final season of his rookie contract, he’s uber-athletic but his efficiency from beyond the arc has fallen in each of the last two seasons.

Tate, 27, went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2018 but has established himself as a feisty two-way contributor.

He averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists this past season but struggled from deep, shooting 28.3%, a career low. Tate is heading into the second year of a three-year, $20.6 million contract with a $7 million club option for the 2024-25 season.

Keeping Cameron Johnson More Than a Business Decision

While the bottom line will almost certainly win out in the end, the Nets’ decision to do what it takes to keep Johnson this summer or let him walk out the door just months after acquiring him as part of the Kevin Durant trade is more than just business.

Johnson is best friends with the Nets’ current cornerstone in Bridges who does not shy away from being different from the previous building blocks in many ways.

He does, however, wish to continue playing alongside his “twin”.

“I do definitely want him back,” Bridges told Spencer Davies of Hoops Herald in an interview that debuted on May 17. “It’s just hopefully the money’s right, and I know he wants to stay here. And we need him and he’s been hooping man…But I definitely want him here, man. Hopefully, they get the deal done.”

Johnson has likewise said his desire to continue playing alongside Bridges will impact what he does in free agency.

Nets Could Have Chance to Land Amen Thompson

If the Nets were to agree to this trade, they would be getting a shot at drafting Overtime Elite (City Reapers) star Amen Thompson, a 6-foot-7 combo guard with a 7-foot wingspan who averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

Those stats won’t translate to the NBA but they do showcase the multi-faceted impact that he can have on a game.

Other potential options at No. 4 include Thompson’s twin brother Ausar Thompson – who averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.4 steals for the Reapers – Houston’s Jerace Walker, and Cam Whitmore of Villanova.

Brooklyn currently has picks Nos. 21, 22, and 51 in the 2023 NBA Draft set for June 22 at the Barclays Center.

The Phoenix Suns have already begun making changes after being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Head coach Monty Williams was relieved of his duties earlier in May, and the consensus thought around the league is that more changes could be coming.

With the free agency period on the horizon, there have been several reports that 10-time All-Star shooting guard James Harden could be interested in joining the Suns next season, which was much to the chagrin of NBA radio personality Colin Cowherd. Cowherd called out Suns’ star Kevin Durant for being “erradic.”

“Put a kibosh to this KD. This is a bad look. You’re becoming weird and eccentric. It’s OK to make poor decisions. LeBron James, with great basketball IQ, has made poor decisions. Remember he wanted Shabazz Napier drafted? He wanted Westbrook to go to the Lakers. But LeBron moves off bad decisions and then generally doesn’t do them again,” Cowherd said during a recent episode of “The Herd” on FS1.

“James Harden? After Kyrie and Harden? You talk about a bad sequel…You’re erratic. I mean, it’s one thing to not be able to work with Steve Kerr and Kenny Atkinson, and Monty Williams. It’s another to double down on James Harden. End this thing today. It’s a bad look. You look unpredictable. And again, I like my artist, just not the crazy ones.”

James Harden Wants a ‘Competitive Roster’

Harden has gone from a perennial superstar to being on the verge of becoming a journeyman. He was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021 to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But in 2021, when Irving refused to get the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, the Nets plummeted in the standings, which caused Harden to request a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

But Harden’s run in Philly has turned out to be just as disappointing as he has failed to advance past the second round in consecutive playoff appearances.

Initially, there had been rumblings that if Harden left the Sixers during the summer free agency period, he would return to the Rockets, where he won the lone MVP award of his career. But with “The Beard” seeking that elusive first NBA championship, Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report says that Harden is prioritizing winning over everything else at this point of his career.

“The Houston Rockets have long been a rumored destination, but sources say Harden will only entertain suitors that present a competitive roster and the basketball freedom for the star to be himself, sources say,” Haynes writes via Bleacher Report.

“At the moment, the Sixers are the only logical option, coming off a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. But the dynamic in Philadelphia will undoubtedly change next season, considering the Sixers have to find the right coach after dismissing Doc Rivers.”

James Harden, Suns Rumors Could Be a Decoy

But as most NBA fans know, the NBA free agency period is a game of cat and mouse with all parties jockeying for position everyone is looking for any kind of leverage to use to their advantage. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report suggests that the ramblings of the Suns being a potential destination for Harden could be nothing more than a negotiation tactic.

“Is it purely a coincidence that the 33-year-old ended the first round touting the importance of his financial and functional sacrifice only to exit the second round in search of “basketball freedom?” Who’s to say, really?” Favale writes.

“This could all be a negotiating ploy. Harden took $15-plus million less to help the Sixers maximize flexibility last summer. This might be his way of telling team president Daryl Morey “Max or nothing. “If that’s the case, Harden’s leverage is diluted by his own leanings. Most of this year’s cap-space squads won’t field a “competitive roster” without overhaul. Then again, sign-and-trades are always a possibility.”

Despite the Brooklyn Nets’ best wishes, they may need to be a bit more realistic about how far they can go with this roster and what it would take to turn it into a true title contender once again.

Instead, they could opt to go star searching the more conventional way — via the draft courtesy of the Detroit Pistons who hold the No. 5 overall pick.

“Using the No. 5 pick to reel in a marquee name may represent an even better scenario. And if the Pistons don’t have the stomach—or faith in the current core—to attach gobs of other assets to this year’s first-rounder, they can always strive for a happy medium,” wrote Dan Favale of Bleacher Report.

“Mikal Bridges is that happy medium.”

Nets get:

– Marvin Bagley
– Killian Hayes
– 2023 1st Rd Pick (No. 5 Overall)

Pistons get:

– Mikal Bridges

Bagley is a former No. 2 overall pick (2018) by the Sacramento Kings. He was traded to Detroit during the 2021-22 season and has had a bit of a career resurgence averaging 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and just a shade under 1.0 assists per game this past season.

He is heading into the second year of a three-year, $37.5 million pact.

Hayes is also a former top-ten pick, taken No. 7 overall in 2020, who struggled over his first couple of seasons before averaging 10.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.9 boards in 2022-23.

“Perhaps the Nets ask for everything,” admits Favale who also suggested the Memphis Grizzlies as a potential trade partner in the piece. “They won’t get it. Bridges is worth more than the No. 5 pick in a vacuum. The Pistons can sweeten the pot with future firsts (pending obligations to New York). But this isn’t a No. 5-plus-[Jaden] Ivey situation.”

Brooklyn rejected Memphis’ offer of four first-round picks for Bridges in the immediate aftermath of acquiring him.

