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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN: Contract extension between Kevin Durant, Rockets might not happen this offseason
ESPN's Tim MacMahon on the Rockets: 'By all appearances and by what I've heard, they're not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant.' As they navigate various luxury-tax and apron thresholds under the NBA's latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Houston Rockets are bracing for an expensive payroll in the 2027-28 season. That future season is particularly tricky for the Rockets, since it's likely to be the first year of a maximum-salaried contract extension for rising star Amen Thompson and potentially the final season of a two-year extension for aging superstar Kevin Durant. But that two-year extension, if it comes, might not be for as much money as many around the league had anticipated. From Friday's episode of ESPN's The Hoop Collective podcast, Tim MacMahon said: By all appearances and by what I've heard, they're not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant. That doesn't mean it won't happen. There have been rumblings of 'Hey, KD isn't going to push for the full max.' I don't know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that's close to the max. I think the Rockets... it's not ideal, but I don't think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the expiring deal that he's on. Even if the Rockets didn't come to terms on a contract extension with Durant, they would still have Bird rights to retain the perennial All-Star entering 2026 free agency. It's worth noting, of course, that Durant is far from the only player that Houston is showing restraint with. The final two seasons of Dorian Finney-Smith's new contract with the Rockets, starting with that aforementioned 2027-28 campaign, are non-guaranteed. Newly signed extensions with Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr. will both decline in annual value between 2026-27 and 2027-28. Fred VanVleet signed a new contract this offseason for a maximum of two years, with the final year being 2026-27. It's possible that by 2027-28, Reed Sheppard could be ready to take the reins at point guard, full-time. So, there's nothing unique to Durant that is making the Rockets hesitant. They're simply being disciplined across the board as they prepare for a rising payroll in the years ahead. And in the second-apron landscape of the NBA, it could serve them well. In Friday's episode, ESPN's Tim Bontemps explained why: The Rockets have done an outstanding job of understanding the new economic environment that the league is in. Teams have to be much better about negotiating every dollar on deals. As we've seen over the past couple years, deeper teams are probably going to have more success with where the league is headed. You have to mind your Ps and Qs when it comes to these contracts, and not be giving out extra money on deals to where you wind up in the second apron sooner, and you have all these difficult financial questions. The Rockets have done a remarkable job of showing fiscal discipline and restraint all the way through. And I think if they can continue to do that, they're going to have a real advantage over the competition, because we've seen other teams not do that. And I think it's going to bite them later. The Rockets have also shown discipline in acquiring and retaining numerous first-round draft assets in future years, which could help them fill out subsequent rosters with young role players who are on relatively inexpensive, rookie-scale contracts. The good news for Houston is that by the 2028-29 season, which is when Durant will be 40 years old, the financial pressures should ease some. Historical patterns would suggest that he's likely to either retire or be on a downward career trajectory by that time, which would lead to the future Hall of Famer either coming off Houston's salary books entirely or playing at a much-reduced rate. And if Durant somehow defies the usual aging curve and still produces at an All-Star level at 40 years old (similar to LeBron James today with the Los Angeles Lakers), that's a good problem to have — and one the Rockets are happy to worry about in 2028, should it occur. For now, they're doing their financial planning based on more realistic scenarios. And that requires being disciplined across the board, even with Durant. More: With unique contract structures, Rockets working to mitigate 2027-28 financial crunch
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will the Boston Celtics be better than a .500 team next season?
Without Jayson Tatum in the rotation, the Boston Celtics are expected to struggle in the upcoming season. Brad Stevens has been forced into making some tough decisions for the franchise this summer, including moving on from Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis while letting Luke Kornet and Al Horford (potentially) walk during free agency. Those decisions, coupled with some less-than-inspiring replacements, have many believing that Boston will struggle to remain competitive throughout the 2025-26 season. So much so that ESPN Bet has placed the Over/Under on Boston's record at 43.5 games, making them marginally better than a .500 team. During a July 29 edition of Brian Windhorst's "The Hoop Collective" podcast, he was joined by Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss whether the Celtics are capable of surpassing the 43.5 wins mark next season, and if so, then by how much? You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch or listen to the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Spotify: Apple: Substack:
USA Today
28-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Could the Boston Celtics still emerge as a contending roster?
