Reports: Durant, Leonard talk about becoming NBA teammates

Two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Players Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard are talking about becoming teammates, according to multiple reports on the eve of the start of free agency.

ESPN and The Athletic websites each cited unnamed sources in reporting Durant and Leonard have discussed the possibility of each signing with the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Clippers.

Those clubs figure to have the money under National Basketball Association salary cap rules to afford the superstar duo, although other players and potential deals could scuttle the powerhouse combination.

Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to this year's NBA crown, beating Durant's Golden State Warriors in the championship series. Leonard was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2014 with San Antonio, which traded him to the Raptors last July.

Durant, who had been MVP of the past two years' NBA Finals, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 5 of this year's finals and underwent surgery that is expected to sideline him for the entire 2019-20 campaign.

Still, teams are expected to make him big offers even knowing he would need a year to complete rehabilitation and much of another to regain peak form, taking a chance he will return to his dominating ways.

Leonard, who is from Los Angeles, is expected to receive offers from the Knicks, Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, who could unite him with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to create a superteam lineup like no other in the league.

The Clippers could counter that with a Durant pairing and still offer the hometown and financial benefits as well as a strong young team and top coach in Glenn "Doc" Rivers.

New York offers money and the chance to revive a moribund club in the NBA's biggest market.

Among other possible contenders are the Brooklyn Nets, although they reportedly are close to terms with Boston's Kyrie Irving and are trying to pitch Durant on coming to Brooklyn.

There is also the possibility that both Durant and Leonard remain where they are with maximum payout contracts despite opting out of prior deals. Durant could do so to rehab his injury in familiar surroundings with Golden State and Leonard could choose to chase a repeat crown with the same team that thrilled Toronto and Canada during its playoff run.

Free agency begins on Sunday (Monday China time) and while deals can be agreed upon, none can be signed until next Saturday, a delay that produces numerous reports of agreements that teams cannot confirm, and ones that the player and team can back out of until signed and official, although such reversals are rare.

AFP

However, three-time All-Star Kemba Walker is expected in Boston on Sunday to confirm his agreement to join the Celtics on a four-year, US$141 million deal, according to multiple reports.

Walker, who spent eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, will become a free agent on Sunday but cannot sign his contract until July 6.

He has informed the Hornets of his decision, The Charlotte Observer reported.

The Celtics have prioritized Walker as a replacement at point guard for Irving, whom the Celtics did not expect to re-sign. Yahoo Sports reports Boston will renounce its rights to restricted free agent point guard Terry Rozier to clear cap space, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Just a few weeks ago, Walker said he would take less than the five-year, US$221-million "supermax" contract only the Hornets could offer him to stay in Charlotte.

The Observer reported on Saturday, however, that team officials were set on paying less than US$170 million because of concerns about the NBA luxury tax in the future.

In Boston, Walker will be counted on to bring veteran leadership to a team that suffered from dissension in the locker room in the 2018-19 season.

The 29-year-old Connecticut product averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists while starting all 82 games for the Hornets last season. Those numbers are above his eight-year career averages of 19.8 points and 5.5 assists.

Walker could anchor a starting lineup featuring Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

And All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic plans to agree to stay with the Orlando Magic on a four-year, US$100-million deal after free agency opens, The Athletic reported late on Saturday.

Vucevic, 28, has reportedly drawn interest from the Celtics and Lakers, with the Dallas Mavericks also considered suitors at the right price. But it appears the Swiss-born, Montenegrin 7-footer will remain with the team he's played for since 2012.

Vucevic set career highs across the board last season with 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 80 games, earning his first All-Star nod. He missed out on a career high in minutes per game (31.4) but missed just two regular-season games after missing 87 across his first six seasons in Orlando.

A first-round pick (16th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, Vucevic played one season in Philly before joining the Magic in a four-way trade in August of 2012.

He has career averages of 15.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in 536 games (475 starts).