No. 5 Pick Would Reset Nets’ Timeline

The most important thing is this deal would arm the Nets with picks Nos. 5 – a slot that has produced stars such as Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young and Cleveland Cavaliers up-and-comer, Darius Garland – 21, and 22 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

It would also put less pressure on the front office and coaching staff to cobble together something meaningful from a group that went 13-15 after the trade deadline.

They were also swept out of the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Bridges, 26, showed well in his featured role averaging over 26.0 points per game after being traded from the Phoenix Suns and is already locked up through 2026 on a four-year, $90.9 million contract. But he is far from the only consideration the Nets will have to keep in mind when building out the roster this offseason.

Bagley and Hayes could still blossom into consistent contributors for winning teams.

Neither moves the needle enough for a Nets team that would need to justify flipping the key piece in their return package for Kevin Durant.

The No. 5 overall pick is far from guaranteed to land the Nets what they would be looking for, as well, sitting just outside of the anticipated range to land projected top pick Victor Wembanyama as well as other top-three hopefuls Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller and possibly even Amen Thompson.

There is talent beyond that but the risk might be too great given what Bridges has shown.

Nets Want to Give Core More Time

Restricted free agent Cameron Johnson could command a deal commensurate with his teammate and best friend, Bridges, while the Nets are going to be above the luxury tax if they retain him without further moves.

They have been fairly clear about their desire to keep and build around Bridges, even if Nets general manager Sean Marks has not explicitly made him off-limits in trade talks.

Head coach Jacque Vaughn is also very high on Bridges, a former No. 10 overall pick himself, who openly takes pride in being the veritable anti-superstar by NBA standards which figures to make it even less likely that a pick – let alone anything outside of the top three – is enough.

After 19 NBA seasons, former number three overall pick Carmelo Anthony officially called it a career on May 22 via a video on social media.

“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” he said in his farewell message.

Anthony, who last played with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21, ends his career as a 10-time NBA All-Star, NBA Scoring Champion, Six times All- NBA (twice First Team), and ninth on the NBA’s All-Time Scorers list.

Following Anthony’s announcement, Phoenix Suns’ star Kevin Durant chimed in with his thoughts. Durant and Anthony have been rivals on the court and teammates during their time with the USA Men’s Olympic Basketball Team. Durant poked fun at Anthony, taking his followers on a trip down memory lane by showing how much Anthony would foul him during their matchups over the years (H/T @ClutchPoints).

Carmelo Anthony Reflects on Basketball Career

Anthony is not as decorated as the other top picks in his 2003 draft class, such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but he still will go down as one of the best players to ever touch an NBA court. He finishes his career as a top 10 scorer, an Olympic gold medalist, and as the catalyst that ushered in one of the most exciting eras in New York Knicks’ history.

He may not be on anyone’s Mount Rushmore of NBA players, but Carmelo  will most likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the most respected players around the league. More importantly, he did things HIS way.

“I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,” Anthony said.

“But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride, and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

Carmelo Anthony Passes the Torch After Retiring

Some may label Anthony’s career as subpar because he never won an MVP award or NBA title despite playing with a plethora of talented players over the last 19 seasons. And in the minds of some people, that would count as a stain on his legacy. But in his farewell message, Anthony made sure to note that his legacy has nothing to do with what he accomplished on the court.

The next chapter of Carmelo’s life involves basketball, but he is no longer the star. That role now belongs to his son Kiyan Anthony, who currently attends Christ the King Memorial High School in New York City and is one of the top-rated shooting guards in the country. Anthony is excited to pass the torch to his son.

“People ask what I believe my legacy is,” Anthony added. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”

It will be interested to see how Anthony thrives in the next stages of his career.

The newest Brooklyn Nets star is not shy about identifying one of the key differences between himself and former franchise cornerstones Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden each of whom left the organization under less-than-glamourous circumstances.

“I’m the total opposite of all them dudes,” Mikal Bridges told the crew on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “You’re never gonna catch me off-camera doing some crazy s***.”

Brooklyn gave up a hefty sum of money and a bounty of picks and players to put the trio together which only played 17 games together of what Durant — whom Bridges was traded for — called “amazing basketball” during his introductory press conference with the Phoenix Suns.

Harden had already been gone for roughly a year by then, forcing his way out in a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in what was ultimately a partnership that left the Nets without control of their first-round draft picks until 2029 and saddled with a diminished version of Ben Simmons.

Simmons is owed more than $78 million over the next two seasons.

Harden’s future in Philadelphia is in question amid rumors he is eyeing a return to the Houston Rockets while Irving’s Dallas Mavericks tenure could also be short-lived.

All three of Durant, Harden, and Irving are in their early-to-mid 30s and each has dealt with injuries or lengthy absences due to other things over the last few years.

Bridges has been the NBA’s iron man even appearing in 83 games this past season.

“I think Brooklyn itself had a lot going on,” Bridges said. “They had Kyrie, Harden, and KD and then all that happening, and Kyrie[‘s suspension], and all that stuff. I think they were just ready for refreshing.”

He emphasized his laid-back demeanor among the different personality traits that separate him from his Nets predecessors. But he also said it takes the help of the people around you.

Mikal Bridges Reveals What Determines NBA Success

“I feel like when people get entitled, especially in the league, you feel like you don’t have to listen to nobody,” Bridges said when asked why the most talented players can fail in the NBA. “People will be scared to tell you some things to push you so you…could get away with a lot of things. That’s what sometimes come down to.”

Bridges was the No. 10 overall pick in 2018 after three years and two NCAA championships at Villanova. He was drafted into a rebuild in the smallest of what Hoop Social grouped as the NBA’s “large markets” and was on a team that was two games away from winning the 2021 NBA Finals.

But his star has only truly risen and it is thanks in large part to his explosion post-trade.

“I think just a lot of work and hard work kind of it loses people sometimes,” he said.

It’s the fruits of that labor that has Bridges as one of the more sought-after (even if unlikely) trade targets this offseason and a role model for the next wave of NBA players getting set to enter the league.

Mikal Bridges a ‘Big Inspiration’

Bridges’ name was floating around the 2023 NBA Draft Combine but not (just) in trade conversations with several draft hopefuls name-dropping the 26-year-old swingman.

“How he changed his game, how he changed his mindset I thought you don’t see very often,” Iowas forward Kris Murray said, per Alex Schiffer of The Athletic is his recap of the combine from May 18. “How he was able to do that in a short time was really cool.”

Murray’s twin brother Keegan Murray was the No. 4 overall pick last season. But he was not the only one to call out Bridges’ progress in his new role with potential Nets draft target – who general manager Sean Marks went to see play in person – Rupert Rayan of the NZ Breakers emphasizing what his development means to him

“I want to have the same trajectory and same process he did,” Rupert said, per Schiffer. “Mikal Bridges is a big inspiration for me.”

