2024 NBA free agency rumors: Kevin Durant shuts down trade rumors – FOX Sports

The NBA offseason is in full swing, and we’ve got you covered with all the latest off-court buzz from around the league.
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The Hornets intend to sign the 39-year-old veteran to a one-year, $3.3 million contract, per ESPN. Gibson, the 26th overall pick in 2009, holds career averages of 8.6 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 965 regular-season games, including 450 starts.
Despite publicizing for years that they were interested in the Compton, California native, the Lakers reportedly made no offer to DeRozan this summer. “It was really down to the Kings and the Miami Heat,” The Athletic reported Monday. 
The former USC standout reportedly wanted to return West after playing the last three seasons in Chicago, but the Kings were the only California squad to push for him. “The Kings, they pushed the hardest … [and] the fastest throughout free agency to get a deal done,” per The Athletic’s report. “The Lakers were baiting about, they have been over the last couple free agencies for DeMar DeRozan, but … the Lakers never went beyond expressing just simple interest in DeRozan. There were no offers or tangible conversations with the Bulls on a sign-and-trade deal.” 
DeRozan was acquired by the Kings in a sign-and-trade deal on July 6.
Suns star Kevin Durant isn’t planning to leave Phoenix anytime soon. After the Rockets acquired several draft picks in a trade with the Nets, reports surfaced that the picks were obtained in efforts to vie for Durant’s services. But the 14-time All-Star wasn’t adding any fuel to the fire at Team USA Olympics practice Saturday. 
“You could just press the, ‘KD want to leave’ button anytime you want some attention,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “Yes, it’s a button. What else is gonna get people going around this time? Besides, ‘Oh, the journeyman is leaving again.'” Durant called the claims that he wanted out of Phoenix “lies”, adding that he has kept in regular contact with the franchise during the offseason.
Several NBA executives have labeled the Jazz star as a difficult player to acquire in the trade market. Markkanen will play the 2024-25 season on an expiring $18 million contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. NBA insider Marc Stein wrote: “It obviously complicates Jazz efforts to get a trade package in return for Markkanen on the level of Brooklyn’s haul for Mikal Bridges when Markkanen is not under team control for more than a season and when his salary is relatively low.” Stein emphasized that signing Markkanen to an extension instead would help elicit a trade deal with several draft picks similar to the haul Brooklyn got for Bridges.
The young Hawks star is reportedly too expensive for the Lakers. “That could change if the price drops to L.A.’s liking. But the market for Young is as chilly as it has ever been,” according to ESPN. The Hawks would likely seek a greater trade package than the one they received for Dejounte Murray. Young has two more guaranteed years, plus a player option worth $48.9 million the following season in his contract. 
However, the Lakers, despite publicizing their willingness to make a big trade, have missed out on a number of viable options in the market, including Klay Thompson, Jonas Valančiūnas and Buddy Hield.
The Celtics are reportedly interested in bringing back the versatile forward. Brissett declined his player option weeks ago to enter unrestricted free agency. Boston, which currently has 11 of the 12 players who averaged the highest minutes total for it last season on the roster, can’t offer Brissett much playing time. That’s what the Canadian forward is after, according to the Boston Globe. 
“As of Wednesday evening, Brissett was still seeking an opportunity with a team that can offer more playing time,” the Globe wrote. “Brissett is skipping Olympic training camp with the Canadian national team to focus on his free agency.”
After losing franchise icon Klay Thompson to the Mavericks in free agency, the Warriors appear on the verge of replenishing the team’s shooting depth behind Stephen Curry. Golden State is in deep discussions with the 76ers to acquire guard Hield via a sign-and-trade, per The Athletic. 
Hield is a career 40% three-point shooter over his eight seasons in the NBA.
One of the first calls Thompson received as he began his post-Warriors came from a longtime foe — LeBron James. ESPN reported that James, who faced off with Thompson’s Warriors in four NBA Finals as a Cleveland Cavalier and in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals as a Laker, called Thompson when NBA free agency began Sunday.
Thompson already has plenty of familiarity with the Lakers aside from James — he grew up in Southern California thanks in large part to his father’s playing career alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the “Showtime” Lakers era. Mychal Thompson remains with the organization to this day, having spent the past several years as the game analyst for Lakers radio braodcasts. However, the Mavs are reportedly seen as the frontrunner to sign Thompson.
George is leaving the Clippers after five seasons with the team he grew up rooting for, the Clippers announced in a statement Sunday, thanking George for his time with the team and calling him a “tremendous talent.” The Clippers held firm on wanting to sign the 34-year-old George to a three-year contract extension, similar to the one they signed 33-year-old fellow superstar Kawhi Leonard to in January, while George and his agents wanted a four-year deal, per ESPN. 