After a flurry of moves to begin the offseason, the narrative surrounding the Boston Celtics is that they're going to struggle next season. Moving on from Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis undoubtedly hurt the franchise, while losing Luke Kornet and potentially Al Horford crippled the team's frontcourt depth. However, the Celtics still have Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard on the roster. And while it's not fair to expect Jayson Tatum to return next season, there's always the slight chance he defies the odds. As such, Boston's roster is strong enough to cause opposing teams problems, even if it's not good enough to be deemed a championship favorite. In a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst was joined by Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps to discuss the Celtics' outlook for next season and whether they should still be considered contenders in a weakened Eastern Conference. You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alex Rodriguez hopes to model Timberwolves ownership after Thunder
Anybody who follows the NBA long enough knows how much of a copycat sport it can be. When you see a team crowned as champions, the rest of the league soon follows their blueprint and sees how replicable it can be for their situation. After the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the Larry O'Brien trophy, the biggest lesson learned was about homegrown talent and patient decisions. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ascended into an MVP after an unorthodox developmental path. He headlined one of the greatest teams ever. Meanwhile, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were the crown jewels of the Thunder's rebuild. Both were added from the 2022 NBA draft and have established themselves as long-term staples. Williams was an All-NBA talent and Holmgren has already received DPOY buzz. Then you look at the rest of the roster, and it's Sam Presti hitting on the margins. Lu Dort was an undrafted player. Cason Wallace was worth his spot in the lottery. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso were two home-run swings in last year's offseason. As the Minnesota Timberwolves are fresh off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances, the power dynamic has dramatically shifted. Glen Taylor no longer calls the shots. Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore were finally approved as new NBA owners a couple of days after the NBA Finals ended. It's been quite the adventure, but the ownership group has finally changed. The former MLB player and Wonder Group CEO agreed with Taylor in 2021 to enter the Timberwolves' ownership group. Four years later, they've won over more power. Now, the duo has the NBA's stamp of approval to make changes. As Rodriguez and Lore put their fingerprints all over the roster, one of the first steps in molding their ball of clay is by seeing what the Thunder did. Both are small-market franchises with a superstar guard. While Anthony Edwards isn't at Gilgeous-Alexander's level, many expect him to be soon. Rodriguez and Lore appeared on ESPN's "The Hoop Collective" podcast in Las Vegas during the 2025 Summer League. The former talked about how they want to model the Timberwolves like the Thunder. OKC provided every small-market franchise the blueprint to have similar success with draft and development. "We want to be very, very disciplined and patient, but with a sense of urgency. We paid the second-highest tax last year. This year we're going to be in the tax again. When we played against Oklahoma City, we had a play-in game three years ago. Shai and all those guys were still young and we beat them at home. It was a very good game," Rodriguez said. "If Sam Presti turned around and was like, 'You know what? Let's break it up. Let's change directions.' They wouldn't have been world champs this year. Then when they got close, they brought in Caruso and a few others. And boom. We look at that as a good model for us. And hey, it pays to be patient." You always hear about new NBA owner syndrome. Whenever new bosses come to town, they always want to make drastic changes to shake things up. In most cases, they hold zero ties to the current regime and structure. Fanbases are usually anxious about that, as it mostly means splashy decisions that could destabilize a franchise. But at least in the infancy stage of their ownership tenure, Rodriguez and Lore have said all of the right things. Easier said than done, though, to copy what the Thunder. The 2025 NBA championship was a culmination of two decades' work.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Simmons rips ‘desperate, reckless' Damian Lillard release
The post Bill Simmons rips 'desperate, reckless' Damian Lillard release appeared first on ClutchPoints. While some NBA analysts and personalities see the reason that the Bucks waived Damian Lillard, such as Brian Windhorst, Bill Simmons was totally against the move. On the latest episode of his eponymous podcast, Simmons, never one to mince words, believed that the release of Lillard was a move out of inspiration and ultimately a lose-lose situation since they have to keep the money on their books for the next five years. Advertisement 'I thought what Milwaukee did was one of the most desperate, reckless moves that I could ever remember since I've been a basketball fan,' Simmons said. 'I hated it. I don't understand it. I think it's a disaster. I didn't approve of any single aspect of it. Carrying the Dame stretch thing for five years, Idiotic. Doing it for Myles Turner. I have no idea why they would do that. I just don't understand why they wouldn't have just traded Giannis. If it's this desperate that you're gonna pay for the next four years $47 million, $49 million, $50 million, and $51 million for Myles Turner. And then on top of that another $22 (million) in the fifth year when he's not even on the team. If that's the only recourse you have, if that's how desperate you are to keep Giannis, I'm trading Giannis at that point.' Simmons has shared many positive opinions about the Bucks over the past couple of years, influenced by his friendship with Doc Rivers. Still, he belives that the move is unnecessary as the Bucks likely won't be contenders next year pending another move that will further bolster their roster with significant offensive firepower following the mid-season trade of Kris Middleton and Damian Lillard's release. His take runs counter to Brian Windhorst's take on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective, who believed that the move made sense. 'Somebody explained how the Bucks could justify this,' Windhorst said on the episode. 'So, Dame is on the books at $22 (million) and a half, let's call it $23 (million). Miles Turner's deal averages $27 million a year. So, basically for the next four years, it's $50 million for the two of them. Okay. So this year Dame was on the cap for a little over $50 million and that was a blank spot on the cap. Maybe he comes back. Let's just assume that he doesn't. Maybe he does. But it's $50 million you weren't going to get production out of.' Related: The next move Milwaukee Bucks must make after Myles Turner, Damian Lillard whoppers Related: Tim MacMahon compares Giannis-Bucks' situation to 'comfortable underwear'