A new trade proposal would land the Phoenix Suns a former teammate of Kevin Durant for Deandre Ayton.

In a May 20 article called “1 Ambitious Trade Target for Every NBA Team,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed that the Suns trade Ayton to the Golden State Warriors for Draymond Green, who played with Durant for three years.

“The idea of reuniting Kevin Durant and Draymond Green might trigger a double-take, but the former teammates squashed their beef long ago. Besides, if we couldn’t send Green to teams that employed players with whom he’d had a verbal or physical altercation, we’d run out of destinations in a hurry,” Hughes wrote. “With Warriors team president Bob Myers looking more and more like a flight risk, it gets easier to imagine the Dubs breaking up their dynastic core. Maybe if Myers walks away, Green picks up his option, back-channels extension discussions with the Suns and joins up with the understanding that a new deal would be in place for 2024-25.

“Deandre Ayton would provide the matching salary, and Green would give the Suns far greater defensive versatility than the former No. 1 pick. Phoenix would still need help on the wings and more overall depth, but perhaps a subsequent Chris Paul trade could provide some of that. Mostly, a Suns team that posted mail-in efforts in its last two playoff eliminations needs someone who’ll never go down without a fight. That’s Green in a nutshell.”

Green can become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declines his 2023-24 player option worth $27.6 million. According to the latest odds from Sportsbetting.ag, the Suns have the third-best odds (+600) to acquire Green, who won two championships with Durant on the Warriors.

Deandre Ayton Would Be ‘Excited’ to Get Traded by the Suns

Ayton would be “excited” to get traded by the Suns this summer, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The Suns, who lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games, are expected to aggressively explore the trade market for Ayton.

“Sources told ESPN that Ayton’s teammates have shared their coach’s frustration with what they perceive to be inconsistent effort and aggression from the 7-footer,” MacMahon reported. “Ayton would be excited about a fresh start with another franchise, sources told ESPN. The Suns are expected to aggressively explore the trade market for him this summer, league sources said.”

Ayton averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this season for the Suns. Meanwhile, Green put up 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game for the Warriors.

Deandre Ayton to the Mavericks?

Hughes believes the Dallas Mavericks should trade for Ayton this offseason.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported on April 8 that the Mavericks may try to trade for Ayton if superstar point guard Kyrie Irving returns in free agency.

“The Dallas Mavericks need a defensive anchor (and help on the wings) to give their Luka Dončić-Kyrie Irving experiment any chance of working, and they have limited resources to build out the roster.” Hughes wrote. “So if Ayton is gettable at a discount—and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports he is, at least, gettable—Dallas should absolutely set its sights on him.”

Ayton has career averages of 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds with the Suns. He was the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

It is becoming clearer by the day just how committed the Brooklyn Nets were to remaining competitive even after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at this past season’s deadline.

On top of rejecting a considerable offer of four first-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies for budding star Mikal Bridges, the Nets also turned away potential buyers for some of their more seasoned players, some of which were brought on to appease Durant after Irving demanded to be traded.

“Cleveland…came close in February and were far down the road on a deal for Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale before it opted not to trade him,” reported Cavaliers beat writer Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com on May 16 in his weekly mailbag.

O’Neale, 29, averaged 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and in 38.9% from deep this year.

The Nets acquired him last offseason amid Durant and Irving’s previous respective trade demands.

They sent a 2023 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in what some thought was a precursor to a larger deal for then-disgruntled Jazz star Donovan Mitchell who now suits up for the Cavs and is one of O’Neale’s best friends.

That pick was originally from the Philadelphia 76ers and was part of the trade swapping James Harden and Ben Simmons. It is slated to be the least favorable of selections between the Nets’, Sixers’, and Houston Rockets’ first-round picks meaning it will be the No. 28 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

O’Neale is heading into the final year of his four-year, $36 million contract that is only partially guaranteed for $2.5 million of the $9.5 million he is owed.

Brooklyn also rejected multiple offers of first-round picks for forward Dorian Finney-Smith.

Cameron Johnson a ‘Pipe Dream’ for Cavs

Fedor also listed a slew of other potential options to fill a glaring hole in Cleveland’s starting lineup. Among them was restricted free agent Cameron Johnson, though it seems he does not believe a match is in the cards.

“Cameron Johnson [is] a pipedream target and restricted free agent that would probably require a large payday and the Cavs shaking up the roster,” writes Fedor.

Johnson rejected an offer that ranged anywhere from $66 million to $72 million from the Phoenix Suns, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and there has been speculation that the 27-year-old could approach or even exceed $20 million annually on his next contract. Phoenix was not willing to approach that number, per Scotto, but the Nets are in a different situation.

Nets general manager Sean Marks made his intentions to keep him clear.

This is setting up what is set up to be a pivotal offseason for Brooklyn.

The Mikal Bridges Factor

Current apparent Nets building block Mikal Bridges could have significant sway in the decision-making both in terms of what he may prefer and in how the Nets can properly build around him.

He has previously noted his appreciation for players like Finney-Smith.

Bridges also shouldered the blame for a miscue in Game 3 versus the 76ers that essentially cost them a win, noting O’Neale did the “right thing”.

And he naturally spoke on wanting to keep his “twin” in Johnson in the fold.

“I do definitely want him back,” Bridges told Spencer Davies of Hoops Herald in an article from May 17. “It’s just hopefully the money’s right, and I know he wants to stay here…But I definitely want him here, man. Hopefully, they get the deal done.”

Bridges added that he is anxious for Johnson to make his decision. The Nets will have the right of first refusal on any offer sheet Johnson may sign, though they will have 48 hours to do so.

After getting traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges took his game to another level. He went from averaging 17.2 points per game with the Suns to 26.1 with the Nets.

Some think Bridges was being held back by the star power in Phoenix and could have put up those numbers all along. After all, he was the fourth option after Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. But one scout said it was because Bridges played the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, according to Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype.

“Between the draft and getting traded to Brooklyn, a lot of guys got more publicity than he did. Mikal might be a skinny dude with a big smile, but he’s also from Philly. Nobody holds a grudge quite like a Philly guy,” the scout said, according to Scotto.

“Mikal’s been waiting to unleash how p***** he’s been for being traded from a contending team,” the scout, according to Scotto. “Even though he said he knew why they traded him — and he would’ve traded himself for Durant too — it doesn’t change the fact that he could be p***** off about it. He’s still p***** off about the [draft night] Philly[-to-Phoenix] trade, which he’s openly said he’s still p***** at.”

