NBA Rumors Roundup: Nets wanted massive haul from Timberwolves for Kevin Durant; Donovan Mitchell will not force trade out of Utah and more | July 8th, 2022
Kevin Durant and his trade request has taken over NBA free agency. However, the Brooklyn Nets are not letting go of their superstar on the cheap. The Nets are clear on what they want for Durant. The latest NBA rumors suggest that the Minnesota Timberwolves were involved in a possible deal before they acquired Rudy Gobert.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz might not be done with their offseason dealings. The Jazz just traded Gobert to Minnesota for a decent haul of players and draft picks. That leaves Donovan Mitchell in a difficult position as the team's superstar. Will he request a trade out of Utah or stay put?
On that note, here's the latest NBA rumors roundup for July 8 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Blazers owner avoiding Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the most active teams of the NBA offseason. They acquired Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons, while Eric Bledsoe was waived. They also added Gary Payton II via free agency and Shaedon Sharpe from the draft.
The Blazers were able to lock up Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons to new contracts. However, there seems to be an internal problem in Portland. According to the New York Post, Blazers owner Jody Allen refused to talk with Damian Lillard this offseason.
Lillard was reportedly unsettled with how the team was being run but was ignored. One source said that Allen did not want to get involved in the day-to-day operations of the Blazers.
"Damian wanted to sit down and have a conversation with Jody about the team, and she didn't return his call," the source said. "Then he tried to email her. Eventually, she just never responded and put him in touch with Bert (Kolde). When you own a team, there are critical key decisions to make, and you should be the one involved in making the decisions."
REPORT: Damian Lillard wanted to have a sit down with blazers owner, Jody Allen, and discuss the team but she did not return his call. He then attempted to reach out via email and still never got a response from her.
(Via: @nypost)
What is going on in Portland??? https://t.co/bK0rb4jaPB
Timberwolves turn down Kevin Durant trade offer from Nets
According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the first teams to show interest in acquiring Kevin Durant.
However, the Timberwolves rejected the Brooklyn Nets' absurd offer for Durant. The Nets reportedly wanted Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and four first-round picks.
"Brooklyn came to Minnesota and said, 'We want Karl-Anthony Towns; we want the Ant Man, and we want four draft picks,'" Goodwill said on the "The Posted Up" podcast.
Brooklyn Nets offered the Minnesota Timberwolves this trade, in which Minnesota declined:
Nets receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, 4 First Round Picks
Timberwolves receive: Kevin Durant
Thoughts? 🤔 https://t.co/cVtY8MlTyK
The Timberwolves turned their attention to other stars and eventually acquired Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Nets will likely need to lower their asking price for Durant if they want to get rid of him as soon as possible. Towns and Edwards could become NBA All-Stars on a yearly basis.
Rockets rejected offers from multiple teams for Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon remains one of the most sought after players in the NBA offseason. Gordon offers playoff experience and 3-point shooting. It's not surprising that several championship-contending teams are interested in acquiring him from the Houston Rockets.
However, Kelly Iko of The Athletic has reported that the Rockets have turned down offers for Gordon. Iko has noted that no fewer than six teams have made an offer for the veteran guard. Some of the offers Houston has received include a first-round pick but was rejected.
Gordon was close to being dealt on NBA draft night to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are still interested in the player, as well as the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. The 33-year-old has two more years on his deal, which is worth around $40 million.
REPORT: The 76ers were “close” to trading for Eric Gordon on draft night, but talks fell apart.
Multiple teams reportedly offered the Rockets a 1st-round pick, but they were turned down.
(via @kellyikonba) https://t.co/XWAtOhyIKi
Donovan Mitchell not forcing trade out of Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz started to overhaul their roster this offseason. The Jazz traded Royce O'Neal to the Brooklyn Nets, while Rudy Gobert was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves. As per NBA rumors, Utah could rebuild around Donovan Mitchell moving forward.
However, does Mitchell want to stay with the Jazz? According to Toby Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz have no plans to trade Mitchell. The team will likely be more active this offseason, with Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley as potential trade candidates.
Meanwhile, ESPN's Brian Windhorst has reported that Mitchell will not force a trade out of Utah for now. He's likely observe what kind of roster the Jazz builds around him. It's also worth noting that the team has a new coach in Will Hardy.
.@WindhorstESPN tells us where things stand in a potential Kevin Durant trade.
"I think [the Nets] thought there was going to be a tremendous bidding war and while there's a lot of interest, from what I can tell, that bidding war isn't really hot right now." https://t.co/LwbgwYgL21
Rockets tried acquiring No.1 overall pick in 2022 NBA draft
The Orlando Magic shocked everyone when they selected Paolo Banchero first overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Jabari Smith was the favorite to be picked at No. 1, but the Magic went down a different route. The Houston Rockets ended up selecting Smith at No. 3.
According to Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Rockets made a last-minute offer to acquire the first pick from the Magic. The Rockets were reportedly concerned about Chet Holmgren falling to them at No. 3. However, the Thunder took Holmgren with the second pick.
MacMahon and Winhorst note that Houston did not want to make a difficult decision regarding Holmgren.
OK people can shut up about the "why would the Magic be so secretive about the draft."
The FO wanted trade offers, but nothing that was offered was more appealing than just selecting Paolo Banchero.
The Rockets actually tried to trade up for the number 1 pick per ESPN. https://t.co/zPWaRQRS4f
The Gonzaga product did not provide his medical records to the Rockets. The Rockets were only interested in Banchero or Smith, who was eventually drafted.