NBA Pacific

Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant's manager and business partner, said Thursday that the Phoenix Suns superstar would "potentially" be open to playing in the international basketball league that Maverick Carter and a group of investors are looking to establish in the coming years.

Maverick Carter, LeBron James’s business partner, is looking to build an international basketball league.

Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant’s manager, was asked about the league on @CNBC and if KD would be open to playing in it.

“Yes, potentially.” pic.twitter.com/stRTiTFjXK

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 6, 2025

"If there was an opportunity for Kevin to extend his [playing] career and he wanted to be somewhere—he loves playing basketball—and the economics made sense, and the opportunity made sense... I think the guys putting this together are the right people to do this," he said.

In January, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Carter and a group of investors, which included "multiple private equity funds," were looking to "raise $5 billion to form an international basketball league."

The league would consist of six men's teams and six women's teams that would play in eight international cities, per Gillian Tan, Matthew Monks and Michelle F. Davis of Bloomberg (h/t Yahoo), spending two weeks in each city. The model would be similar to Formula 1's format.

Other investors in the venture include the investment firm SC Holdings, former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, while UBS Group AG and Evercore Inc. have been brought aboard to raise the needed funds, with "wealthy individuals and institutional investors such as sovereign wealth funds" targeted.

In February, meanwhile, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA was exploring its own potential standalone European league.

"While Europe continues to develop some of the very best players in the world—many of our most recent MVPs, of course, are European—we think that the commercial opportunity has not kept pace with the growth of the game," he told reporters in Paris. "And what we do at the NBA is we run leagues. We, of course, run the WNBA, we have the [Basketball Africa League], we have the G League, we have a 2K video league. So we operate five different leagues and we think it's an expertise we have. And so we are looking very closely to see if there's an opportunity to professionalize the game to another level here to create a larger commercial opportunity."

EuroLeague is currently the top basketball competition in Europe, featuring a number of clubs that are also prominent in the soccer world such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Olympiacos, among others.

It remains to be seen if Durant would be interested in spending time overseas at the end of his playing career. He might have some options if he goes that route, however.

The Los Angeles Lakers gave up an intriguing rookie in Dalton Knecht when they made the move to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, a deal that also included the Lakers sending out Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

The trade upgrades the center position for the Lakers, a definitive need, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic broke down why Knecht was one of the pieces the team sacrificed to make it happen (52:40 mark).

"My understanding, in the quick conversations I've had since the trade, is that part of the calculus here is the Lakers wanted to keep their rotation as close together as possible," he said. "Basically, Knecht was their ninth man, so they kept their top eight guys and they added a better 'ninth man.' But then that guy is starting and moving Jaxson Hayes to the bench."

Buha added earlier in his podcast that Williams was the "exact type of big man that the Lakers wanted, as well as that Luka Dončić wanted," noting that the young superstar reportedly told Rob Pelinka that he wanted to play with a "vertical lob threat."

Williams scratches that itch, and despite being in the NBA for three years now, is actually several months younger than Knecht. He's also a more impactful player, averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game this season.

Losing Knecht won't be popular among all Lakers fans, but he was one of the team's only valuable trade assets remaining, outside of players they simply aren't going to move like Austin Reaves. To fill a bigger need, Knecht was going to have to go, and the Lakers upgraded at center with a young, talented option.

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green isn't sweating the fact his name was floated in rumors prior to the team reportedly agreeing to a trade for Jimmy Butler.

"Ninety-five percent of the things you worry about never come true," he told The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "If (I did get traded), then it just is what it is. My worries ain't stopping it. So I wasn't worried at all. I've been in a place of uncertainty overall. But what's going to be is going to be. To sit and worry about it, this life is hard enough to worry about what you can't control."

The four-time All-Star also downplayed any concerns over how he and Butler, two stars with big personalities, will mesh on the same team.

"He win? I win? That's the fit. Winners win," Green said. "He's a winner. Perennial All-Star. Tough as nails. Just f--king get the job done however it needs to be done."

If if were that simple, the Warriors' roster and on-court fortunes might look a lot different right now.

