NBA Rumors Roundup: 3x All-Star looking to move away from Utah Jazz in 2025, Kevin Durant set to speak to Nets owner amid trade request standstill, and more | 3rd August 2022

The Utah Jazz could reportedly end up keeping NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell as the price set by the team might be too high. Mitchell could consequently look to sign elsewhere after the 2024-25 season.

More than a month has passed since superstar Kevin Durant asked Joe Tsai for a trade. KD will reportedly meet with the Brooklyn Nets team owner regarding his request soon.

In other news, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers has defended the contract signed by James Harden with the team. Rivers insisted that everything was above board as rumors of a handshake agreement between “The Beard” and Philly hound the team.

Here are the latest rumors from around the NBA as of Aug. 3:

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Donovan Mitchell could opt out of his contract with Utah Jazz in two years and sign with another team

Several interested NBA teams have been unwilling to pay the price the Utah Jazz have set for Donovan Mitchell. [Photo: HoopsHype]

Outside of Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell is the biggest name on the NBA trade market. The Utah Jazz look set to enter full rebuild mode following the trade of Rudy Gobert. It has been rumored that if the Jazz continue on that path, Mitchell may follow the Frenchman out of Utah.

However, there's a chance that will not happen, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Mitchell still has two years left on his contract before a player option after the 2024-25 season which will allow him to opt out. CEO Danny Ainge will likely not blink with the price he has set for the three-time All-Star.

“Spida” may have to wait for the right time to move out of Utah. The story in the SLT read:

“Well, let’s start with this: the overwhelming feeling among league insiders is that Mitchell is likely to sign outside of Utah at the first available opportunity in 2025.

“Mitchell considers New York home. Mitchell has spent the majority of this offseason in New York this year … There are other places he’s reportedly interested in — Miami being a candidate as well.

“There’s a sense that many in Mitchell’s team would prefer he play in a larger market than Utah.”

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NBA superstar Kevin Durant set to meet team owner Joe Tsai

Kevin Durant will reportedly meet Joe Tsai regarding his trade request. [Photo: New York Post]

After a hot first few weeks since Kevin Durant asked to be traded, NBA teams are seemingly waiting for something significant to happen. The Brooklyn Nets may lower their asking price for a trade to happen or KD may have a change of mind and stay in Brooklyn.

Steve Bulpett recently reported an intriguing development that will have the entire NBA waiting in anticipation:

“What I’m hearing is that KD is going to meet with the owner this week,” the source told Heavy Sports. “He’s going to go directly to the owner, Joe Tsai, sometime this week. We’ll see how that works.”

Previously, there were reports that the Nets have engaged in preliminary talks with several teams. The Boston Celtics were the last team to be linked with KD. Boston reportedly offered 2020-21 NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a trade package for Durant.

KD notably still has four years remaining on his contract, and it is unprecedented for a superstar of his caliber to ask for a trade. Brooklyn is in no hurry to make a trade and will likely wait for a king’s ransom to arrive for the four-time All-Star.

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Jae Crowder’s cryptic tweet could be a sign he wants out of the Phoenix Suns

Jae Crowder could be looking for a change of scenery next season. [Photo: NBA.com]

Jae Crowder created a stir when he posted a cryptic Twitter message. The all-caps text could be a harbinger of things to come out of the desert. Crowder's tweet read:

“CHANGE IS INEVITABLE.. GROWTH IS OPTIONAL.!! I BELIEVE ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE…I WANNA CONTINUE GROWING.!”

The versatile forward played an important role for the Phoenix Suns last season. He helped the Suns grab the best record in the entire NBA, but they suffered a stunning postseason loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Crowder has played the last two seasons in Phoenix, averaging 9.7 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, 2.0 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game. He has been decent from beyond the arc, hitting 36.9% of his 3-point attempts.

The 31-year-old is currently in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent after next season. It seems like the Phoenix Suns could be looking to further develop the emerging Cameron Johnson, who posted 12.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg last season.

Johnson’s 42.5% clip from long range offered glimpses of what he can do with a full-time starting job alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

Crowder is set to earn $10 million next season, which the Suns might be looking to offload after the massive Deandre Ayton four-year extension.

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Doc Rivers defends James Harden re-signing as completely done by the book

Doc Rivers insists there was nothing fishy with James Harden's massive paycut to resign for two years with the Philadelphia 76ers. [Photo: Yardbarker.com]

James Harden sensationally opted out of his NBA contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and then resigned to a team-friendly deal.

“The Beard” could have opted into the final year of his contract worth $47.4 million, which most people expected. The 2017-18 NBA MVP, however, took a massive pay cut with his new contract.

He’s penciled to earn $68.6 million over the next two years. Harden will earn $32.9 million next season and will have a player option the year after that which is worth $35.6 million.

The move has allowed Daryl Morey to fortify the squad with the acquisition of P.J. Tucker and DeAnthony Melton. Harden reportedly asked Morey to get whoever was needed to bolster the squad and then give him what was left of the money. These rumors enticed a variety of reactions from fans and analysts.

However, 76ers coach Doc Rivers defended James Harden's re-signing as above board and said:

“I guarantee you that Daryl had no idea what James was going to do.”

Rivers said this after news broke that the NBA will look into a possible handshake agreement between Harden and Morey. Philly’s president of basketball operations shrewdly waited for the guard to be available before getting him in exchange for Ben Simmons.

Harden and Morey previously worked together for several seasons with the Houston Rockets.

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Toronto Raptors duo Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam could hold off on signing extensions for more lucrative offers

Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam could bide their time before signing a more lucrative offer from the Toronto Raptors. [Photo: Raptors Rapture]

Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors are reportedly not in a hurry to sign an extension this offseason. Both players are rumored to be looking at the landscape and are positive about getting a more lucrative offer if they play their cards right.

Eric Koreen of The Athletic weighed in on how the two NBA All-Stars will put contract extension talks on the back burner. He wrote:

“The player can make a reasonable assumption that he will be able to make more in the future if he doesn't sign the maximum extension the Raptors can offer.”

VanVleet and Siakam both have a year left on their contracts and a player option heading into the 2023-24 season. The duo played key roles in the Toronto Raptors’ playoff appearance this year, when they lost to Joel Embiid, James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers.

If VanVleet repeats his All-Star play, he could get a four-year extension worth roughly $114 million. Meanwhile, Siakam, who looked like he had completely recovered from a debilitating injury, could get a three-year deal worth $125 million.

Toronto could also interested in retaining the duo's services. Otherwise, they could find themselves in trouble in a stacked Eastern Conference featuring the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.