Mikal Bridges Details Experience With Nets’ Front Office

Despite the sting of getting traded from a contender, Bridges ending up in Brooklyn is not the worst situation to be in. The Nets have a lot of young talented players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Thomas, and Bridges’ former Suns teammate Cam Johnson. They also have a plethora of draft picks hoarded from the Durant and Kyrie Irving trades that could be used to land Bridges a legit costar. Despite everything that transpired after his arrival, Bridges seems satisfied with the team’s ownership.

“Joe Tsai’s a nice guy. His family’s sweet. I love his wife [Clara Wu Tsai]. His kids are really cool. They’re great people, man. They love the city of Brooklyn, and they just want to do whatever it takes for the fans. They’re just great. They welcomed me with open arms, and it’s been literally ever since,” Bridges said to Scott Davies of Hoops Herald.

“Sean Marks is a really good dude. I like [him] a lot. I don’t know, you hear the whole thing about what’s going on in Brooklyn and how people don’t like this and that. But I’m just, like, these people are great. They’re great people.”

Mikal Bridges Became a Focal Point on Offense

Bridges was primarily known as a defensive stopper during his time in Phoenix. He was one of the finalists for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. For Bridges, coming to the Nets meant transitioning into a new role that required him to be the focal point on offense.

But with his new increased role on offense, Bridges wanted to be sure that he was still elite on the defensive end, and that meant having to be in better shape than he was previously, which was a major adjustment.

“Just the stamina. And I think just being in shape. I think that’s the biggest thing, just the whole stamina aspect, especially doing what I do on the other end defensively. I think towards the end, I kind of just was lacking in it and obviously, I wasn’t happy about that. And I know coming this year that I’ll be way better and more in shape to do both,” Bridges said to Hoops Herald.

“You know, people don’t want to. Some people don’t. They only do it on one end. But that’s not the type of player I am and person I am. So just trying to be able to do it on both ends.”

Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant could retire today and likely go down as one of the NBA’s greatest ever. Durant has gained a reputation as a “unicorn” because he was one of the first players in the NBA that could handle and shoot the ball like a guard of his size.

But Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has quickly come on as one of the brightest players in the NBA since entering the league in 2018. During a recent appearance on the “Run Your Race” podcast, former Suns star, Mikal Bridges was asked who has a “bigger bag” between Doncic and Durant, and Bridges quickly chose the Mavericks’ star.

“The mother****** who makes me switch directions every god**** dribble: Luka,” Bridges said in response.

For those who may not know, the term “bag” refers to how many moves a player has in their arsenal. And Luka’s ability to score, rebound, and create shots has earned him comparisons to Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson.

Mikal Bridges Sounds off on Kevin Durant Trade

Bridges was the centerpiece of the trade that landed Durant in Phoenix. He was an integral part of the Suns’ roster and part of the core that helped lead the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1994. After getting embarrassed in Game 7 at home by the Mavericks in 2022, Bridges says he was looking forward to running it back with the same crew for a shot at redemption.

But after Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Nets in January, Suns’ new owner Mat Ishbia pushed all his chips to the center of the table to land Durant, and Bridges got shipped to Brooklyn as a result. Although the Nets star was disappointed by the trade, Bridges says he understands why it happened.

“I thought about how nice we were going to be, with everybody was coming back. I know we’re losing me and Cam, but you get T.J., and you get KD. I feel like KD doesn’t affect the defensive end as much as me, but he can still guard and we’re all team defense anyway,” Bridges said on the “Old Man & The Three” podcast following the trade.

“So now I feel like, you know, I like them. For them, with the new owner and what they’re trying to do, it makes the most sense. I understand they’re trying to win now. Do I think the Suns still could have won with me and Cam there? For sure. But you got to do KD, man.”

Kevin Durant Talks Luka Doncic: ‘Yeah, He Nice’

Luka has become a “unicorn” in his own right because he can score, pass, and rebound at such an efficient clip. Earlier this season Durant admitted that he wasn’t a fan of Doncic’s game when he first came into the league, but it has grown on him over time.

“He plays so slow… it’s hard because he goes from slow to fast so easily and he is just so smooth with it. I love his game,” Durant said on an episode of his podcast “The ETCs”.

“At first, I didn’t, when he first came into the league because I’m like all he does is step back threes, and they be short as hell. He’s shooting like 27%-30% from the three-point line early on. I’m like this is the guy? But playing against someone I think they beat us by 40 when I was with Golden State, and he was controlling every possession, and I was like, ‘Yeah he nice.’ His game just started expanding.”

Devin Booker has finally broken his silence after the Phoenix Suns‘ season ended and head coach Monty Williams got fired.

The All-Star guard went on social media and tweeted, “36 unbothered.” Booker didn’t speak to the media after the Suns lost Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals to the Denver Nuggets or when the team conducted exit interviews.

Booker’s jersey number is No. 1, while Kevin Durant wears No. 35. It appears Booker is implying that he and Durant are not worried despite the Suns losing in the second round of the playoffs and Williams getting fired.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Williams was fired on May 13 and new Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision. Williams was 194-115 in the regular season and 27-19 in the playoffs with the Suns. He guided Phoenix to the 2021 Finals and won the Coach of the Year Award in 2022.

“New Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision to dismiss Williams immediately after Thursday night’s Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets and had general manager James Jones call him on Saturday night and deliver the news, sources said,” Wojnarowski reported. “The pressure on Williams increased from the moment Ishbia engineered the trade deadline deal for Kevin Durant in February, shortly after Ishbia’s ownership group was approved by the league’s Board of Governors.

“Ishbia had never warmed to Williams as his coach and decided quickly after Thursday night’s season-ending loss that he would fire him, sources said. Jones has long been an advocate and ally to Williams, but was quoted in the team’s news release on Saturday night saying that ‘it was difficult for me to make this decision.’ Williams had three years and more than $20 million left on his contract, sources told ESPN. He is expected to become a prominent candidate in coaching searches elsewhere in the league, especially the Toronto Raptors’, sources said.”

Devin Booker Played Poorly in Game 6

The Suns lost Game 6 to the Nuggets by 25 points and Booker didn’t play well. The Kentucky product finished with just 12 points in 35 minutes while shooting 4-of-13 from the field, 1-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

It was a tough end to what was a stellar postseason run for Booker. The 26-year-old averaged 33.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 11 games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets. However, Booker and the Suns have now gotten embarrassed at home in back-to-back postseasons with their season on the line. Phoenix lost Game 7 of the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks by 33 points.

Booker is one of the best players in the NBA, so he’s not going to get traded this summer by the Suns. The Michigan native signed a four-year, $224.2 million extension with Phoenix in July 2022.

Kevin Durant After Game 6: ‘We Got a Good Foundation’

Durant told reporters after Game 6 of the Nuggets series that the Suns have a “good foundation.”