The shared goal of winning a title wasn't enough to keep Green and Kevin Durant on the same page. Their relationship became strained as Durant's tenure in Golden State unfolded, and their 2018 argument created wider problems within the organization.

There was also the physical altercation with Green and Jordan Poole during a practice in 2022, another moment that lingered long after it happened.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk wrote in January how Green gained a different perspective while he served an indefinite suspension last season. Attending therapy sessions and having regular meetings with NBA officials were part of his punishment, and the 34-year-old said those were invaluable toward bettering himself.

NBA fans might soon discover whether all of that work stuck.

Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green on the same team, Steve Kerr gonna need a therapist.

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) February 6, 2025

Warriors big man Kevon Looney, for his part, pointed out to Slater the four-time All-Star has successfully coexisted with other teammates who were equally self-assured and determined.

"Guys like that who are dogs, alpha males, they respect other people like that," Looney said. "They kind of stay out of each other's way. Draymond is a great connector. He's a great leader. He makes things happen on the floor and off the court."

Golden State better hope this works because general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. may not have many remaining avenues to improve the roster to a significant degree.

In tandem with the trade, the Warriors also agreed to an extension with Butler that keeps him under contract through 2026-27. They're banking on the six-time All-Star to be the piece that guides them to another championship.

Rival teams reportedly weren't eager to do a solid for the Golden State Warriors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II wrote that other franchises were not "eager to trade one of their superstars to Golden State," citing the Warriors' inability to land Paul George or Lauri Markkanen in the offseason.

Thompson reflected that Jimmy Butler was in a similar bind as opportunities outside of the Miami Heat quickly dried up. As a result, he and the Warriors "looked around at their options and saw they were the only lonely ones in the club."

Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Golden State is acquiring the six-time All-Star in a four-team swap that will see Andrew Wiggins head to Miami.

It's no secret that Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. hoped to land Kevin Durant before setting his sights on Butler. Windhorst reported the Warriors, Heat and Phoenix Suns were in discussions on a trade that would've seen Durant in the Bay Area and Butler in Phoenix.

"This was close to being Jimmy Butler in Phoenix and Kevin Durant in Golden State." 😯

—@WindhorstESPN on Jimmy Butler being traded to Golden State pic.twitter.com/wOXJcSuJBA

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 6, 2025

Warriors team governor Joe Lacob has received plenty of mockery over the years for his 2016 comments that the organization was "light years ahead of probably every other team." The Butler trade further brings into focus the folly of assuming the good times would keep rolling in perpetuity for Golden State.

As with every dynasty throughout sports history, the Warriors weren't immune from a decline and they have been left scrambling to account for the decline of the stars responsible for their success. As Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson aged, it became harder and harder to contend for a championship.

It's a sign of the front office's desperation that it's not only trading for Butler but also reportedly giving him a two-year, $111 million extension that keeps him under contract through 2026-27.

This might be Dunleavy's last roll of the dice to get Curry and Green one more title.

NBA insider Jovan Buha says the Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Mark Williams has received "mixed reactions" around the league.

The Lakers traded Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish, alongside a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-rounder, to acquire Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

"I've already seen some reactions saying that they overpaid," Buha said Wednesday night on his Buha's Block podcast (4:45 mark of the video below). "I know talking to some other people around the league, people have kind of mixed reactions about the price tag.

"They're high on the fit of Mark Williams, but just kind of wondering if Dalton Knecht, plus a first, was a little bit too much."

The trade looks particularly costly when compared to the blockbuster deal the Lakers recently made for former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić, which required the franchise to send out just one of their tradable first-round picks. Keeping the 2031 selection allowed the Lakers to later put together the package for Williams.

Fred Katz, Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported after the Dončić trade that the Lakers did not want to use the pick to bring in "a patch-up role player" or commit to "long-term money." The team apparently did not see Williams, who is in the third year of his rookie deal, as fitting into either of those categories.

Williams, who was held to playing 62 total games through his first two NBA campaigns, was again limited by injury as he sat out the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season.

He has been effective when healthy, however, putting up a career-high 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks through 23 appearances.