“We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart,” team president Lawrence Frank said in the Clippers’ statement. “The Gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. … We will miss Paul.”
It appeared Westbrook was destined to run it back with his hometown team when news broke Saturday that the veteran point guard was picking up his $4 million contract option and returning to the Clippers. Instead, however, the team is working to trade the 35-year-old former MVP — with reported mutual interest between Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets, per Yahoo! Sports.
The Kings are working on a trade for Pelicans forward Ingram, per a report from FOX 40 Sacramento. Ingram has averaged over 20 points per game in each of his five seasons in New Orleans since the former No. 2 overall pick was traded there in the deal that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers. He was an All-Star and was named Most Improved Player in 2020 under then-head coach Alvin Gentry, who now works in the Kings’ front office. Ingram is widely expected to get dealt this offseason, either to the Kings or elsewhere, after the Pelicans traded for fellow wing Murray.
Thompson has played his last game for the Warriors, according to multiple reports, but still plans to work through sign-and-trade options with the Warriors and teams interested in the four-time NBA champion’s services, per The Athletic. Those teams include the Mavericks, Lakers, Clippers and 76ers, per ESPN.
Golden State has decided to waive Chris Paul, per Bleacher Report. Paul will be an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. He is a 12-time All Star.
Holmes declined his $12.8 million player option for next season to sign a new two-year, $25.9 million deal with Washington, The Athletic reported. The Wizards acquired Holmes from the Mavericks before last season’s trade deadline, but he appeared in just 17 games with them due to a toe injury.
Golden State is preparing to lose the five-time All-Star and career-long Warrior to free agency, The Athletic reported. The Warriors haven’t made an offer to Thompson, who’s expected to be pursued by the Lakers, Clippers and Mavs.
George has opted out of his contract with the Clippers and will test unrestricted free agency, according to ESPN. George will meet with cap space teams at the start of free agency, per the report. The Warriors, Nuggets, 76ers and Magic are among the teams expressing interest in the star wing if he leaves the Clippers, The Athletic previously reported.
Lakers guard Russell has exercised his $18.6 million player option for the 2024-25 season. He averaged 18 points per game on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range, in addition to 6.2 assists per game, in 76 games with the Lakers last season.
The Hawks have agreed to trade Murray to the Pelicans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, a 2025 first-round pick via the Lakers and a 2027 first-round pick, according to ESPN. Murray will join a core of CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson in New Orleans. The Pelicans finished eighth in the Western Conference last season with a record of 49-33.
The Warriors are buying some time to figure out their situation with Paul. Both sides have agreed to push back the date for Paul’s 2024-25 salary to become fully guaranteed until Sunday, ESPN reported. The Warriors initially had until Friday to decide whether to fully guarantee his $30 million salary for the upcoming season. Golden State’s decision to push back Paul’s guarantee date allows it time to find a possible trade. The team has been linked to pending free agent Paul George and would likely need to trade Paul in order to make it work. 
Paul, 39, averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game in his first year with the Warriors last season. He mostly played off the bench, starting in just 18 of the 58 games he played in.
The end of the “Splash Brothers” era in the Bay Area might be near. Thompson and the Warriors haven’t had much contact, and he hasn’t been offered a new deal ahead of the start of free agency, The Athletic reported. 
The 34-year-old shooting guard averaged 17.9 points per game this past season, his fewest since his second season in the league. The Warriors are still reportedly looking to possibly keep Thompson, but it’s becoming “increasingly conceivable” that he will seek a fresh start somewhere else, The Athletic reported.
If Thompson were to leave, the 76ers, Magic and Nuggets are among the potential suitors, according to The Athletic.
The Mavs are shedding some salary ahead of free agency, sending veteran shooting guard Hardaway and three second-round picks to the Pistons for Grimes, ESPN reported. Hardaway is due to make $16.2 million next season in the final year of a four-year deal. The move allows Dallas more cap space to possibly re-sign its own free agents, such as Derrick Jones Jr. Hardaway averaged 14.4 points per game during the regular season, but found himself out of Jason Kidd’s rotation by the end of the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. Grimes averaged seven points per game last year.
The Clippers are still discussing a potential contract extension with superstar wing George and his agent and want him back in Los Angeles long term, team president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters. 
“We love Paul,” Frank said, via ESPN. “We very much want to retain Paul, but we also very much understand and respect the fact this is a business. … “We hope Paul’s decision is to be here. He’s been awesome. He’s been an All-Star. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a terrific person. He’s got a great family, so we hope he’s here, but also respect the fact that if he chooses to opt out, that’s his choice. He’s earned it, and we’ll see how things play out.”