“It’s hard right now to see what the future will hold for our team,” Durant said. “But we got a good foundation, good infrastructure we can build on and move on from this and learn from it and get better from it. But it’s a hard question to answer right now. I’m sure as the summer and offseason starts to progress we’ll figure that out a little bit more.”

Durant and Booker will be back with the Suns next season unless one of the All-Stars requests a trade. The same can’t be said for Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul, as both players are expected to be involved in trade talks this summer, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

As the Dallas Mavericks look to revamp their roster this summer, they’ll have to test the waters on several players who could be available via trade. Among those they’ll likely call about is Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, according to an NBA executive.

But don’t expect the Suns to part with him for Mavs star Kyrie Irving, the unnamed executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney.

“I saw a sign-and-trade with Kyrie was talked about,” the executive said. “Can you imagine going to Kevin Durant and saying, ‘Hey, we got you out of Brooklyn but we’re bringing in Kyrie!’ I think you can say KD is not crazy about the idea of Kyrie on his team again. I can’t see that at all.”

Durant, whom the Suns acquired in February, and Irving were teammates on the Brooklyn Nets for two and a half unsuccessful seasons before both forced their way off the team.

The source named several Mavericks role players who could be used to pry Ayton, the No. 1 pick of the Suns in 2018, from the desert. He signed a four-year, $132.9 million extension in 2022.

“They could get something done with the Mavs, but they’d be looking at role players, like Josh Green and Tim Hardaway, maybe Reggie Bullock, too,” the executive said. “Is that enough for Ayton, though? The guy was the No. 1 pick. But you can fill two or three roster holes, sign a big man, and give yourself a better group as a whole.”

Ayton could fill the Mavericks’ large void left in the paint, where head coach Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of centers this season. In 67 games, Ayton averaged a career-high 18 points but also averaged a career-low 10 rebounds. He also averaged 1.7 assists and converted on 58.9% of his attempts from the floor.

NBA GM Says Suns Will Look to Trade Deandre Ayton, Maybe Just Not to the Mavs

The Mavs and Suns are now on the same couch after Phoenix was eliminated by the Denver Nuggets 125-100 in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 11. Acquiring Durant wasn’t enough to propel Phoenix past the second round this year, marking their second-straight semifinals exit, following last year’s elimination at the hands of Dallas.

Ayton did not suit up for Phoenix’s final game because of bruised ribs. Now, his long-term future in with the team has been uncertain for some time, with Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer calling the situation “curious” back in February.

In addition, an anonymous NBA general manager told Heavy Sports that “it’s almost certain” that the Suns will look to trade Ayton.

“It’s almost certain they will look into trading him. I think they feel like they can do all right with a mishmash of decent centers and changing their focus on getting better talent around those two star guys,” one NBA GM told Heavy Sports. “That’s been true for the past couple of years, really. Deandre has butted heads with Monty [Williams]. But he can be a great player, still, it just needs to be somewhere else.”

Mavericks Eager to Add Defense & Rebounding This Summer

Though the chances of Ayton winding up in Dallas seem to be slim, he does fit at least half of the bill in terms of what GM Nico Harrison is looking for.

Harrison told reporters last month that he’s hoping for the Mavs to bring in some defense and rebounding to solidify their core around Luka Doncic and hopefully Irving, who is a free agent this year.

“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things that we need to work on is defense and rebounding,” Harrison said via the Dallas Mavericks official YouTube channel. “That’s going to be addressed.”

Ayton’s 10 rebounds per game this season certainly check that box, but his effort defensively isn’t always there.

After the Phoenix Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals at home, Kevin Durant spoke about the blowout loss.

The Suns lost Game 6 by a final score of 125-100.

“Yeah, it sucked,” Durant said. “It was a bad feeling. It was embarrassing. They came out and hit us in the mouth. We couldn’t recover. You gotta give them credit for being a disciplined team.”

The Nuggets outscored the Suns 44-26 in the first quarter and never looked back. Durant finished Game 6 with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and four turnovers in 37 minutes while shooting 8-of-19 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. The two-time Finals MVP had a plus-minus of -13.

“It happened pretty fast,” Durant said. “They were getting whatever they wanted on the offensive side of the ball. So it’s hard to get going on offense, it’s hard to get going as a team if you giving up points, that many points. 44 in the first, 37 in the second, 81 points at the half. That’s tough to get going.”

Kevin Durant: ‘We Just Gotta Be Better Next Year’

The Suns acquired Durant in February from the Brooklyn Nets and went undefeated with him in the lineup during the regular season. However, a season that was supposed to end in a championship has ended in the second round, but Durant doesn’t want to use his late arrival to the team as an excuse.

“Yeah, if I provide context, it’ll just be looked at as an excuse,” Durant said. “We just gotta be better next year.”

Durant averaged 29.0 points in the 2023 playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets. He hasn’t gotten past the second round of the postseason since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019.

Kevin Durant: ‘We Got a Good Foundation’

Durant said it’s hard to see what the future holds for the Suns. However, the two-time champion believes there’s a “good foundation” to build on.

“It’s hard right now to see what the future will hold for our team,” Durant said. “But we got a good foundation, good infrastructure we can build on and move on from this and learn from it and get better from it. But it’s a hard question to answer right now. I’m sure as the summer and offseason starts to progress we’ll figure that out a little bit more.”

Durant and Devin Booker will be back with the Suns next season unless one of the All-Stars requests a trade. The same can’t be said for Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ayton doesn’t have a good relationship with Suns head coach Monty Williams, sources told Heavy Sports, and Paul is 38 and no longer an elite player in the NBA. CP3, who missed Games 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series with a groin injury, has a partially guaranteed contract for next season.

Booker, who usually speaks to the media after losses, didn’t meet with reporters after losing Game 6 to the Nuggets, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The Kentucky product had only 12 points in Game 6 in 36 minutes.

Amid a pivotal Game 5 between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic appeared to try and get intel from the Suns’ huddle while Devin Booker was shooting a technical free throw. Upon noticing this, Suns star Kevin Durant took matters into his own hands, shoving the Nuggets star, which ignited a brief skirmish between the two Western Conference juggernauts. Durant was accessed a technical foul for his involvement, but when asked about the altercation postgame, the Suns’ star said the situation was much to do about nothing.

“Absolutely nothing,” Durant said of the altercation via HouseofHighlights. “It wasn’t anything serious. They were excited, they were up big, and we were trying to draw up some stuff, and you know how that goes. It was nothing.”

However, Suns head coach Monty Williams appeared to be less than enthused about the play, imploring the NBA to act against the players who engage in those offenses.