Williams also just turned 23 in December, raising the possibility the Lakers could extend him and use him as a building block as the team looks to construct a contender around Dončić going forward.

The Lakers needed a frontcourt addition after sending out Anthony Davis as part of the trade for Dončić. Given Christian Wood's long-term injury absence and the lack of other veteran center options outside of Jaxson Hayes, Williams staying healthy will be key to the Lakers' frontcourt depth down the stretch.

The Golden State Warriors set their sights on Kevin Durant before pivoting to a deal with the Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Charania reported on SportsCenter the Phoenix Suns "had discussions with the Warriors about [Durant], and that's who the Warriors wanted," only to be rebuffed.

"Sources told me that Kevin Durant made clear in league circles he had no desire to go back to the Warriors," Charania said.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN added Thursday on Get Up a general trade framework was in place between Golden State, Phoenix and Miami:

"This was close to being Jimmy Butler in Phoenix and Kevin Durant in Golden State." 😯

—@WindhorstESPN on Jimmy Butler being traded to Golden State pic.twitter.com/wOXJcSuJBA

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 6, 2025

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Monday the Warriors were worried about the 14-time All-Star's "true willingness to return to the Bay Area for a second engagement after no shortage of tumult during his highly successful first stint."

A day later, Stein and Fischer followed up to write, "It is believed that Durant has some serious reservations about a second Warriors stint if he were to be shipped there."

In general, the narrative remained the same as Golden State's pursuit for a marquee star intensified.

Durant had a prolific run with the Warriors. He won a pair of championships and was the NBA Finals MVP in each of those title triumphs.

For as much grief as the 36-year-old got for joining a 73-win team in 2016, it became clear over time he was far more than a luxury for Golden State. The franchise needed him to stay on top in the Western Conference and maintain its edge on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the East.

But Durant ultimately left the Warriors for multiple reasons. His relationship with Draymond Green had become strained, and their argument in 2018 opened up some wider fissures. He was never as beloved by fans as Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were, either.

A lot has changed since Durant's departure during the summer of 2019, so the general dynamic with him in the Bay Area probably might've been different this time around.

But nobody should be too shocked he steered clear of a return.

Kevin Durant, who was tied to both the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat ahead of the Thursday trade deadline, had no desire to leave the Phoenix Suns, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

"He was committed to this team," Charania said on ESPN's SportsCenter. "There was no trade requests ever made by Kevin Durant."

Durant ultimately stayed put amid the multi-team trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors and Andrew Wiggins to the Heat, as reported by Charania and Brian Windhorst.

Charania went on to detail his thoughts on Durant and the trade on SportsCenter:

This really started in the early part, mid-part of December, when it was known that the Heat were open to listening to trade offers for Jimmy Butler and Butler himself was ready to move on to a win-now destination. And so, the Heat talked to several teams over the last couple of months, but they've really been specifically tied to the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. And in a lot of these conversations, it was about the asking price. They were able to get Andrew Wiggins in this deal, picks. There were parts of this deal that made it very appealing, but how did we get here yesterday? A lot of that was because over the last week or so, the Suns had discussions with the Warriors about Kevin Durant. and that's who the Warriors wanted. They had conversations about it once it was made known that Kevin Durant had no parts, wanted no parts of being back with the Warriors, that's when they moved on and got a deal with Jimmy Butler done quickly.

The Suns, because of where they're placing is in the standings right now, they've been getting aggressive calls on Kevin Durant. And one of those teams that has been pursuing Kevin Durant, or had been pursuing Kevin Durant over the last week or so aggressively, was his old team, the Golden State Warriors. Sources told me that Kevin Durant made clear in league circles he had no desire to go back to the Warriors. And so, the Warriors had to move on, but now the Suns are left with this question. And really the interesting part of now going into today, the final day before trades are done with for the season, second half of the season, how do you have these conversations, revive the situation between the Suns and Kevin Durant? It's always interesting when a player's name is out there because going into this week, from my understanding, Kevin Durant did not want his name in any type of trade conversation. He was committed to this team. There was no trade requests ever made by Kevin Durant."

