NBA teams around the league are making their final preparations for the start of free agency on July 1. With the rising salary cap, many players are due for significant pay raises - and virtually every team has cap space. Check out the latest NBA news and rumors below:
Kevin Durant sets timeline for decision
Durant is set to meet with six teams at the start of free agency - the Thunder, Warriors, Spurs, Celtics, Clippers and Heat - and he has now set a timeline on when he wants to make a decision, according to ESPN's Royce Young.
Sometime in the next 10 days, Kevin Durant will have made his decision where to play basketball next season. He's heading overseas on July 9 for a promotional tour, and according to sources, he plans on having made his free-agency choice before he leaves.
Durant is planning to meet with the Thunder on Thursday, the Warriors and Clippers on Friday, then the other three teams on Saturday. The last five meetings will take place in New York City.
Warriors may put Bogut on trade block
The Golden State Warriors lost the last three games of the NBA Finals after Andrew Bogut with down with an injury, but those may have been Bogut's last games as a member of the Warriors. According to CSNBayArea's Monte Poole, the Warriors have grown frustrated with Bogut and may trade him this offseason:
Drafting Jones also was, according to league sources, an indication of the team’s frustration with starting big man Andrew Bogut, who is a candidate to be moved should the Warriors succeed in their pursuit of upcoming free agent Kevin Durant.
The Warriors, should they win the race to KD, will have to shed salary and several sources indicate they’d like to move Bogut as much if not more than anyone else.
Though Warriors coach Steve Kerr is committed to having a versatile lineup, able to play big or small, the team has grown frustrated by Bogut’s unreliability, particularly in times of greatest need. Because he turns 32 in November, it’s unrealistic to expect much to change.
If all things were equal and the Warriors were forced to choose between Bogut and Ezeli, two sources expressed belief the team would prefer Ezeli, who was cheaper last season but almost certainly won’t be next season.
Bogut averaged 5.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this past season.
Lakers interested in Batum
Nicolas Batum is quickly becoming one of the most desired free agents as a relatively affordable wing player, and he is strongly considering meeting with the Lakers, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
Free agent small forward Nicolas Batum mulling over options, including talking with Lakers, source. He's flying from Paris to US tomorrow.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 29, 2016
The Wizards, Warriors, Grizzlies and Hornets are also very interested in Batum, who averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for Charlotte last season.
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