Kevin Durant, other NBA news, rumors: Where things stand in offseason – USA TODAY

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NBA Summer League is over. Free agency has slowed to a halt. Money has been spent with enough max deals topping a quarter of a billion dollars to make your abacus spin.
But not everything is resolved as the NBA’s offseason pushes into late July and early August.
The Brooklyn Nets are still trying to figure out what they want to do with stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (trade or keep), and teams are waiting to see where (if anywhere) the Utah Jazz will trade All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
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We take a look at where things stand at this point of the offseason:
Boston has had discussions with Brooklyn about acquiring Durant, USA TODAY Sports confirmed after reports from ESPN and The Athletic. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about trade discussions.
Boston’s Jaylen Brown was mentioned as a significant part of a potential trade with Brooklyn, and he responded in true-to-form NBA fashion by posting “Smh” on Twitter after he saw the reports.
ESPN, however, cautioned that the Nets are no closer to trading Durant to Boston than they are any other team. Phoenix, Miami and Toronto are among the many teams with an interest in acquiring Durant.
Brooklyn needs a significant return in a deal for Durant, especially given what Utah received from Minnesota in the Rudy Gobert trade, and that offer hasn’t been made yet.
Likewise, the Nets are not enamored with any offer for Kyrie Irving, including from the Los Angeles Lakers.
During a press conference following the Gobert trade, Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said there is no intent to trade Mitchell but added, “I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is (untouchable).”
Translation: Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, is available for the right price. The New York Knicks are interested and have enough first-rounders to satisfy Zanik and CEO Danny Ainge in a full-on rebuild.
Don’t count out the Miami Heat. They have long liked Mitchell and considered making him an offer sheet if he hit restricted free agency with the Jazz in 2021. But that never happened because of Mitchell’s five-year extension with the Jazz prior to hitting restricted free agency.
Washington has also expressed interest in a deal for Mitchell. Training camps open in approximately two months, and the Jazz will continue to take calls for deals involving Mitchell.
Russell Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, parted ways last week in a very public manner that included a lengthy statement by Foucher to ESPN explaining the split. The Lakers would like to rid themselves of the final year ($47 million) of Westbrook’s contract but only for an upgrade to the roster. There aren’t many avenues to do that right now with no traction on the Irving front. The Lakers could also revisit their interest in Indiana’s Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
Washington’s Bradley Beal, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Memphis’ Ja Morant, New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns were among the players who reached new deals that are over or close to $200 million. Jokic’s massive five-year extension and the one year remaining on his current contract will pay him $301.4 million over the next six seasons. 

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