“The league has to figure out all that stuff, man,” Williams told reporters after the loss via “NBA Interviews”. “There’s just too much silliness going on in the NBA when it comes to that. Everybody does it. It should be like a written rule that you shouldn’t walk over to somebody’s huddle, but everybody in the league does that. It’s kind of silly.”

Haller: Suns ‘Desperately’ Need Chris Paul

Suns star Chris Paul has not been active since the team’s first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. Phoenix has been able to make do without him, but it is clear that he is missed on the roster, especially when you look at how the offense has been unable to settle itself during the Nuggets’ big runs. Doug Haller of The Athletic says the Suns now ‘desperately’ need Paul back in the lineup when they face elimination in Game 6.

“Paul worked out before Game 5 at Ball Arena. He shot mid-range and deep jump shots. He moved laterally and shot off the dribble. Coach Monty Williams did not offer an update on Paul’s status before Game 5, but it looked like the veteran point guard was getting close. He has not played since suffering a groin injury in the second half of Game 2,” Haller wrote.

“Groin injuries can be tricky, so the Suns may play this cautiously. When The Athletic originally reported a week ago that the Suns expected he would miss Games 3-5, Game 6 always appeared to be the most likely first option for him to return. If healthy, Paul could provide another playmaker and scoring option, which the Suns desperately need.”

Bruce Brown Praised for Game 5 Performance

The Nuggets got unexpected help from their combo forward, Bruce Brown, in Game 5. Brown came up big for the Nuggets when they needed him most, scoring 25 points on 7-11 shooting after not scoring more than 14 points in a single game for the playoffs. What is the best way to describe Brown’s Game 5 performance? “Outstanding,” according to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.

“I thought Bruce was outstanding,” Malone said after the win via “NBA Interviews”. “Playing downhill, playing to the rim, playing in attack mode. That’s when Bruce is at his best. … Off the bench, where our bench only gave us 11 points in Game 4, I thought Bruce’s productivity and aggression, and toughness were much needed.”

Nuggets star Jamal Murray also had high praise for Brown’s performance.

“Bruce, when he’s downhill, making shots, putting pressure on the rim, making those floaters, he’s a hooper, man,” Murray said via HouseofHighlights. “I give him a lot of credit for just picking us up, staying consistent through the whole game, attacking.”

Phoenix Suns small forward Kevin Durant didn’t think the incident between Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and Suns owner Mat Ishbia was that big of a deal.

Durant told reporters on May 8 that “sh*t happens in a basketball game.”

“I ain’t think it was nothin’,” Durant said. “I think it was, sh*t happens in a basketball game. Everybody’s emotional at that point. But with so much sh*t that’s been going on around the league with that stuff, suspensions, I knew it was gonna be a story. But I’m glad we can move past it.”

Jokic shoved Ishbia in Game 4 while trying to retrieve the ball from the crowd. The two-time MVP was fined $25,000 by the NBA on May 8, but he will be available to play in Game 5, which is on May 9.

The Nuggets and Suns are tied at 2-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Nikola Jokic Went Off About the Incident With Mat Ishbia

Jokic didn’t hold back after Game 4 during his postgame press conference while talking about the incident with Ishbia. The Nuggets star thinks Ishbia should have been thrown out of the game.

“He (the ref) told me I was elbowing the fan,” Jokic said. “But the fan put the hand on me first. So I thought the league’s supposed to protect us or whatever. But maybe I’m wrong. So we will see.”

When a reporter asked Jokic if he knew the person he shoved was Ishbia, the future Hall of Famer said, “He’s a fan. I know who he is, but he’s a fan, isn’t he? Sitting on the court and he’s a fan, isn’t he? Whoever it is, he’s a fan. He cannot influence the game by holding the ball. … But his hands on me. So they’re not gonna protect me? They’re gonna protect the fan? Not me as a person, but I’m talking about as a player. I mean, they (the NBA) can do whatever of course. They don’t care. But I think they’re supposed to protect players. … I was trying to rip the ball and so he didn’t let go. So he’s influencing the game I think. I think he’s supposed to get kicked out if he’s influencing the game.”

Mat Ishbia Went on Twitter

Ishbia tweeted on May 8 that he didn’t want to see Jokic get fined or suspended.

“Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far!,” Ishbia tweeted. “That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last night’s incident would not be right. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!”

The Suns would have had an easier time winning Game 5 if Jokic was out. The All-Star is averaging 36.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists in the series while shooting 57.0% from the floor, 42.9% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. Jokic had 53 points, four rebounds and 11 assists in 39 minutes in Game 4.

Durant and Devin Booker are averaging a combined 66.8 points in the 2023 playoffs. The two scorers will have to have a great night in Game 5 for the Suns to win on the road in Denver.

The Phoenix Suns entered Game 4 looking to avoid a daunting 3-1 deficit in their series with the Denver Nuggets. While Suns’ stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker stole the show once again, Phoenix had contributions from a few unusual suspects in their 129-124 victory. One of those suspects was Suns guard Landry Shamet, the third-leading scorer for Phoenix with 19 points off the bench. Following the win, Durant had high praise for Shamet’s performance.

“Man, the intensity he brought on the ball defensively, that takes us to the next level,’’ Durant told reporters after the win via the HouseofHighlights YouTube page. 

“He worked his ass off on the ball. Jamal Murray is an incredible player. That pick-and-roll with him and Jokic is almost unstoppable. But he just played his tail off.”

Suns head coach Monty Williams applauded Shamet for working through a dismal shooting slump in these playoffs. Before Game 4 against the Nuggets, Shamet had not scored in double digits since April 9 in their first-round bout with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I don’t care who you are, from the elite guys to the guys who are just trying to make it on 10-day contracts, doubt creeps in at some point,’’ Williams said of Shamet via the NBA Interviews YouTube page. “It’s a skill to overcome that and keep working and stay with it. And that’s who he’s been.”

Devin Booker Sounds off on Landry Shamet

It was not just the fact that Shamet provided a much-needed source of offense for the Suns in Game 4, but also the timeliness of his buckets. Most of Shamet’s points came in the fourth quarter when his team needed it the most. Every time the Nuggets would try to make a late push, Shamet would hit a big shot to knock the air out of top-seeded Denver. Suns star Devin Booker says Shamet’s big game is a result of his commitment to day-to-day preparation.

“The people on the outside don’t understand the pressure and the preparation that come with this sport,” Booker said after the win via NBA Interviews.

“It is the highest level. No one is out there intentionally trying to mess up for their team. (Shamet and Ayton) came with it. That is the most impressive part. To hear the outside noise, feel it, and then respond.”

The series is now tied at 2-2, making it a best-out-of-three between the Nuggets and Suns. But despite protecting home court, Monty Williams says now is not the time for the team to let their guards down.

