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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suns Send Dillon Brooks Message After Massive Trade
Suns Send Dillon Brooks Message After Massive Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Suns have been one of the more active teams during this offseason period and for good reason. They finished the regular season with a 36-46 record and failed to qualify for a spot in the NBA Playoffs or the NBA Play-In Tournament. As a result, owner Mat Ishbia began making changes immediately, by firing Mike Budenholzer after just one year of a five-year, $50 million contract. Advertisement Ishbia then made a major change in the front office when he demoted James Jones from his role as the president of basketball operations and general manager to just a senior advisory position. Ishbia later installed Brian Gregory as the new general manager. Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Suns send Dillon Brooks message after massive trade With the front office taken care of, Ishbia and Gregory went to work seeking a trade partner to acquire Kevin Durant ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft and found one in the Houston Rockets. In the deal, they landed a talented young scorer in Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 selection in the draft, and five second-round picks in what turned out to be a record-breaking seven-team trade. Advertisement On Wednesday, the Suns sent a message regarding Brooks after his first day in Phoenix. While the Suns now have an influx of guards, they are almost certainly better defensively, especially after drafting Duke Center Khaman Maluach and trading for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams. Brooks scored 14 points per game for the Rockets this season as they finished as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference during the regular season and shot a career-high 39.7% from 3-point land. There will likely be additional moves made during this busy offseason, particularly as the Suns are looking to buy out Bradley Beal. That would help free up minutes at the guard or small forward position where Brooks would likely take many of his minutes. Advertisement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Auburn forward Jabari Smith intends to sign extension with Houston Rockets
Former Auburn forward and current Houston Rocket, Jabari Smith, to sign rookie extension Former Auburn forward Jabari Smith will be a Houston Rockets for many years to come it appears. On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Smith intended to sign a rookie extension for five years and $122 million. The extension will run through the 2030-31 season. Smith is part of a young Rockets roster that made a huge jump this past season. Houston gained the No. 2 seed in the very difficult western conference with a 52-30 record. The prior season, the Rockets just missed the NBA Play-In Tournament with a 41-41 record. The inexperience of the Rockets showed once they reached the postseason and were matched up against veteran Golden State Warriors. Houston lost the first round series 4-3. In his third year in the NBA, Smith averaged 12.2 points per game and 7.1 rebounds for the 2024-25 season. Those numbers did drop in the playoffs versus the Warriors, but Smith found success from the three-point shooting 46%. He is a key part of a team that will look to replicate that regular season success next season with more wins in the postseason. The Rockets have already added Kevin Durant to the roster for the 2025-26 season. Smith only played one season for the Auburn Tigers, but it was a memorable one. The Tigers won the SEC Regular Season Championship for the 2021-22 season, posting a 15-3 conference record and were 28-5. Individually for Smith, he collected many accolades. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First-team All-SEC. Smith averaged 16.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Unfortunately, the Tigers season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Miami Hurricanes. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSEC
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Major Kevin Durant News Emerges After His Minnesota Timberwolves Decision Surfaces
Major Kevin Durant News Emerges After His Minnesota Timberwolves Decision Surfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the NBA Finals, teams around the NBA are positioning themselves to land Kevin Durant. Advertisement The two-time NBA Champion and 15-time NBA All-Star spent the past 2.5 years with the Phoenix Suns before expressing a desire to be traded. While there have been a handful of teams that have emerged as landing spots for the 36 year old forward, it was confirmed on Monday that although the Minnesota Timberwolves were hoping to land Durant, the feeling is not mutual. Following the development that Durant isn't open to playing for Minnesota, the oddsmakers at Bovada updated their odds as to who is the favorite to land him, and atop the list were the Miami Heat. The Heat had a rough season to put it lightly. After hoping they could get another title run out of Jimmy Butler, he ended up forcing a trade that saw him land with the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement They somehow limped their way into the NBA Play-In Tournament, where they became the first No. 10 seed to make the playoffs in league history. A historic achievement that was quickly overshadowed, as they were blasted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in what was the most-lopsided series in NBA history, losing by 122 points overall. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant (35).Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images If the Heat are able to form a big three centered around Durant, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, they could instantly become one of the league's top contenders in 2025-26. However, a package for Durant could force the Heat to part with some key youngsters. Needless to say, the next few days will be huge for the Heat. Advertisement Related: Shams Charania Puts an End to Kevin Durant, Timberwolves Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Hawks Take Clear Stance on Trae Young Trade Rumors: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As the NBA offseason gets underway, there have already been some big names placed on the trade block. The main ones have been star forward Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. More NBA news: LeBron James Offers Big Update on Potential NBA Coaching Plans But there is another All-Star who has seen his name placed into trade rumors for years. That would be star guard Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, and many around the NBA have believed the team could look to move on from him. Due to the Hawks being in the middle of the pack in the NBA, it would make sense for them to completely enter a rebuild. Atlanta could sell high on Young, landing some strong future assets in return for the All-Star talent. However, the Hawks don't seem to be willing to move Young at this time. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Hawks front office has yet to have any serious discussions with opposing teams about Young. "While some have suggested Atlanta should leverage these selections and try to move into the top 10, the Hawks appear to be comfortable adding two more young talents to build the future of their roster. Despite changes in their front office, the Hawks have not held serious Trae Young trade discussions, sources said." ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 18: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a rebound by the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of an NBA play-in tournament game on April 18, 2025 in... ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 18: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a rebound by the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of an NBA play-in tournament game on April 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. More Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images This report doesn't mean that Young won't be traded this summer, but rather than Atlanta, may need to be wowed to make a deal go down. Young has been the face of the Hawks franchise for years, and he is beloved in the city of Atlanta. More NBA news: Lakers Insider Opens Door on Potential Walker Kessler Trade Last season, Young averaged 24.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 11.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Atlanta surprisingly reached the NBA Play-In Tournament under the leadership of Young, but they fell to the Miami Heat before the postseason began. Young has value around the league, but his defense remains a massive negative for any opposing team. Opponents target Young on defense due to his limited frame, and any team interested in him would need a plan to cover up his deficiencies. Atlanta may be better off trading Young before it's too late, with his value still high. The star guard has one more year on his deal past this season, and could enter free agency if the Hawks don't start trending toward winning again. More NBA news: NBA Making Major Change to Thunder-Pacers Finals Before Game 5 Top Landing Spots for Grizzlies' Ja Morant Following Desmond Bane Trade For more on Hawks and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Update in Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Durant Trade Rumors
Big Update in Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Durant Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of a critical offseason. After a 36-46 season, they missed out on a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, finishing as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference. As a result, they fired head coach Mike Budenholzer. Advertisement That proved not to be the only change they would make, as the Suns announced they would be moving James Jones into a senior advisory role with Brian Gregory taking over. Gregory and owner Mat Ishbia's relationship goes back to Ishbia's playing days at Michigan State. Big update in Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Durant trade rumors It remains to be seen how soon the Suns will look to trade Durant. It will likely be in the next two weeks, as the NBA Draft takes place on Wednesday, June 25. If the deal were to involve any draft picks, they'd likely want it for the upcoming draft rather than a year out. Possible suitors for Durant have included the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic provided a massive update regarding a possible trade with one of those teams. Advertisement "The Timberwolves have had 'discussions' about a Kevin Durant trade but 'nothing is close,'" said Krawczynski. Durant and Anthony Edwards have a friendship after the two participated in the Olympics for Team USA this past summer. Edwards views Durant as a sort of big brother and would likely love having Durant beside him as the Timberwolves aim to take the next step after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. It remains to be seen exactly what the Timberwolves would be willing to part with for Durant, but adding a player of Durant's caliber, even at this stage of his career, could be a move that puts them over the top and allows Phoenix to regain some future assets. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
