Latest news with #Valuable
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Suns hit with ‘no leverage' reality in Kevin Durant trade talks
The post NBA rumors: Suns hit with 'no leverage' reality in Kevin Durant trade talks appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 NBA Finals is nearing its conclusion, and in essence, so is the 2024-25 NBA season, but talks about the possible trade destination of Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant are already taking up so much space in the headlines. The future Basketball Hall of Famer has been linked to a number of teams, but so far, nothing serious has truly come out of it, as Durant remains in Phoenix's fold. Advertisement What there is little to deny is the intent of the Suns to move the former NBA Most Valuable Player somewhere else. They tried to accomplish that before the 2025 NBA trade deadline last February, but ultimately kept him for the rest of the campaign. With the Suns failing to make the NBA Playoffs, their attention has shifted largely to restarting trade talks involving Durant, who have a short list of preferred landing spots. Phoenix will want a big return for the all-time great, but they may not have that much power on the negotiation table to demand such, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Wrote Rankin: 'The Suns have 'no leverage' in part because of Durant's age and because he wants to start fresh elsewhere, league sources say. The idea of Kevin Durant returning to a team that entertained deals for him before the 2025 trade deadline isn't a pleasant one.' Durant's list includes the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. The Spurs are rumored to be the 'specific team' that the 15-time NBA All-Star would want to get traded to, but San Antonio hasn't come up with a package enough for Phoenix to pull the trigger. The former Texas Longhorns star, who will turn 37 years old in September, has a year left on the four-year $194.22 million contract extension he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, before Phoenix acquired him in 2023 via a blockbuster four-team trade that involved the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Advertisement Durant is set to earn $54.7 million in the final year of his current deal, which will be for the 2025-26 season. But wherever Durant lands, that team will have an aging but still very much dangerous offensive weapon that averaged at least 26.0 points per game in the last nine seasons (excluding 2019-20). Related: Spurs rumors: Ex-San Antonio VP reveals major hold up in Kevin Durant trade Related: NBA rumors: Shams claims Heat, Rockets 'a piece or 2 away' from Kevin Durant trade
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Gilgeous-Alexander supports Williams with 31 points, 10 assists to put Thunder 1 win from NBA title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season primarily by being a dominant scorer. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he showed he's pretty good as a more traditional point guard, too. He had 31 points and 10 assists in a secondary role to Jalen Williams as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-109 on Monday night . The Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the series and now are a win short of their first NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander was the league's scoring champion this season, and he has led the team in scoring in all but four playoff games. Even when Williams has had breakout performances, they've largely been secondary to Gilgeous-Alexander's gaudy numbers. Not this time. Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points, so Gilgeous-Alexander didn't need to force things against Indiana's constant double-teams. Gilgeous-Alexander still produced big numbers, going 9 for 21 from the field and making 13 of 14 free throws. But he was thrilled that Williams took the lead role. 'He can shoulder a load,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I've said this before — he does so many things for us as a basketball team on both ends of the floor when he's the best version of himself ... he was great tonight. Makes a world of a difference when he's that good, for sure.' It makes sense that Indiana paid extra attention to Gilgeous-Alexander, who joined Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan on Monday as the only players with 15 or more games with at least 30 points in a postseason. But Williams solved Indiana's defense again in his third straight game with at least 26 points. And when the Pacers tried to rally in the fourth quarter, Williams scored 11 points in the final period and Gilgeous-Alexander had nine points and four assists. 'Thought those guys played really well in the two-man game,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Controlled the clock, controlled the game down the stretch, paced us ahead of them.' It's all part of Gilgeous-Alexander's master plan. After last season's loss to Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about stepping back a bit at times to help his teammates develop so they could be ready to help him at critical times. It all clicked for Williams at just the right time. He made 14 of 25 field goals and 9 of 12 free throws on Monday night. He said he's thankful to be in a position where his teammates want him to succeed. 'I'm just in a really, really good situation that's allowed me to grow as a player at a more rapid rate because I'm not worried about what if I fail,' he said. 'I know I have guys that pick me up when I fall short. I try and do the same thing for them. I think our team chemistry's something that's got us here, kept us strong.' Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams has great games ahead. He hopes the next one is in Game 6 in Indianapolis. 'I'm not surprised by his performance tonight' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Like, the kid works super hard. He has the right intentions. He deserves this moment. Now with that being said, we got one more game to win, and I know he's not satisfied by this performance.' ___ AP NBA:
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gilgeous-Alexander supports Williams with 31 points, 10 assists to put Thunder 1 win from NBA title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season primarily by being a dominant scorer. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he showed he's pretty good as a more traditional point guard, too. He had 31 points and 10 assists in a secondary role to Jalen Williams as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-109 on Monday night. The Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the series and now are a win short of their first NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander was the league's scoring champion this season, and he has led the team in scoring in all but four playoff games. Even when Williams has had breakout performances, they've largely been secondary to Gilgeous-Alexander's gaudy numbers. Not this time. Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points, so Gilgeous-Alexander didn't need to force things against Indiana's constant double-teams. Gilgeous-Alexander still produced big numbers, going 9 for 21 from the field and making 13 of 14 free throws. But he was thrilled that Williams took the lead role. 'He can shoulder a load,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I've said this before — he does so many things for us as a basketball team on both ends of the floor when he's the best version of himself … he was great tonight. Makes a world of a difference when he's that good, for sure.' It makes sense that Indiana paid extra attention to Gilgeous-Alexander, who joined Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan on Monday as the only players with 15 or more games with at least 30 points in a postseason. But Williams solved Indiana's defense again in his third straight game with at least 26 points. And when the Pacers tried to rally in the fourth quarter, Williams scored 11 points in the final period and Gilgeous-Alexander had nine points and four assists. 'Thought those guys played really well in the two-man game,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Controlled the clock, controlled the game down the stretch, paced us ahead of them.' It's all part of Gilgeous-Alexander's master plan. After last season's loss to Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about stepping back a bit at times to help his teammates develop so they could be ready to help him at critical times. It all clicked for Williams at just the right time. He made 14 of 25 field goals and 9 of 12 free throws on Monday night. He said he's thankful to be in a position where his teammates want him to succeed. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I'm just in a really, really good situation that's allowed me to grow as a player at a more rapid rate because I'm not worried about what if I fail,' he said. 'I know I have guys that pick me up when I fall short. I try and do the same thing for them. I think our team chemistry's something that's got us here, kept us strong.' Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams has great games ahead. He hopes the next one is in Game 6 in Indianapolis. 'I'm not surprised by his performance tonight' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Like, the kid works super hard. He has the right intentions. He deserves this moment. Now with that being said, we got one more game to win, and I know he's not satisfied by this performance.' ___ AP NBA:
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder level Finals with late rally
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder come back from a late deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 111-104 in Game 4 and even the NBA Finals on Friday in Indianapolis. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Monday in Oklahoma City. The Thunder trailed by seven entering the fourth quarter but outscored Indiana 31-17 in the last period to escape with the victory. Oklahoma City closed with a 12-1 run over the last three minutes. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault changed up his rotation a bit, giving Gilgeous-Alexander breaks earlier in each half, and it seemingly paid off in the fourth. Typically Gilgeous-Alexander sits early in the second and fourth quarters, but Friday, he sat late in the third and played virtually all of the fourth quarter. With just less than four minutes remaining, the Pacers led 101-97 before Gilgeous-Alexander took over. The NBA Most Valuable Player scored 13 points the rest of the way, making both of his field-goal attempts and all eight of his free-throw attempts to lift his team to victory. Gilgeous-Alexander finished 12 of 24 from the field, 10 of 10 at the free-throw line with three steals, a block and just two turnovers. He had no assists. With 2:23 left, Gilgeous-Alexander drove wide to the basket, pulling up from 14 feet out and hitting a step-back jumper over Aaron Nesmith to put the Thunder ahead for the first time in the second half, 104-103. Jalen Williams also had a big game for the Thunder, finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds. He was 11-for-11 at the free-throw line. Alex Caruso added 20 points and five steals off the bench in the win. Oklahoma City was 34 of 38 (89.5 percent) at the line but was just 3 of 17 (17.6 percent) on 3-point tries. The Thunder hadn't hit fewer than seven 3-pointers in any game during the 2024-25 regular season or postseason. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points, starting hot with 10 points and four steals in the first quarter. He finished 6 of 15 from the field with five steals and eight rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and seven assists while Obi Toppin had 17 points off the Indiana bench. The Pacers made a push late in the third, with a 24-14 run to take a 10-point lead -- their largest of the night. Toppin hit back-to-back 3-pointers during that stretch. Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
