NBA News: Trades, Injuries, Contracts
While the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season is still around a month and a half away, not beginning until October 18th, 2022, there has already been so much exciting news around the league recently that I decided to write an article recapping all that has happened recently in the world of the NBA.
Kevin Durant requests, then rescinds, trade for Brooklyn Nets
Back in June, after a disappointing first round playoff exit at the hands of the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade. This was huge news across the NBA and many teams began offering the Nets trades, as it is very rare for a top five player in the league with four years left on his contract to be available for a trade. The Nets asking price, however, was deemed to be too high for all other teams in the league, and a trade never materialized. This led to Durant deciding to rescind his trade offer and stay with the Nets for the 2022-23 season.
Thus, even after dealing with all of this drama during the offseason, the Nets are once again a contender to win the NBA Finals. With Durant and Kyrie Irving the Nets have two legitimate NBA superstars. Ben Simmons will return healthy and provide the Nets with a needed boost. Beyond those three, the Nets have some solid depth with role player such as Joe Harris, Royce O’Neale, Seth Curry, Patty Mills, Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, and T.J. Warren. Watch out for this Nets team to be one of the best teams in the league this season.
Chet Holmgren out for the season
The number two pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot and will be out for the entire 2022-23 NBA season. It is believed that the injury happened during a Jamal Crawford CrawsOver Pro-Am game that was stopped due to slippery, unsafe court conditions. However, it does not appear that the slippery court is what caused Holmgren’s injury.
Holmgren was one of the top prospects in his draft class after a standout year at Gonzaga, and everyone was intrigued to see how he would perform in the NBA. One of the main concerns surrounding him, however, was how his skinny frame (7’0” and 190 pounds) would hold up at the NBA level.
With his injury, we will now have to wait one more year before we see Holmgren play in regular season NBA.
RJ Barrett signs four-year, $120 million contract extension with Knicks
RJ Barrett finalized a four-year rookie contract extension with the New York Knicks which could be worth up to $120 million. This deal complicates a potential Knicks trade for Donovan Mitchell, as the Utah Jazz wanted Barrett in the deal. Trading Mitchell to the Knicks may still happen, but without Barrett, who is one of the players on the Knicks roster, along with Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin, who the Jazz want most, it will be tougher to make happen.