“Our mindset right now is we have a lot more to do,” Williams added.
“You had to win these two games to be in this position, but we said we had to see it and believe it. And now we have to see more and believe more. There’s more work to be done. It’s an even series, and our guys, you could feel it in the locker room. They were excited, but they know that we have a lot of work to do.”

Suns Owner Called Out After Game 5 Incident

The focus now shifts to a pivotal Game 5 between the Nuggets and Suns in Denver. But a looming decision could play a role in the outcome of the series. After a second-quarter altercation with Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia, some wonder whether the league will suspend two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic for the next game. Jokic received a technical foul for making contact with Ishbia, a spectator sitting courtside, however, NBA writer Sam Vecenie believes the Suns’ owner should get the brunt of the blame.

“Why in the world did Ishbia choose to get into Jokic’s personal space? The video makes it look like Ishbia touched Jokic on the big man’s hip/back. And then when Jokic gently pushed Ishbia with his forearm, I knew that this would be “a thing” on the internet. This means it could get messy,” Vecenie writes for The Athletic.

“To recap, Jokic looks over and sees the ref on the sideline point to say it’s Denver’s ball. Jokic goes to the corner and tries to get the ball from the fans because he sees Okogie in the stands, and he wants to start a fast break – something he always tries to do as quickly as possible when he sees a man advantage.”

While Brooklyn Nets rising star Mikal Bridges has more free time on his hands, he is still filling some of it with basketball.

During Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals series between the Denver Nuggets and Bridges’ former team, the Phoenix Suns, there was a foul called on Cameron Payne that the guard vehemently disagreed with.

So much so that his plea went viral and drew a reaction from Bridges.

The Suns went on to get a much-needed victory in that game with Payne contributing 14 points, four assists, and one rebound.

Phoenix will host Denver for another critical showdown in Game 4 on May 7.

Bridges and Payne were teammates for three-plus seasons until the former was traded to Brooklyn this past season in a package along with Cameron Johnson and a handful of draft picks for Kevin Durant. This is not the first time Bridges has reacted to his former teammate’s in-game antics.

He previously sent a message after Payne knocked down a triple and did Bridges’ customary celebration.

Of course, Bridges is not just watching basketball this offseason.

Mikal Bridges Sets Offseason Goal

“Probably creating off the dribble and playmaking,” Bridges said when asked what he plans on working on this summer in a video shared to the Nets’ Twitter feed on May 5.

That is surely music to the ears of Nets general manager Sean Marks and, even more, to head coach Jacque Vaughn who expressed sentiments to that effect when asked about Bridges in a video shared by Erik Slater of Clutch Points on April 4.

“His ability to handle the basketball I think is the next thing for him,” Vaughn said. “In a lineup could he be out there and handle by himself just with other wing players around him? His ability to play pick and roll even more and be a distributor for us because he’s just gonna gain so much attention now these days. Can he be a decoy at times? And learning when to be a decoy and how to use that for the benefit of his teammates. So there’s a lot still that he can learn for sure.”

Marks was clear to not put a ceiling on what Bridges can ultimately become and, after what he showed after coming over to the Nets, there is reason to believe he can unlock this next level.

The 26-year-old averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals on 47.5% shooting from the floor, 37.6% shooting from three-point range, and 89.4% at the free-throw line in 27 appearances. But he was noticeably slowed in the postseason with the Philadelphia 76ers’ defense focused on him. Sixers star Joel Embiid pointed out as much saying that the Sixers let Bridges get “comfortable” before double-teaming him, forcing the ball out of his hands.

Improving his ability to create off the dribble for himself and set up his teammates would go a long way toward taking some of that pressure to score off of him.

Mikal Bridges Shouts Out MLB Star

Bridges is an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan, making no secret of his rooting interest in his hometown team. He has previously given a shoutout to Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto and, more recently, sent one to Bryce Harper.

Harper hit his first home run of the 2023 season, likely prompting the tweet.

Bridges would go on to reiterate his stance on Realmuto being the best catcher in baseball, or “BCIB”, in a tweet on May 7 again showing some ties never sever no matter where you are.

The Phoenix Suns entered the 2023 NBA playoffs as one of the favorites to win the NBA title. But in their second-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets, they are already in danger of elimination, down 0-2 in the series, with a pivotal Game 3 on the Horizon. Now in danger of going down 0-3, four-time champion and NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal, says it is time for Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, to shine on basketball’s biggest stage.

“In order for them to be successful, both guys have to be dynamic,” Shaq said on the latest episode of his podcast “The Big Podcast.”

“Devin Booker, after that first game, when he was trying to give it back to KD (Kevin Durant) was like, ‘You know what, forget that.’ He’s been playing well. Kevin’s been playing okay, but when you’re a superstar, you can’t play okay when you want to get to the finals. If both of them can get to 30 points, they will have a chance.”

Shaq Calls Out Suns’ Bench

In the playoffs, the expectation is for stars to play at the highest level, and rightfully so. But basketball is a team game, and the coaches that can go deep into their benches in the postseason have the best chance of winning. Phoenix’s bench has been lackluster so far in these playoffs, providing virtually nothing and forcing head coach Monty Williams to shorten his rotation. Shaq called out the Suns’ bench as well.

“Their [Suns] bench had four points. Me, you (Nischelle Turner), and Spice could score four points in that game. Us three. Four divided by three is one point each,” the Laker legend said of the Suns’ bench output.

However, despite a lackluster effort from the bench, Williams says he still will go deeper into his rotation, especially now with the hamstring injury that will likely hold star point guard Chris Paul out for Games 3 and 4. TJ Warren and Terrence Ross are two names that Williams says could see “significantly more” playing time.

“Those are two guys that could see significantly more time,” the Suns’ coach said after practice on Wednesday via Burn City Sports’ YouTube page.

“Those kinds of decisions only hurt you when you have an injury. Then you wish you could’ve got those guys a bit more reps to prepare for that. We have these days to get ready for that and the guys who play. We were in a good rhythm right before Chris got hurt.”

Shaq and Durant Have Long-Standing Beef

Shaq and Durant’s history goes back to 2017, during his inaugural season with the Golden State Warriors. The Hall of Famer jabbed at the former top pick saying he wasn’t “in the club” because he had not won a championship yet.

“He’s a great player, but you ain’t in the club yet,” O’Neal said about Durant to Ben Golliver in 2017. “You’re on the outside in line with [Charles] Barkley, [Karl] Malone, and [John] Stockton. You’re not in the club with me and those [championship] guys.”

Durant hit back at O’Neal, noting that the Hall of Famer needed a championship to feel “validated” in life.