14-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA Finals Game 4 winners and losers: Caruso's complete game; Mathurin's costly minute
NBA Finals Game 4 winners and losers: Caruso's complete game; Mathurin's costly minute Show Caption Hide Caption Mark Daigneault on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 4: 'He's unreal' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for leading OKC's fourth-quarter rally against the Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder can do comebacks, too. After erasing a seven-point lead to start the fourth quarter, the Thunder evened up the NBA Finals with a 111-104 victory Friday, June 13, in Game 4. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, did not record a single assist, but he did drop 35 points, including 15 of the last 16 points of the game. Jalen Williams added 27 and Chet Holmgren posted 14 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points, though he did not score in the fourth quarter and took just a single shot in the period. Here are the winners and losers from Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder: WINNERS The MVP shows up in the clutch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the fourth quarter ‒ all inside the final 4:38. The Thunder unlocked a way for Gilgeous-Alexander to get going, targeting Aaron Nesmith on switches off of pick-and-rolls, shedding Andrew Nembhard off of him. ANALYSIS: Tyrese Haliburton NBA postseason heroics renew debate. Does 'clutch' play exist? Gilgeous-Alexander got to the line eight times in the fourth, and he didn't play rushed — he found his spots and executed. This night, if the Thunder go on to win the Finals, could be a legacy-establishing performance for the 26-year-old. 'He's unreal,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. Alex Caruso He's known for his defense, but Thunder guard Alex Caruso erupted for 20 points on a hyper-efficient 7-of-9 (77.8%) night. When Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling to find buckets, Caruso lifted Oklahoma City, cutting to the basket, working the baseline for easy looks and finishing with floaters and Euro steps. Yet, as always, Caruso was also a menace on the other end, finishing with a team-high five steals. 'I want to win,' Caruso said. 'I don't care if it's pickup in September before training camp. I don't care if it's Game 45, 50, before All-Star break. If it's the Finals and you're down 2-1, I want to win. That's what I'm focused on.' Obi Toppin provides a spark off the bench The Pacers seem to get a huge boost from at least one player off the bench each game. Friday night it was Obi Toppin, who was the only Pacer to shoot better than 50% from the floor. He scored 17 on 7-of-12 from the field and also scooped seven rebounds. Jalen Williams stays aggressive, stacks great games Over the past two games, Jalen Wiliams has 53 points and 13 rebounds. A 23-year-old first-time All-Star, Williams is blossoming into a steady and reliable star. And, when Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling early to get going, Williams was hot, scoring 16 points in the first half. Williams was aggressive throughout, marked by his team-high 11 free throw attempts, which he converted. LOSERS The team known for comebacks can't finish They became known for frenetic, improbable comebacks, but Friday night, it was the Pacers who could not finish. Holding a seven-point lead entering the fourth quarter, the Pacers let the Thunder end the game on a 12-1 run. They missed all but one of their last seven shot attempts and their final five. They were outscored in the fourth quarter by 14, a 31-17 margin. Indiana did not make a single 3-pointer in the period. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points and was hot early. Indiana went away from him, and he took just one shot in the fourth quarter. Coach Rick Carlisle said the offense 'got stagnant.' He wasn't wrong. The ball stopped moving as much, as the Pacers recorded just a single assist in the fourth, after they had dished out 20 in the first three quarters. 'I've got to do a much better job of keeping pace in the game,' Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. Bennedict Mathurin's final minute This was not why Indiana lost the game, but Bennedict Mathurin's final minute on the floor was brutal. Subbed in with 44 seconds left after Nesmith fouled out, Mathurin missed three free throws — after converting 88.9% previously in the playoffs — but also committed two away-from-the-play fouls before the ball was even inbounded, gifting Oklahoma City free throws and possession. The Pacers can't clear the glass Part of the reason the Pacers collapsed in the final frame was because it allowed Oklahoma City to outwork them on the boards. Overall, Indiana lost the rebounding battle by a sizable margin, 43-33. But the fourth quarter was particularly debilitating. The Pacers were outrebounded 12-4 in the period, and 4-1 on the offensive glass. That prevented Indiana from sprinting out in transition and led to the stagnancy in the halfcourt.
