Kevin Durant, James Harden back on good terms

“It’s pretty crazy. Things go fast,” Joerger said. “Before you even get to the [roster] changes, I think you get to the fact that James Harden, Joel Embiid, and other guys did not have a lot of time together. Our core has had two years together – Tyrese [Maxey], Tobias [Harris] – and Joel and Tobias have been together for a number of years, we get that. But to add a guy who has the ball as much as James does, especially with Joel, that’s only going to get better as more time is spent together.” -via NBA.com / August 10, 2022

The head of basketball ops from another club was similarly displeased. “Livid,” he said. “Livid. He and Kyrie (Irving) basically told Sean they were coming (as free agents in 2019), and Sean did pretty much everything they wanted after that. Signing DeAndre Jordan for four years? That’s something Kyrie and KD wanted. Getting James Harden? Then getting a guy who should be a perfect complement to them (Ben Simmons) when Harden wanted out? Sean did all that.” -via Heavy.com / August 9, 2022

Michael Scotto: Sources: James Harden has a 15 percent trade kicker included in his two-year, $68.64 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, @hoopshype has learned. Harden’s deal also contains a player option, as others have reported. -via Twitter @MikeAScotto / August 8, 2022

If and when Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell get traded, the space to make a Westbrook trade probably opens a little wider with the costs getting cleared. Lakers sources insist they have options beyond the ones that have been reported (Irving, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner and others). Time should better reveal those once the bigger moves get made. -via Los Angeles Times / August 12, 2022

“But when you take a step back and look at things, I think he wants to be there. And any problems that could ever happen with that relationship would probably have to come from him getting the idea that they’re not in on him. And right now I don’t see that from the Celtics. I think they know what they have in Jaylen — now and for the future — and they want to keep that going. -via Heavy.com / August 12, 2022

“But, like I said, it’s Kevin Durant, and you know Brooklyn is going to want to talk about Jaylen. Even if stuff about trade talks wasn’t getting leaked and reported, anyone with a brain would know that Jaylen’s name is going to come up at some point if they’re talking to Boston.” Scout: Jaylen Brown Is ‘Upper Echelon’ The opinion of Brown around the NBA is impressive — not just for what he is now, but for what the league’s evaluators expect. Echoing a common view, one scout said, “He’s GOT to fix his handle, and maybe that’s just about making better decisions in traffic. But he’s, what, 25? Look at how much he’s improved. He’s definitely not one of those guys who plateaus, who reaches a certain point and gets all satisfied.” -via Heavy.com / August 12, 2022