The Clippers have until Saturday to sign George to an extension. After that, George can opt out of his current contract or opt into its final year and attempt to force a trade. George can sign an extension worth as much as four years and $221 million with the Clippers. 
Frank said the team has also had ongoing discussions with pending free agent James Harden, whom they picked up in a trade last season.
The Hornets have acquired guard Reggie Jackson and three future second-round draft picks from the Nuggets in a move that will open up salary cap space for the Nuggets, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. According to the report, the Nuggets were up against the luxury cap and the Hornets proved a willing partner to absorb Jackson’s contract. The 34-year-old played in all 82 games last season for Denver and averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 36% from 3-point range. He has one year left on his $10.2 million contract.
The Heat star will not lock in his long-term future with the team, per The Athletic. Butler has an opt-out in his contract that he can exercise next summer. The report comes amid rumors linking Butler to a potential departure from Miami via trade, including to one of his former teams, the 76ers. While the 76ers reportedly would offer Butler a max contract extension if they re-acquire him, the Heat have no intention of trading their best player this summer, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Wizards, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday’s draft, added the 14th pick from the Trail Blazers by trading forward Deni Avdija with guard Malcolm Brogdon coming back to Washington with the pick, per ESPN. Portland is also reportedly sending the second most favorable of their 2029 first-round picks and two second-round picks to Washington.
The Knicks acquired Bridges from the Nets for four unprotected first-round picks, a 2028 first-round pick swap, a 2025 protected Bucks first-round pick and Bojan Bogdanovic. New York also received a 2026 second-round pick from Brooklyn.
[More: Knicks reportedly acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets in blockbuster trade]
Shortly after the Nets’ decision to trade Bridges was reported, news emerged that they had also agreed to a deal with the Rockets to get their own first-round pick that they gave up in the James Harden trade. The Nets acquired full control of their 2025 first-round pick and their 2026 first-round pick from the Rockets for a 2025 first-round pick swap (Houston/Thunder for Suns), the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick and the rights to the two most favorable of the Mavericks’, Suns’ and Rockets’ first-round picks in 2029. Brooklyn retains the least favorable of Dallas, Houston and Phoenix’s first-round draft picks in 2029. 
For more on the two trades, FOX Sports’ Yaron Weitzman broke down the deals and what they mean moving forward for each franchise.
Valančiūnas is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer, and will be near the top of L.A.’s list of potential targets according to Bleacher Report. L.A. was in dire need of frontcourt depth, and Valančiūnas’ acquisition could provide that, while allowing Anthony Davis to slide to the four position. Valančiūnas averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season with New Orleans.
Houston is in “win-now mode” following a strong end to the 2023-24 season for the young, rebuilding team and is reportedly looking to add “star power” in the form of Durant, Butler, Bridges and Brandon Ingram, per ESPN. The Rockets are also eying George, per Hoopshype, as the ESPN reported Monday that the Clippers star is expected to decide about his future in L.A. within the next several days.
Sexton has been named as a veteran that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka could attempt to trade for in efforts to give James and Davis some more help at the point guard spot.
Atlanta hasn’t held pre-draft interviews with Sarr, who many consider to be worthy of a number one overall selection. Sarr has already met with the Wizards, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, and is reportedly wary of joining an already loaded frontcourt in Atlanta. But per ESPN, Atlanta has expressed a willingness to draft Sarr, but it could be a smokescreen to force Washington to trade up to acquire him.
San Antonio has interviewed Clingan, according to ESPN. The Spurs could potentially have an all-7-footer frontcourt if they take Clingan and pair him with Wembanyama, last year’s No. 1 overall pick and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. There are some, though, who believe the Spurs’ interest in the two-time college basketball national champion with UConn is a ploy to coax other teams into trading up to the fourth selection.
Borrego was a top candidate in Cleveland’s eyes, but the Cavaliers instead reportedly hired Warriors assistant and former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson on Monday. Borrego now projects to be a top candidate for Detroit, who recently fired Monty Williams a year after making him the highest-paid head coach in NBA history.
George, a six-time All-NBA honoree, is one of the biggest names poised to hit the open market this summer. He explained what he’s looking for, whether it’s with the Clippers or a new team. “For sure, contributing to winning basketball, but, at this point, it’s not even about,” said George, who has a player option for the 2024-25 season. “People say, ‘Chasing a championship’. It’s not that. … Playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing.”
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