“He said I can’t talk to him because I haven’t won a championship,” Durant said, via Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.

“I can see right through that. Shaq feels validated in life, not just in basketball because he’s won a championship. [That] shows me your whole life is centered around [the fact that] you feel like you’re someone in this world because you won a championship. For me, it ain’t even about that.”

Amid the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant is making major moves off the court: He will be featured as a playable character in the popular war game “Call of Duty” starting May 10. And Durant’s co-star, Devin Booker, an avid player of the game, said he was excited for his teammate, sheepishly admitting that he was “jealous.”

“I talk about [the game] every day, and [Durant] didn’t even bring it up to me,” Booker told reporters during shootaround on May 3, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. “I hit him up this morning, like, ‘Come on, bro. You weren’t even going to let me know. I need a code or something.’ But that’s exciting. I’m excited for May 10; I’m jealous right now.”

A statement from the game’s website said that Durant would appear as an “Operator,” named characters in the long-running gaming franchise.

“Kevin Durant — one of basketball’s greatest players of all time, whose MVP-caliber career continues into this year’s playoffs — will be immortalized in the 20-year Call of Duty franchise’s history as an official Operator. Fit for a man who defined his own franchise [in real life], KD will be available in a special, limited-time Store Bundle to be released with Season 03 Reloaded,” the release said.

“In addition to his Operator, the Bundle includes two Weapon Blueprints that reference his iconic nicknames: the “Reap This” AR Blueprint and the “Easy Money” Sniper Blueprint. Both Blueprints are built for the all-around Operator, just like how KD built himself up to be deadly all over the hardwood.”

Mat Ishbia Calls Out Dan Gilbert

Durant is not the only person in the Suns’ organization making headlines off the court. Suns owner Mat Ishbia told The Ringer’s Bill Simmons about his long-standing beef with Cleveland Cavaliers owner (and rival mortgage-lending magnate) Dan Gilbert, who was the only owner to not vote to approve Ishbia’s bid to purchase the Suns last year.

“I could go talk for hours on it or I could talk for a minute and the minute is probably easier: He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him,” Ishbia said. “I don’t like the way they do business in a lot of things. He probably doesn’t like the way we do things. We’re in the same town. We compete. We’re winning. That’s what it is right now,” Ishbia said.

In 1985, Gilbert cofounded the firm that evolved into the nation’s largest mortgage lender, Rocket Mortgage, which is based in Detroit. Ishbia is CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, a firm founded by his father in nearby Pontiac, Michigan.

“I know he’s not doing [well] health-wise, I wish him nothing but the best,” Ishbia said, alluding to Gilbert’s ongoing recovery from a May 19 stroke. “But the reality is — in the mortgage business and now on the basketball floor, whatever it is — I’m trying to win at everything I do. And that’s what we’re going to be. And if someone’s done things the wrong way, which he’s done, I’m going to call them out on it and that’s what I’ve done.”

Chris Paul Expected to Miss Time

The Suns are already facing long odds of winning their series against the Nuggets after going down 0-2. But those odds could get even longer after Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2 and did not return. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the All-Star guard is not expected to suit up for Games 3 and 4, giving Phoenix an even steeper mountain to climb against Denver.

“Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul’s status is in doubt for Games 3 and 4 against the Denver Nuggets this weekend because of his left groin strain, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski,” ESPN reports. “He is expected to push for a return, but the possibility of recovering by Friday’s Game 3 in the Western Conference semifinals is believed to be a significant challenge, sources said. The Suns have officially listed Paul as day-to-day.”

Despite it being the offseason for him, Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges is enjoying the basketball being played in the playoffs, particularly by some of his former teammates.

“Them Nova boys different,” the Nets star tweeted on May 2 after former teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart helped guide the New York Knicks to a bounce-back win in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Miami Heat.

In the 112-105 victory, Brunson finished with 30 points – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter – adding five rebounds, two assists, and two steals for good measure. Similar to Bridges since being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Nets, the 26-year-old has been a revelation for the Knicks, thriving in an increased role compared to his time with the Dallas Mavericks.

Not to be outdone, Hart fell just one assist short of a triple-double finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.

He also hit the dagger three to keep the game out of reach in the closing minutes.

Like Bridges and Brunson, Hart has stepped up his game following a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, albeit to a lesser extent. He most notably has gone from connecting on 30.4% of his triples for the Blazers to nearly 52% with the Knicks. Brunson and Hart were not the only Wildcats in action on the night, either.

Former teammate Donte DiVincenzo plays for the Golden State Warriors.

He did not put up a gaudy stat line in the Warriors’ 117-112 loss like his former teammates did going scoreless in a little over 12 minutes of action on 0-for-1 shooting. But he did snag three boards, dish out a pair of assists, and came up with two steals as well.

Jay Wright: Mikal Bridges ‘Could be an All-Star’

The NBA readiness of these former Villanova players is not an anomaly. In an era of one-and-done players – which has progressed to skipping college for the G League in recent years – all three of them spent at least three seasons learning under Jay Wright who has raved about the upward trajectory of Bridges.

“He recognizes that that’s what this team needs, and he’s very comfortable doing it,” Wright said, per Steve Serby of the New York Post. “And he does throughout his career when his team needs it, but he’s always been on good teams.”

“I think he could be an All-Star,” Wright said. “It just depends on how they need to use him.”

It’s not just Wright or even his own coaching staff that remains high on the 26-year-old’s potential as he has turned even rivals into believers.

“Brooklyn views Mikal Bridges as a cornerstone building block looking ahead,” reported Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on April 23. “Rival NBA executives and scouts..echoed that stance and believe Bridges is a candidate to become an All-Star for the first time next season, given his current trajectory.

On that trajectory, Nets general manager Sean Marks declined to put any sort of ceiling on what Bridges can become given he’s already surpassed expectations and proving that he is more than just a (really good) 3-and-D player.

Bridges showed improvements in his ability to create for himself after arriving from the Suns in the trade that sent out Kevin Durant from the Nets. But creation for others is certainly a step that could lead to that All-Star prediction from his head coach coming true.

Mikal Bridges’ Other Former Teammates

Bridges’ former team has found itself in an unfortunate way, down 0-2 against the Denver Nuggets in their Western Conference Semi-Finals showdown.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway has been the lack of perimeter defense without Bridges or Cameron Johnson around. Phoenix also traded Jae Crowder in that deal only to flip him to the Milwaukee Bucks. After Milwaukee got bounced in the first round by the Boston Celtics, Crowder expressed his confusion over why he did not play much seeing just 41 minutes across their four contests.

Crowder’s situation shows how the grass is not always greener and how fortunate the Nets and Bridges are that their partnership has been more encouraging so far.