Charania and Windhorst originally reported that the Warriors, Heat and Suns "had been nearing agreement" on a three-team trade that would have sent Durant to the Warriors, but that the deal fell apart when Durant "informed the team he did not want to return to Golden State."

According to Windhorst, the Heat were also interested in acquiring Durant, but were unable to match the Suns' asking price without the Warriors involved to bolster the deal.

"I think the Suns were willing to negotiate," Windhorst said Thursday on his Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast. "I don't think they were anxious to trade Durant. What you're going to hear going forward is that the Suns never wanted to trade Durant... but there was a window there for there to be a trade."

Durant, who turned 36 in September, is currently signed for one more season before he is set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026. When asked about retiring with the Suns last February, Durant told ESPN's Malika Andrews he couldn't confirm he would finish out his career with the franchise but loved playing in Phoenix and "one day would like to receive the franchise's Ring of Honor."

The Suns now find themselves in a difficult position after reportedly shopping both Durant and Bradley Beal amid their reported bid to acquire Butler. If Beal and Durant stick around past the 3 p.m. ET deadline, the Suns may need to mend fences with both players as the team continues its bid to find a way into the Western Conference playoff picture.

After Kevin Durant reportedly nixed a trade back to the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes he had the opportunity to leave the Phoenix Suns and join Miami.

"There was a window for Kevin Durant to be traded to the Miami Heat," Windhorst said on Thursday's episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (8:50 mark.)

Windhorst continued:

Once the Warriors were out, instead of it being a three-team thing, it was sort of a two-team thing with the Suns and the Warriors both potentially being able to negotiate with the Heat for Jimmy Butler.

I think the Suns were willing to negotiate. I don't think they were anxious to trade Durant. What you're going to hear going forward is that the Suns never wanted to trade Durant... but there was a window there for there to be a trade.

Windhorst and Shams Charania reported Wednesday night for ESPN that the Warriors had acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.

According to Windhorst and Charania, the Warriors, Heat and Suns were "nearing agreement" on a three-team trade that would have sent Durant to Golden State before Durant told the Suns he did not want to go to the Warriors.

Windhorst added on his podcast that the reason the three teams had come close to finalizing the three-team trade was because "the Suns were going to be able to get Jimmy Butler plus."

"It was going to be Jimmy Butler, plus some other things from the Warriors, to get Durant," Windhorst said. "If it was just the Heat negotiating directly with the Suns, you were looking directly at Jimmy Butler, and not much else."

The Heat needed to send out Butler, who had been suspended from the team for a third time following a public split with his former franchise, by the Feb. 6 deadline.

Initial reports indicated the Suns were interested in adding Butler after creating room for his contract by moving Bradley Beal, but Beal's no-trade clause may have gotten in the way.

In the days approaching the deadline, Durant's name began popping up in trade rumors involving Butler. Windhorst then reported Wednesday that Durant's most likely options were staying with the Sun or heading to the Heat.

Without the Warriors being involved, however, it looks like the Heat weren't able to match the Suns' asking price for Durant. Butler will now head to the Bay Area, while Durant is set to approach the final season of his current contract still with Beal and Devin Booker in Phoenix.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reflected on the realities of the NBA after the team agreed to trade Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat in a sprawling deal that brings Jimmy Butler to the Bay Area.

ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday the Warriors are acquiring Butler from the Heat in a move that includes the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.

Addressing the trade after Golden State's 131-128 loss to the Jazz, Kerr called Wiggins "one of my favorite players I've ever coached" and praised the veteran forward's contributions to the Warriors' 2022 championship.

Steve Kerr on Andrew Wiggins: “Just had a baby boy last week. Girls in school. Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. Just a wonderful soul. We don’t hang that banner in ‘22 without him…I’m gonna miss him.” pic.twitter.com/jR28a2SPQd

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2025

"You develop these relationships with guys," he said. "They give you everything and commit to the team. They got families. Wigs just had a baby boy last week. Wigs is one of my favorite players I've ever coached. Just a beautiful soul, a wonderful human being. We don't hang that banner in '22 without him. Everything he brings, every single day, the laughter, the smile, the joy. Just a wonderful human being, so I'm gonna miss him."

