Western Conference · Northwest · 80 updates
Executives around the league say Houston would only fetch a first-round pick for Kevin Durant now, far less than Phoenix got a year ago. An anonymous executive said Durant's off-court baggage complicates any deal despite his scoring.
Lonnie Walker IV has officially signed with Denver, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. The deal was originally reported by Shams Charania in August as a one-year, $3.3M contract, but it has since been updated to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
+4A survey of unsigned free agents ranks Cam Thomas, John Konchar, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown and Cam Whitmore among the best names left after Jalen Duren's restricted free agency effectively took him off the market.
Milwaukee considered a sign-and-trade for Nuggets guard Peyton Watson and floated Jaime Jaquez Jr. as part of the package, according to the Denver Post. The Bucks never made a formal offer and were not seen as favorites.
The Denver Post reports Kris Dunn came up in trade talks between the Nuggets and Clippers. Denver only wanted in if the Clippers attached draft capital, and Los Angeles wasn't willing to meet that price. Dunn stays with the Clippers for now, entering the final year of his contract at $5.6 million.
Multiple teams pushed Denver to attach draft picks to Cam Johnson in trade talks, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The Nuggets turned those offers down, viewing Johnson as a legitimate starter rather than a contract to unload.
Denver Post reporter Bennett Durando details how Peyton Watson's split from the Nuggets built over months. Denver bypassed a rookie extension last October, offering no more than $10-12M annually while Watson sought around $14M, and instead extended Christian Braun.
+3The Clippers' Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto is expected to close soon now that the league's cap-circumvention probe has ended with a $700K fine and no suspension for Leonard. Under the original terms, the Clippers would get Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks and other assets back.
ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel remains skeptical the Lakers can land free agent Bruce Brown, noting Los Angeles is already $500,000 over the tax and would need to cut multiple players just to fit him.
The Ringer's Zach Lowe said the Clippers had been quietly positioning for a run at Nikola Jokic if he ever left Denver in 2027 free agency, but called that dead after the NBA stripped Los Angeles of five first-round picks over its Kawhi Leonard cap circumvention case.
