San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Where will bigname free agents end up?
Sorting out the rumors, with some personal preferences, as the NBA’s freeagent frenzy begins Sunday:
Kevin Durant: The sensible call: returns to the Warriors. The money’s there, as well as the stability and the patience. If he’s upset with the training staff over how his injuries were handled — that’s pure speculation until he speaks up — then it’s probably farewell. But he should be looking forward to living in the Bay Area, playing at Chase Center and chasing more rings.
The lowdown: An ESPN report has Durant contacting Kawhi Leonard to see if they might hook up together with the Clippers or the Knicks. Kyrie Irving might still be in play as a partner, most likely with Brooklyn. If the Knicks land only one big name, they’ll look elsewhere — Julius Randle, Terry Rozier, DeAndre Jordan and Tobias Harris would be among the choices — to lift themselves into contention.
Kawhi Leonard: The sensible call: returns to Toronto. The Raptors’ fans, players and executives are so thrilled over winning the title, they’ll forgive Leonard if he bails out. But he found the perfect organization in Toronto, while becoming a national hero in Canada. He might consider a relatively shortterm deal that would allow him to switch teams down the road.
The lowdown: According to the New York Times’ reliable Marc Stein, the Lakers have jumped into the picture. LeBron James is pushing hard for Leonard; with Anthony Davis, there’s an instant powerhouse. (With a lot of work ahead; the Lakers have only three players under contract.) Departed Lakers executive Magic Johnson says he wants to be part of the recruiting process, which seems a bit strange after Johnson portrayed the Lakers’ front office as a disjointed mess. Hard to see Leonard wanting any part of the Knicks, but the Clippers make a lot of sense.
Kyrie Irving: The sensible call: Brooklyn, and it appears that will be the case, ESPN reporting that the two sides are close to agreement on a fouryear deal. Irving learned the game on the New York playgrounds and would step in at point guard, with free agent D’Angelo Russell likely to depart.
The lowdown: No team sees Irving as a leader, not after he failed so miserably in that role with the Celtics. The Nets cleared space to sign two prominent free agents, and they hope to make that a reality.
Jimmy Butler: The sensible call: returns to Philadelphia. It shouldn’t even be an issue, with the 76ers so close to ruling the Eastern Conference and Butler the bigshot guy in that offense.
The lowdown: The Rockets, short on cap space and trying to work a threeteam deal, really want Butler, who grew up in Houston. The Warriors should hope that happens, along with every other Western Conference team. There’s no way Butler blends in with cranky Chris Paul or accepts the fact that James Harden is the Rockets’ offense. Their already fractured chemistry would take yet another hit. The Lakers are believed to have an outside shot if they strike out on Leonard.
Around the NBA
Great to hear that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is pushing hard for a shortened schedule. An ESPN report indicated that a reduction to 58 games has been discussed, although that’s highly unlikely. One question: Silver keeps talking about some sort of “midseason tournament” to increase fan interest. So you want to reduce the schedule, then tack on additional games? What sense does that make? And who would give one damn about such a meaningless event? One reason to follow the Warriors’ Summer League progress: Jacob Evans, a disappointment after being taken in the first round of last year’s draft, will get a look at point guard. Worth noting: Evans wasn’t a great pick, but among the players drafted after him, only one stands out: Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who averaged 20.6 minutes per game, ranked second in blocked shots per game and was named to the allrookie second team. He’d been viewed as a project, and the Warriors had enough of those at center. (The Warriors will play three summer league games in Sacramento, Monday through Wednesday, before moving to Las Vegas.) Smart call by Kemba Walker, about to agree to sign a fouryear deal with Boston. He showed admirable loyalty to Charlotte, and had a chance to sign a max deal there, but that probably would have meant a postseasonfree career. Now he replaces Irving with a bunch of Celtics teammates who will appreciate his elite talent and selfless nature.
Losing Malcolm Brogdon ,a smart and reliable point guard, would be a blow to Milwaukee. He’s a restricted free agent with the Celtics, Mavericks and Bulls among the interested teams. If Brogdon becomes a missing piece, joining Nikola Mirotic (who is leaving the NBA to play for Barcelona in the EuroLeague), it becomes even more imperative that the Bucks resign Khris Middleton.
About a week ago, Houston general manager Daryl Morey stated his starting five would return intact. Now the Rockets are reportedly offering Eric Gordon, Clint Capela and/or P.J. Tucker in a deal to land Butler. How does that sit with three players who have meant so much to the team? Meanwhile, with Nene declining his player option to hit the market, the Rockets have no bench players under contract from their postseason rotation.
The Warriors won’t directly acknowledge Oakland with their various Chase Center uniforms. They will unveil updated versions of “The Town” and “The City” logos, but not “Oakland” specifically. A shame — although such a gesture would probably make disillusioned East Bay fans even more upset.