It always seemed likely Golden State would make changes to maximize Stephen Curry's shrinking window, and eventually it became inevitable that the core trio of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green would be broken up. That came to fruition when Thompson departed the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal in the offseason, joining the Dallas Mavericks.

That left the Warriors with a few options. Chris Paul's contract made him either a natural trade chip in the pursuit of another star or a release candidate, given his contract was non-guaranteed. The Warriors went with the latter.

The team's young players, namely Jonathan Kuminga, also held value on the market. But if they were dealt, it was going to be as part of a package deal. Losing Kuminga wouldn't have been ideal.

Enter Wiggins, who is still in his prime at 29, has a moveable contract ($26.2 million in 2024-25, $28.2 million in 2025-26 and a $30.1 million player option in 2026-27) and is a solid player, albeit one who saw his role diminish in Golden State last season.

Wiggins averaged just 13.2 points per game and shot 35.8 percent from three. He was excellent to start his career in Golden State and was a key piece in the team's NBA title in the 2021-22 season, but that player didn't show up for the Dubs last season. He has been better this year, however (17.6 PPG).

It was time to shake up the core group around Curry and Wiggins was the next natural domino to fall.

With the Warriors involving themselves in the Butler saga, Wiggins made sense as one of the players to head back to Miami. He'll see a bigger offensive role with the Heat, pairing with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as Miami looks to fight its way into the playoffs.

Stephen Curry is hoping the Jimmy Butler drama is over following the former Miami Heat forward's trade to the Golden State Warriors.

Butler waived his 2025-26 player option and signed a two-year extension as part of the multi-team trade that sent him to the Warriors, ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday night.

The trade news broke just before Curry and the Warriors played the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Curry said after the Warriors loss that he texted Butler at halftime, and that Butler sent him "a very pleasant message" in response.

"I understand there's a lot of drama down there, and who really knows what the story is," Curry said after the loss. "We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy that's ready to impact our team for the better."

Steph Curry on Jimmy Butler: “I know there was a lot of drama down there (in Miami). Who really knows what the story is. We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy.”

Curry text Butler at halftime tonight to welcome him. Butler text a “pleasant” message back. pic.twitter.com/w9deX8Ohdg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2025

When asked how the team could make the new addition a "drama-free situation," Curry said Butler's extension was an indication the discontented Heat star would fit it in with the Warriors.

"Him signing an extension is big, knowing he's committed for this next little run, and we've got to figure it out," Curry said.

Steph Curry on the belief that the Warriors can integrate Jimmy Butler in a drama-free environment: “Him signing an extension is big, knowing he’s committed for this next little run.” pic.twitter.com/DkrcNB40Gm

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2025

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr meanwhile said processing trade news that involved the departures of Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and Dennis Schröder just before tip-off was difficult for both himself and his team.

"I think the league should consider making the trade deadline at the All-Star break, just so you don't have to face these games where guys are getting traded half an hour before a game, and you're trying to process the emotions and trying to win a game," Kerr said. "I don't know if it's possible, but it would be great if we could move it back, or make the last couple of days before the deadline off days."

"These are tough days for sure."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr weighs in on the challenges of the NBA trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/QIglHi6dBT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 6, 2025

Butler has played just five games since Dec. 20 amid a public split from the Heat that led to three separate suspensions by the team. But Curry expressed hope the Warriors could "feed off the energy of something new" once he returns to the court.

"It'll look different than what we're used to," Curry said. "I mean, he can show a little bit of emotion, but he's a shot creator, a finisher, someone who you have to take into account no matter where he is on the floor."

Curry concluded: "I'm going to watch a lot of, whenever there's time, I'll watch a lot of Miami film to understand some of the sets they like to run for him, and see what we can transition to our playbook."

The Warriors, who haven't strung together three straight wins since November, currently sit just behind the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference's 10th seed.

The team was reportedly interested in acquiring Kevin Durant from the Suns before Durant told his team he didn't want to come to Golden State, according to Charania and Windhorst. The Warriors will now hope the acquisition of Butler can help the team beat out Durant and the Suns for the final play-in spot in the West.